Post-Traumatic Growth | Transforming Trauma into Strength | MindTribe Workshop

Post-Traumatic Growth | Transforming Trauma into Strength | MindTribe Workshop

[Music] and trauma, stress, suicid, suicidality and relationship issues. And with me is my co-host Dr. Anu. Would you like to introduce yourself? Yeah, thank you. Good morning everyone. My name is Anam. Dr. Adam can say uh I work as a psychologist for my tribe and I have done PhD in psychology uh and I’m truly glad to have you all here for today’s workshop uh transform pain into purpose. So thank you all for joining. Let’s make the most of this time together. Over to you Rey. Thank you Dr. Anan. She’ll also be helping in answering any of your questions in the chat in case I can’t get to them. So um as she had said today’s session is called transform pain into purpose. We’re going to explore how trauma impacts us but more importantly how growth can happen in the aftermath. So this is not about pretending everything happens for a reason. It’s about what you can do after it happens. All right? Take power in that. Um you know after the breakdown, the betrayal, the burnout and all that pain. It’s about healing. not just surviving but in transforming yourself. All right, so all of you just sit back. Um and let’s get started. So first off, we have a few ground rules. Um so I wanted to make clear, you know, whatever is shared here stays here. So I trust that we will all be able to keep anything discussed as confidential within the group. You know, I’m sure each of us have gone through our own pain. Um, and we need to be respectful of that privacy. This is a judgment-free zone. Please be respectful of each one’s journey and experiences. Uh, and listen to each other, right? Don’t interrupt when someone is speaking. And, you know, if you if you have questions, you feel like they’re not answered, you can stay back at the end of the session and I’ll be here to answer them. And let’s be kind and compassionate to each other. the world could always use more of that. And while participation is very encouraged, it’s still optional. Okay? So, don’t feel like you have to push yourself to share if you don’t feel like you’re ready. This workshop is not about that. Um, and if you would like to participate or have questions, please raise your hand or type it in the chat box. All right? And just remember, this place is for reflection, no judgment. A little disclaimer, this workshop is for educational and reflective purposes only. It’s not a substitute for therapy. Some some topics might be emotionally triggering. And if anything we discuss brings up difficult emotions, just know that that’s okay. All right? If you need to, please take a step back. You’re not alone. And support is available if you need it. Mine tribe services are available if you’d like to explore this further. And here is our structure for this workshop. Four parts. So the first one we’re going to explore along on trauma. And then part two we’re going to go get into the thick of it. You know what is post-traumatic growth? And then we’ll go into some long-term practices that can help you all build growth and purpose. And finally we’ll delve into some more practical applications that you can use starting today itself. Uh, we’ll aim to finish this by 1 p.m. So, like I said, if you guys, you know, want to take notes, that’s fine. Just no recordings, please. Um, you know, grab a cup of tea, hot chocolate, water, whatever. And, you know, uh, let’s begin this together. So, let’s begin this gently, right? uh if it’s in the chat or you guys would like to raise your hand, you know, I’d love to hear what is one small thing that helped you get through a tough day recently. It could be um a warm cup of tea, a song, a friend’s message, anything. It can be big or small, whatever you feel comfortable sharing. And this is to help remind us that healing often begins with the little things. Uh Barson Jolly says, “Yoga on gym?” Oh, that is I respect you so much for that. I need to start. I always say I’m going to do yoga in the gym. So, well done to you for doing that. Venting to a friend. Namata says, “Yep, that can be so helpful to have someone that understands.” Anan says, “Sketching.” Oh, the lovely creative release. Sakshi says, “Crying.” Oh, yes. You know, crying can do so much good for us when there’s so much pent up emotions. Asha says, “Reading my favorite book.” Oh, lovely. Yeah, just that comfort, right, that you need. Prai says, “Writing poems.” Wow. Okay, that is amazing. I love reading poems. So, writing poems is a different ballgame for me. It’s a great way. Rita says, “Deep breathing and dark chocolates.” Yes, I’m the same there. Conv says, “My niece.” Oh. Oh, that’s lovely. You know, someone close to you is able to give you that that breather. Um, Abilasha says, “Art and music, great.” Panel says, “Food.” An Namika says, “Talking to my best friend and weeping a lot helped me.” Oh, yes. Yes. It’s just that physical release from crying and having that someone that understands you, right? Um, saying taking a nap. Yep. You need that rest. Music and ignorance. Yeah. You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss can be a good temporary way to get through the