Coping with
Family Trauma
A therapeutic process group
treatment for college students
Jack Mack, Ph.D.
Buffalo State College Counseling Center
Outline
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Basic structure
Group agreements and norms
Screening and construction
Process vs. support group
Mindfulness
Common themes, challenges, interventions
Why this group works, client feedback
Q&A
Basic Structure
• Theme / Purpose
– 66% of college students reported Criterion A trauma
– 9% met criteria for PTSD
• Description of group
– Length/Frequency
– What we do each week
– Our stance
• Short term (1 semester w/ option to continue)
• Recruitment (what we tell our colleagues)
• Leader(s) – ideally male/female coleaders
Read, J.P., Ouimette, P., White, J., Colder, C., & Farrow, S. (2011). Rates of DSM-IV-TR trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress
disorder among newly matriculated college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research Practice, and Policy, 3(2), 148-156.
Basic Structure
• Mindfulness exercise
• Check-in
– How are you feeling right now? (Feelings Wheel)
– Any updates on family contact since last group?
– Any specific topic/issue to address today?
• Group process (based on above)
• Check-out
– How are you feeling right now?
– What is something from group you connected with?
– What is a small goal you could work on before next
group?
Group Screening & Construction
• Hand out screening form
• What goes into group construction?
– Demographics (gender, age, grad or undergrad)
– Matching vs. Diversity
– What types of traumas fit in group?
– Heterogeneity vs. homogeneity (Yalom, 1985)
– Potential problems (leaders, wallflowers, attendance,
boundary issues, talking too much or too little, etc.)
• Rule-out criteria
Group agreement and norms
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Confidentiality, limits of confidentiality
No contact outside group, subgrouping
Attendance
Commitment (at least 3 sessions)
No physical contact
I-statements
Asking members for what they want to add, put
it in their own words
Process Group vs. Support Group vs.
Structured Group
• We don’t have an agenda, but we have
themes/skills that we cover
• Some structure (check-in, check-out) open
process part is sandwiched in the middle
• Process—present oriented, coping oriented
• Activities based on group topics/interest
• Emphasis is not processing trauma, more
helping to cope w/ trauma in the present
Mindfulness Exercise
• We begin and end with a mindfulness and/or
relaxation exercise.
• Demonstrate difference techniques over the
semester.
– Breathing
– Movement
– PMR
– Guided meditation
– Apps
Common Themes
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Anxiety, depression, PTSD
Triggers
Balance, self-care
“Overcontrolled” vs. “Undercontrolled” reactions to trauma
Boundaries with family, friends, partners
Emotional intelligence/processing
Loneliness, stigma
Replicating family patterns
– Substance use/abuse
– Chaotic relationships
• Trust, acceptance, and/or forgiveness
• Siblings, roles in family
• Reasonable goals/expectations for self/family
Common Challenges
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Attendance (group and individual)
Current traumas vs. past traumas
Disorganization
Trust
Subgrouping (age, gender, type of trauma)
Crisis management
Clients acting in therapist/helper role
Termination, saying goodbye healthily
Common Interventions
• Present/coping-focused
• Setting reasonable/attainable goals
• Skill building – mindfulness, self-validation, seeking
social support and safety
• Psychoeducation
• Understanding/improving communication
– I statements
– Speaking the unspoken
– Ask for/give direct feedback when it feels safe
• “Genograms”
– What does your family look like? What is each person’s
role? Has this changed? How would you change it?
Why this group works
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Universality, reduced isolation
Validation
Emotional processing
Problem solving
Interpersonal feedback/learning/practice
Altruism, pride, resilience
Reinforcing strengths
Installation of hope
Yalom, I.D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.
Anonymous client feedback
(used with permission)
• “I got a lot of good feedback from people who understood
where I was coming from and I think that really helped.”
• “I never thought that being in this group would be as hard as it
was and I didn’t think it would have such a profound effect.”
• “It really helped me to cope with my depression.”
• “I didn’t expect that I would have such a positive impact on
other group members. It was amazing to hear feedback from
peers, pointing to strengths they see in me, especially when I feel
so broken.”
• “It definitely pushed me to take risks in a healthy, unintimidating
way, and it helped me seek and give support to others.”
• “I am not alone.”
Questions?