Women\'s Trauma Recovery Center (WTRC)

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| **Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):**                               |
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| DBT assists the veterans with their intense emotional pain and/or     |
| urges to attempt to avoid or escape. This therapy is conducted in a   |
| group format, in which veterans learn to use specific skills that are |
| broken down into 4 modules: core mindfulness skills, emotion          |
| regulation skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and distress   |
| tolerance skills.                                                     |
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| **Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Trauma Focused Treatment**      |
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| CPT is an evidenced-based therapy aimed at reducing symptoms of PTSD. |
| Veterans treated at this center also typically have an increase in    |
| quality of life as a result of symptom reduction through the use of   |
| CPT. According to the authors, Resick and Schnicke, CPT was developed |
| to help trauma survivors (1) understand how thoughts and emotions are |
| interconnected, (2) accept and integrate the trauma as an event that  |
| actually occurred and cannot be ignored or discarded, (3) experience  |
| fully the range of emotions attached to the trauma, (4) analyze and   |
| confront maladaptive beliefs, and (5) explore how prior experiences   |
| and beliefs both affected reactions to the trauma and were affected   |
| by the trauma. This therapy is conducted in a group and individual    |
| format.                                                               |
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| The CPT concepts of understanding how thoughts and emotions are       |
| interconnected, challenging beliefs, understanding  and confronting   |
| maladaptive behaviors, and integration of their sexual trauma into    |
| the veteran\'s life story is included in, and reinforced, during all  |
| other groups.                                                         |
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| **Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT):**                            |
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| ACT is a treatment modality that uses acceptance, mindfulness,        |
| commitment, and behavior change strategies to assist veterans in      |
| making meaningful behavioral changes in accordance with their values, |
| despite the presence of problematic thoughts, feelings, and physical  |
| sensations.                                                           |
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| **Self-Esteem Group:**                                                |
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| Self-esteem group primarily addresses intrinsic worth, guilt, shame,  |
| and bereavement issues. The goal is to assist veterans in developing  |
| a realistic, appreciative opinion of the \'self.\'                    |
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| **Relationship Skills Group:**                                        |
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| Relationship skills group addresses the issues of boundaries, trust,  |
| commitment, and communication.  The goal is to assist veterans in     |
| recognizing toxic relationships and learning skills to establish or   |
| enhance healthy relationships.                                        |
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| **Meditation/Relaxation Group:**                                      |
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| Meditation and relaxation group addresses the mind/body connection    |
| using techniques of bio-feedback, muscle relaxation, guided imagery,  |
| and deep breathing.  The goal is to teach veterans skills to enable   |
| them to decrease fear and avoidance of hearing their own intrusive    |
| thoughts.                                                             |
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| **Intimacy Group:**                                                   |
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| Intimacy group addresses the issues of guilt, shame, trust, and       |
| sexuality.  The goal is the development of skills that will enable    |
| veterans to establish relationships that are honest and accepting and |
| to accept their own sexuality.                                        |
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| **Recreation Therapy:**                                               |
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| The recreation therapy group uses physical activities, visual arts,   |
| writing, and leisure activity planning to assist veterans in          |
| achieving an appreciation of their creativity and a sense of          |
| accomplishment and enjoyment.                                         |
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| **Women\'s Health Issues:**                                           |
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| This group focuses on women\'s health issues including sleep hygiene, |
| nutrition/diet, anatomy and physiology, exercise, and other relevant  |
| topics. This increases the veterans understanding of a physiological  |
| component of their overall health.                                    |
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| **Anxiety & Stress Management**                                       |
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| This group focuses on the gaining a better understanding of the       |
| relationship between stress, physiological health, and psychological  |
| health. Veterans review the stress response cycle, differences        |
| between episodic and chronic stress, and the nature of panic attacks. |
| Veterans will have the opportunity to learn skills to aid in          |
| addressing lifestyle changes to improve their abilities to manage     |
| stress and anxiety.                                                   |
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| **Anger Management**                                                  |
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| The anger management group explores personal anger styles, costs and  |
| payoffs of anger, and various anger distortions. Veterans will be     |
| guided through ways to create coping thoughts and how to challenge    |
| anger distortions in order to develop a personal anger management     |
| plan. Additional focus will be placed on learning relapse prevention  |
| skills for anger management.                                          |
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| **Seeking Safety**                                                    |
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| This group utilizes the work of L. Najavits in focusing on the        |
| relationship between PTSD and substance abuse issues. Veterans will   |
| review skills to help them manage PTSD symptoms without the use of    |
| drugs or alcohol. Topics covered include grounding skills,            |
| development of creating commitments to healthy skills, coping with    |
| triggers, improving self-care, and healthy relationships.             |
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| **Trauma Effects**                                                    |
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| This group focuses on exploring the simple and complex reactions to   |
| trauma including physical effects, difficulties in regulating         |
| emotion, changes in relationships, and the impact trauma has on       |
| self-concept. Veterans will be able to explore the effects trauma has |
| made on their lives in a safe environment. The goal of this group is  |
| to gain a better understanding of the nature of trauma effects and    |
| reduce myths related to trauma.                                       |
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