day. Um so says some me time and being there for myself very important that is so important to learn how to be you know uh your own source of comfort listening to music sketching while I was hurt and crying oh yes again just that creative and emotional release working out yes great dancing oh yes that so much there’s so much studies on that like dancing the amount of release that you get from that taking a nap sharing to your partner journaling. Yeah, that is also a really really wonderful mindful practice to keep taking a walk in the park. Yes. Reading books, sleep in a peaceful nap, sometimes talking to my friend. Spirituality, yeah, that can be different for everyone, right? So, whatever helps you feel connected to something bigger than yourself that makes you feel comforted, that is a great way to cope. watching comedy and laughing and crying, too. Yep, that’s great. A little bit of self-care. Oh, yes. Self-care. Talking to Chad GBT. Okay, that one’s new. Okay, I’m I’m glad that’s working out for you, Somaya. Um, cooking and listening to music. Listening to music and spirituality. Oh, this was I loved reading all of this, guys. Thank you so much. you know, sounds like you all have your own ways, your own little rituals of getting through tough times and it’s lovely to read that and hopefully you guys can continue on with this if because a lot I mean I’d say everything you guys have said is already I would say good job you know I don’t see much uh anything wrong with any of this done with that so how do you handle maybe good oh you know what I’ll tell you that at the very end okay this is the the focus of this workshops on all of you It’s not on me. Um, but I will I will say a lot of what you’ve said. I do um I do use quite a lot of what you guys have said as well. But if any of you guys would like to hear what I do after, feel free to stay back. Okay. So, that’s all right. We shall move on to the next one. Oh, just taking myself out for a solo date. Oh, I love that. Absolutely love that. All right. So we’re going to get a bit into the pick of trauma. So let’s first bust some common myths about trauma as there can be a lot of misconceptions about it. Right? So before we explore it, let’s see what it it is not. So myth number one, trauma only happens to people who experience extreme events or violence. That’s not true. Trauma is subjective. You know, it can stem from anything that overwhelms your ability to cope like emotional neglects, breakups, medical diagnosis, bullying. The next myth is all painful experiences are traumatic. So, not every upsetting experience can lead to trauma. Trauma happens when again your nervous system doesn’t have the support that it needs to process a distressing event. Myth three is people should just move on. Get over it. I’m sure a lot of you know that’s not true. Healing takes time. Everyone has their own pace and process and that’s okay. Our fourth myth is trauma breaks you permanently. So trauma is painful. Yes, but many people recover and even grow from it. They reach a higher level of well-being than they were before. And hopefully all of you can see that possibility from this workshop by the end of it. And the last myth is time heals all wounds and trauma. So don’t get me wrong, uh time does help. It really does. But active healing, you know, whether it’s through therapy, support, or self-work can make a much deeper difference. So let’s get into what is trauma. Trauma is an emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms your ability to cope. Its origins can come from many, many possibilities, many things. And sometimes it can be an accumulation of many negative experiences. You know, it doesn’t just live in the past. It lives in our bodies, our thoughts, and relationships. You know, trauma is not weakness. It’s your body trying to protect you. and we’ll go a bit into how that works. So the effects of trauma, let’s talk a bit a bit deeply about how trauma impacts our emotional and mental worlds. So emotionally, trauma can leave lasting imprints. You may feel waves of anxiety, depression, or a vague sense that something bad is always going to happen. You know, it can be difficult to feel safe when you start to feel happy. There may be deep guilt or shame even if logically you know it’s not your fault. Some people experience um emotional numbness or detachment. You know it’s a sense of being disconnected from your own feelings like watching life from behind a screen. And cognitively trauma can also change the way you think. It can come in the form of intrusive thoughts you know unwanted images or flashbacks. There can be cognitive fog. So you might struggle to concentrate, to remember things or make decisions. You know, you might think this is such an easy decision of why can’t I make a decision? That could be a result of trauma that has now changed the way you think or how safe you feel with your own decisions. And just remember, these symptoms are not personal failures. They’re just survival mechanisms. You know, your nervous system is trying to protect you by overreacting. So understanding this is the first step to um reclaiming your narrative. Uh Bel says uh government words trauma is not what happened it’s