Grounding, Grieving, & Growing Heidi Vermeer-Quist, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Goal: Overview of Three Phases of Recovery Evidence Based Practices / Best Practices Grounding Skills – working through & improving Anxiety and PTSD symptoms using CBT, Mindfulness (DBT), and improving the present moment. Grieving – Honoring Your Story using Exposure Response Prevention & Forgiveness / Radical Acceptance Growing – Nurturing & Growing Your Life with Positive Psychology Restoring Lives, Renewing Spirits

GROUNDING SKILLS Working through & improving Anxiety and PTSD symptoms using CBT, Mindfulness (DBT), and improving the present moment.

GROUNDING SKILLS Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Catch – Release – Replace unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with more helpful thoughts and behaviors. Catch the ANT’s (automatic negative thoughts – often “O” zone), Release through letting go / journaling / prayer, & Replace with Grounding Skills such as going through your 5 senses, deep breathing (4-7-8), listening to soothing music…

GROUNDING SKILLS Mindfulness (DBT – Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) – Quick Overview Put Your Mind Fully in the Present Moment Focus on one thing – perhaps just on your breath or on one thing that you are doing. Observe, Describe, Participate Non-Judgmentally, One Mindfully, and Effectively

GROUNDING SKILLS Improving the Present Moment What works well? (Positive Psychology) What would improve the present moment? Nurturing Behaviors Small Accomplishments Meet Your Needs – HALT Hungry? Eat/drink, Agitated? Slow down / journal your FAB, Lonely? Connect with supportive others and pray, Tired? Get some rest or sleep if you need it)

GRIEVING SKILLS Honoring Your Story – Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Create a safe environment for people to talk about their trauma. First, they must feel grounding in the present moment. Encourage them to share their story from a grounded, safe reality. Return to grounding skills whenever the emotions become more intense.

GRIEVING SKILLS Honoring Your Story – Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Encourage them to honor their story, embrace that they are survivors, consider how they could find meaning (positive psychology) in their story to help themselves and maybe help others. Encourage them to affirm themselves and actively reinforce their current safety and security. Be practical…

GRIEVING SKILLS Honoring Your Story – Forgiveness / Radical Acceptance (REACH model by Everett Worthington) R – Recall the hurt E – Empathize with the one who hurt you A – Altruistic gift of forgiveness, first to ourselves and then to the others C – Commitment to forgive H – Hold on to forgiveness Forgiving and Reconciling by Worthington

GROWING Skills Nurturing & Growing Your Life with Positive Psychology Social Psychology & Impressive results with Positive Psychology. Flourish by Martin Seligman Great results with military vets and others who have suffered trauma.

GROWING Skills 5 Pillars of Positive Psychology: PERMA P – Positive Emotions What Works Well?

GROWING Skills 5 Pillars of Positive Psychology: PERMA E – Engaged What Works Well?

GROWING Skills 5 Pillars of Positive Psychology: PERMA R – Relationships What Works Well?

GROWING Skills 5 Pillars of Positive Psychology: PERMA M – Meaning What Works Well?

GROWING Skills 5 Pillars of Positive Psychology: PERMA A – Accomplishment What Works Well?

This PPT and BOOKS available at www.gardeningyourlife.com

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