Overcoming Adversity: Tragedy Can Lead to Psychological Growth As Well As Traumatization

Nov. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- It’s now been over 20 years since the genocide in Rwanda, and many of the survivors still suffer from PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder). Nearly a million children — ten percent of the country’s entire population — were orphaned by the humanitarian disaster. One of the volunteers making a difference in Rwanda is Dr. Caroline Sakai, a psychologist in private practice in Hawaii.

Dr. Sakai, formerly Chief Clinical Therapist at Kaiser Permanente, made many trips to Rwanda, collecting data on the outcomes of her treatments. This has led to several studies published in peer-reviewed journals. She describes her work in her new book, “Overcoming Adversity: How Energy Tapping Transforms Your Life's Worst Experiences: A Primer for Post-Traumatic Growth,” published by award-winning publisher Energy Psychology Press. It contains 23 deeply moving stories of orphans like Angelique, whose entire village was slaughtered, as well as Kaiser patients like Josh, who was suicidal after years of fighting depression.

Josh and Angelique, as well as Dr. Sakai’s other patients, recovered completely, using a method called TFT or Thought Field Therapy. A batch of recent scientific studies has shown that TFT effectively treats the symptoms of PTSD, as well as depression and anxiety.

In “Overcoming Adversity,” Dr. Sakai provides an expert introduction to TFT for beginners, as well as concluding with a section that shows professionals how to get the best results from the technique. She shows how TFT can promote “posttraumatic growth,” the personal transformation that can result from traumatic experiences. It also shows how TFT can be used to promote resilience, the qualities that enable us to recover from life's inevitable challenges.

Dr. Sakai’s case histories demonstrate that even during our darkest moments, full recovery is possible. Even serious mental health diagnoses, like major depression and PTSD, can be treated with TFT. “Overcoming Adversity” is part of a growing literature showing that the experience of successfully overcoming tragedy can lead to increased psychological resilience, confidence, and growth.

References:

Book: “Overcoming Adversity”

TFT Research Review: Church, D, & Feinstein, D. (2013). Energy psychology in the treatment of PTSD: Psychobiology and clinical principles. In Thijs Van Leeuwen & Marieke Brouwer (Eds.), Psychology of Trauma (pp. 211 - 224). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science.