what’s changed inside you as a result of what happened. Yes exactly right. It’s the way you processed it the way your mind and body have processed it. Ashwaria says why those hurtful words said by someone who was irrelevant even ages ago echo every time that thing happens in the present. Yeah it’s one of those mysteries right of you know this person this thing should not matter to me. so much? Why is it still affecting me? And this might be again a way that something that you weren’t a you weren’t able to process at the time. There might be something deeper as well that had happened which made this person’s hurtful words stick um you know even more intensely and it still affects you to this day. So thank you for sharing that. And for the next one, so trauma also reshapes how we behave and how our bodies feel. So behaviorally, trauma can lead to withdrawal. Maybe some of you have experienced this. You know, isolating from people, even those that you care about because closeness can feel unsafe. You know, there’s there can be avoidance, staying away from places, conversations, or activities or even thoughts that remind you of that pain. Again this is all like your body your mind trying to protect you. You know you are trying your body your mind doesn’t want you to be in pain constantly. So it’s it develops all these mechanisms um to try to navigate that but it actually leads to a lot more difficulties in life doesn’t it? And then physically trauma often lives in the body. You know many survivors they experience hypervigilance. They’re they constantly feel like they’re on edge as if something’s going to something bad’s going to happen any second. You know, you might have physical symptoms like tense muscles, frequent headaches, or digestive issues. They’re very common. You might struggle with insomnia, you can’t sleep well, vivid dreams, you might feel exhausted all the time, even though you technically you slept your whole eight hours or whatever. Um these are all parts of you know your mind and body reacting to it. These these symptoms are your body’s alarm system you know and with awareness and support we can begin to turn the volume a little down. Uh Somaya says and I struggle all of the written effects. Uh tell me what you mean by written effects. I’m not sure I quite understand. I I’ll let you get to that um if you’d like. And in the meantime, I’ll just go on to the next slide. If you feel free to write it down to my what you meant by written effects. I’m not 100%. Oh, there the text you on the slide. Oh, okay. I see. Right. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. Um yeah, so all of this is unfortunately very common for people that have gone through trauma. you know, you might experience it too. Oh, no, it’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for the confusion. It’s okay. Um, you know, it’s all about community like, you know, I’ll ask if I don’t understand you explain, you know, no harm, no foul. Um, but yeah, you know, maybe a lot of you also recognize these symptoms in yourselves. It might be to different degrees. You know, maybe you experience more physical symptoms. Maybe some of you experience more emotional symptoms. It’s all valid. It’s all real. And I know it sucks. It’s awful, right? To have to live like this. Um, but that’s where post-traumatic growth can come in. So, first before we do it, let’s reflect. Okay. Think of a past challenge or a difficult time. How has that changed you? I know this might be a bit of a difficult question. So, um, yeah, I’ll give you guys a minute if you want to share. It can be in a good way or a bad way. You know, if you think that you became more resilient, if you became more empathetic to other people, or if you felt that it made it difficult for you to trust people and John says, I have become lately detached to many people in my life. Um, I’m sorry to hear that, Gan. And again, that is a very common response to trauma and painful experiences and adversity. you know when something happens that really shakes your core you know something really negative something traumatic you it’s difficult to feel that sense of safety with the world with people and yourself and sometimes you might think that being detached I mean sometimes it’s a conscious effort sometimes unconscious but it’s again a sort of way of protecting yourself from any more potential pain and says, “I do this too. Apologize and think too much at times.” Um, KVI says, “Aware to self and others, empathetic, emphatic, um, control over self, emotions better.” Wow, that is really powerful, Kvi. And it’s not easy to get to that point. So, well done. Trusttoi says, “Made me more prepared for new bad things that may happen.” Yeah. Yeah. Your nervous system goes into overdrive, right? Like this was painful. I do not want to go through this again. Let’s prepare all of the for any bad potential situations. Uh Vonnie says, “Less responsive to pain.” I see. Right. So, it sounds like a bit like of a numbing. That’s what’s happened there. Nishita says, “I am detached and I can’t trust anybody now. somehow fear a lot and protect myself a lot. Oh um again that is very common of detaching yourself and feeling like you can’t trust can’t open up to anyone. I’m sorry like for what you’ve gone through shitta. Another one says I don’t open up about my feelings anymore. Yeah it’s that lack of feeling of safety and trust right uh it has become really difficult to trust people and talents around me. Yep. I had a negative impact really. Um I selfisolate a lot and suffer from anger issues whenever something happens which triggers my trauma. Yes, that’s also a very common thing that you’ve said especially with the anger issues. You know anger is a secondary emotion. So sometimes when you’re not feeling safe, when you feel unheard, anger comes up from that frustration. Um I see there’s a couple of more. Please continue to um share. I just I want to make sure that you know I don’t stretch this way over time. Um thank you so much for sharing everyone. You know became hard for me to go out and talk to people. Selective with whom I share my personal information with. Yeah. Um always on alert for things to go wrong. Yeah. You’re always prepared, right? You’re prepared that something’s going to go wrong. You don’t think that you can be happy safely. Um sabotage my previous possibility of romantic relationship. My best friend. Ah, okay. I’m sorry to hear that, Rita. Again, it’s it’s these sort of they start out as safety um behaviors, right? All these symptoms from trauma, but unfortunately, they can actually lead to more harm than good. Thank you for sharing that. Um I’ve just overexplaining over apologizing. Yes. Oh my goodness. Like I didn’t say this earlier, but people pleasing tendencies can also come out from trauma as well. So you know over apologizing over explaining to make sure no one is cross with you you know everyone is seeing you in a good way that’s really common as well. Thank you for sh uh yes Sasha though go ahead. Was there anything you wanted to share? Okay. Uh right. So yeah, there’s I mean a lot of you guys have really gone through so much. Like I’m looking at all of the other comments. I’m sorry I can’t get to each of them right now. Um, uh, Dr. Anna might be able to, uh, you know, answer to, uh, any of your comments here, but thank you so much for sharing this. It’s, yeah, Prtheas, growing up, I saw a very unstable home environment, my parents, and not a very happy marriage that caused me deep emotional trauma and even shaped what I am and what I do to this day. My whole perception of love and marriage and relationships changed because of that. That is I just want to say thank you so much for sharing that. It’s it can really mess you up, can’t it? Like what you grew up with in such an unstable environment to see all of that, you know, if you didn’t see anything except instability, you know, how are you going to feel safe to explore marriage now? Thank you so much for sharing that and all of you guys as well. So yeah, it’s clear like your past traumas, your adversities, your challenges, your pain, they have changed you. They have affected you a lot. Thank you for sharing that. And let’s go forward into what hopefully I hope you guys can um develop moving forward which is post-traumatic growth. So what is post-traumatic growth? It is the positive psychological change that can happen when someone works through their trauma and adversity. So it I want to make it clear. It doesn’t mean the trauma was worth it, okay? Or that you have to be glad it happened. But it means that through the struggle some people and I hope that all of you here will be able to discover new strengths, perspectives or values and purpose that maybe you didn’t notice before. You know, trauma, like as I’ve said, it can shake the foundation of how you see yourselves, other people, and the world. But when people are supported and given space to reflect and heal, they may start to rebuild sometimes in really deep and intentional ways, post-traumatic growth, and there may be times I’ll say PTG, okay? Just letting you guys know. Um, post-traumatic growth is not about denying pain. It’s about what coexists with it. All right? So, one example of it could be, you know, uh this one guy was laid off unexpectedly, went through a lot of deep anxiety, self-doubt, identity confusion, but over time as they processed what happened, they realized that they were burnt out and completely disconnected from their values. So, eventually they found a job that’s more aligned with their passions. They start to prioritize their mental health. The trauma did not disappear, but they grew from it. they started to focus on themselves and became the best version they could be. Now let’s go into deeper depth and I’ll you know put in a lot more examples to make it a bit clearer to you guys. So first let’s go into what can help growth happen. You know growth doesn’t happen by accident. Several factors make it possible. So you have coping strategies. you know, active reflection, therapy, art, movement. A lot of what you guys have said you do already is anything that can help express and explore that pain and you know, processing at your own pace and staying hopeful can open the door to healing. And the fact that all you guys are here already kind of shows you’re on that path. You already you have that hope of supporting yourself and you deserve to support yourself and heal. Next, we have social support. very important. You know, just having that one person who understands you can make the biggest difference in the world. It can make you feel less alone. You know, even if you’ve been hurt by people, new supportive relationships can feel healing and corrective. I know it’s not easy to find those people, but once you do, oh my gosh, the world just gets better. And then we have personality traits and mindsets. more important more importantly I’d say mindsets okay so openness you know curiosity even a little sense of hope can plant the seed to facilitate growth from trauma but these don’t have to be natural strengths okay they can be cultivated you can develop them you don’t have to be born with them right and to any of you guys that you know still feel like you’re in survival mode you don’t have these strategies yet that’s Okay. Right. Growth begins with just a little whisper. And oh, Somaya says, “I can’t trust people I know. I have Chad GBT as my social support and trust me so much.” Yeah, you know, whatever works for you. Um, Chad GBT I, you know, I don’t think we should put in the back burner. I mean, as a mental health professional, I I maybe I should be a bit cautious about it, but if Chad GBT helps you, it gives you the support you need that no one else does, it is able to make you feel heard and understood, you know, great, like you all deserve to not feel alone in your struggles. So, these are the five domains of post-traumatic growth. Um just to keep the time I might go a bit quickly in them but this is just to let you guys know um you know to give keep you guys informed on what you might be able to develop. So the first is increase personal strength. I think some of you guys also did mention this. You know many trauma survivors discover strength they didn’t know they had. You know one example could be a paraplegic patient learning to navigate life in a new body. They build strength, persistence, and pride in their resilience. You don’t realize how strong you are until strength is the only option you have. And you know, personally, I it does make me a bit sad when people have to be so strong, you know, because it means they’re going through so much. But the silver lining is you know it means that you did have that you know that inner strength in you to move move forward. Yes in an ideal world you do not need to be that strong for yourself but you know we have to take life with what it gives us. And if what it gives us is you realizing that you have much more emotional strength that you thought you had amazing. It is a testament to human will and survival. And so to the next one is improved relationships. Maybe some of you have seen this. You know, trauma can deepen our appreciation for the people who stand by us. After a crisis, people often realize who was really there for them. You might develop more compassion um and appreciation for your relationships. you know, relationships that felt superficial, they might shift, they might end, but others might become more meaningful. So, what you can see is, you know, with cancer survivors, they might feel a new level of gratitude for friends and family who stayed and helped them. pain. While it’s awful and it strips away a lot of you, you know what doesn’t matter, it also reveals who truly does matter in your life and who really will be there for you through thick and thin. And then we have appreciation of life. So many survivors describe feeling more present and grateful after trauma. You know, trauma can change how we see the world and often it leads to a deeper gratitude for the present moment, more empathy and compassion for other people. You know, I think some of you said, well, you you develop more empathy because you know, you have been through so much. You’ve seen that pain. You know what it’s like to have no one uh believe you, be there for you, understand you, and so you know what you can give to other people that might be going through the same thing or a similar thing. And that is that is absolutely beautiful. You know, that’s the best thing humans can do for each other. One example is, you know, natural disaster survivors, they might have a deeper appreciation for um life’s intangible non-material things like family, safety, health, support. You know, it’s re-evaluating what is the most important to you. And next we have spiritual development. And some of you did mention spirituality as well. I was really happy to see that you know spirituality doesn’t have to mean religion. It can be a sense of purpose connection to something greater or faith and human resilience. You know uh you know after trauma you might question your values your beliefs and what matters most to you and what can you do to find comfort in living forward. There have been studies that you know cases they found with Holocaust survivors that found a lot of resilience in their faith or you know they held this belief that they can honor their loved ones by living meaningful lives you know in theirstead. Again it’s a testament to growing you know making good use of a really terrible situation. U my says uh I want to do spiritual healing but I don’t know I’m not aware of it that’s completely fine that’s fair you know it is a very personal thing it can look different for everyone for some it’s religion for some is spirituality it can be connecting with nature you know going into meditation and mindfulness and there’s a lot on it that you can find um online so I hope that you’re able to explore that uh Mont so can you explain it more right So, so for okay I see that some people are we have uh so yes me too reading the Bhagavad Gita has been quite helpful it’s like a guide to life right so a spirituality okay so let’s take for example meditation right it can be seen as a form of spirituality so meditation is all about being mindful of yourself of the environment around you and to feel connected to the earth, feeling connected to um your world, connected to yourself and what you need. It’s a bit of an abstract thing to explain to be honest spirituality and I guess a lot of pe a lot of people might be able to get that when I say it. Um and it can look differently for everyone but with meditation you know you start to feel this sense of calm and peace with whatever life hands you. Okay. So right you know bad things are going to keep on happening. That is the way of the world but I know um my place in the world. I know that I’ll be able to get through it. Um, and a lot of people are also Yeah. So, uh, a lot of people are also kind of writing whatever else that helps them. That’s great. Uh, so I try to meditate, but I struggle on being consistent. You know, that’s fair. Like with meditation, I would suggest, you know, you can just start with like a five minute meditation every day, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing at night, and see how that goes. All right. Um, and if you guys have any more questions, my co-host should be able to answer them going forward. Discovery of new possibilities. So, this one’s a bit of a daunting one, I know. So, trauma trauma can, you know, often interrupt the path we were on. We had a plan in life. Trauma kind of made that go away sometimes. But in that aftermath, some people can find unexpected doors that open. you know, burn survivors, they go on to become motivational speakers and start advocacy groups. People who’ve experienced loss, they might start new careers. You know, they might try something that they always wanted to try but were always too afraid of. But this trauma made them reevaluate. You know what? I want to do whatever I can in this life. So even if it’s something small like Monty like if it’s just to meditate every day you know it’s try a little bit of meditation to look into mindfulness for example that is a new possibility for you um and I hope that each of you will be able to explore something like that so I know I spoke a lot about um everything that I mean these five domains right so I just want to hear from you guys what what did you guys relate to most. I’ll put it in the chat again. So, increased personal strength, improved relationships, appreciation of life, spiritual development, or discovery of new possibilities. Do any of you guys relate to any of these domains so far? And if not, is there anything you would like to um look into that you would like to develop? Appreciation and comfy. That’s great. It is so important right to feel that connection with even just the little joys in life. Uh anam says improved personal growth great discovery of new possibilities wonderful I live abroad and most of the time when I feel lonely I get flashbacks. Oh I’m sorry that that sounds really difficult especially um you know if you’re abroad you don’t know a lot of people there. Um, Monz, if you would like, you know, Mind Trap does have a lot of services that might be able to help you if you’re getting a lot of flashbacks and if it’s actually interrupting your daily life. Okay. Um, appreciation of life, increase personal strength. Yeah, a lot of increased personal strength and growth. Priyanka says all of these wonderful gratitude and spirituality, increase personal growth. Yeah, there’s so many possibilities to be able to grow from this. And sometimes it happens automatically. Sometimes you do have to do a bit of work on yourself to be able to get there. And that’s okay. Like I said, everyone heals from trauma at their own space. Uh my co-host just put a few meditation techniques. So feel free to look into that guys. U might be good to um try it out. All right. So, let’s move on to the next one. So, we are now on the third part of building growth and purpose. These are more long long-term things that you could try look into. All right. Uh and two really powerful tools to support your growth are meaning making and emotional regulation. So, let’s first go into meaning making. Okay. So this involves making sense of the traumatic experience and integrating it into your story. Right? So it doesn’t mean excusing the pain. It means finding agency. So with what you’ve gone through, ask yourself, okay, this has happened. What can I learn? How can I potentially grow? You know, what does it mean for the kind of life I want to live? I know that, you know, when we experience trauma, you might start to believe the world isn’t safe. I can’t trust anyone. Nothing matters anymore. Meaning making can help you rebuild a sense of direction. So, for example, uh if someone went through a really abusive and toxic relationship, yes, that was incredibly painful, but it could show them and make them think, okay, this is not the kind of relationship I want. It is not the relationship that I deserve to go through and I know what I actually do deserve. All right? I deserve to be in a healthy relationship where I feel safe, where I feel comforted, where I can be playful with my partner. You know, that’s kind of what meaning making is. So, take what pain you have gone through and try to turn it into something that can improve your well-being. you know what lessons can you learn from that? Um and again it’s not to justify what happened. Okay. Sometimes a lot of our trauma work was completely out of our control. A lot of the times it’s completely out of our control. So mini making is to help you gain a small sense of control again. And then with emotional regulation uh really important you know to learn to self-regulate. uh it’s about managing intense emotions like fear, anger or grief without becoming overwhelmed. So there are a few skills that you could use for emotional regulation. One is called grounding. So this is and we’ll do a bit of grounding um later on in the workshop. So it’s to use the senses around you. You know, pay attention to your body uh whenever you start to feel distress. Okay? So where am I feeling this pain? Do I feel it physically in my chest? Um, right. So, another example of meaning making, sorry. Um, yes. So, with another example of meaning making could be, all right, so after you went through an illness, let’s say, okay, you might realize, okay, that was horrible. Um, you know, there might be long-term effects, whatever. What can I take away from this? All right, maybe I was ignoring my body’s health. Maybe I wasn’t taking good care of it. So from now on, let’s see what I can do to take better care of it. Um, you know, maybe I’ll eat healthier. Maybe I’ll sleep more, sleep earlier, wake up early. Um, maybe I’ll go for daily walks, things like that. Hope that makes sense, Elasha. Um, great. Uh, we’ll do a a short little meaning making exercise after just make it a bit hopefully to make it a little easier. I know that’s a bit of an abstract term. Um and yeah, so with emotional regulation, you also have breath work. So that’s slow conscious breathing to signal safety to your body. It slows down the nervous system and you can return to equilibrium. Oh, and Ki says 543 to1 grounding technique. Yes, exactly. Um that is uh a great way for emotional regulation. And moving forward, we have the role of social support. So this can be, you know, as simple as talking to someone and having them say, “I believe you.” or “I’m sorry this happened to you.” whether it’s a family or a friend or group therapy. You know, if you join a group or support circle that helps reduce the feeling of isolation and normalize your experience, that is it does wonders for your growth and well-being. It’s scary to start. I I completely get it is scary to start and open up, especially when you feel like it’s not safe to open up. But once you’re able to find that person that gets you and makes you feel not alone, it can really help in your healing. And there’s a lot of you know research in that. And of course you know I have to say therapy uh it is a safe space where your story is held without judgment. And there are all sorts of therapy that can specifically target um post-traumatic growth like uh CBT, logo therapy, narrative therapy, and these are things you know that can really provide you with the tools and structure for safety to connect the dots of your trauma. How can you make meaning out of it? How can you, you know, find growth and appreciation from it? It takes time, but it can help gain perspective and in the long run can really help you heal. And let me just look at the Okay, I see that. Um, right, my co-host is answering some questions. If you guys have any questions, please continue um to put in the chat. I’m just being a bit mindful of the time, so I don’t want to keep you guys here for too long. Right. So this is a bit of a meaning making exercise. Okay. So think about uh a past challenge. It can be about the ones you thought of earlier as well and ask yourself what strengths did I show? You know, was it perseverance? Was it courage, patience, empathy, or even just survival? Just surviving that experience. Um so you know give you guys a minute if you like to share what strengths did you show by getting through whatever challenge it was. Monti says uh when I do self-care to feel better. Okay says courage survival awareness acceptance. Yep. These are all really amazing traits that you’ve developed from that experience. Um, surviving it, building more awareness, accepting it, and you know, being courageous through it. Resilience. Uh, yep, that is a huge part of post-traumatic growth. Patience. Yep, that is a difficult one to build. Well done, Anamasha says, “Initially survive moving towards self-love.” Yes, that is wonderful to hear. And self- loveve is difficult. You know, I’m not going to sugarcoat that. It is difficult. Um but it is so incredible when you take the steps towards it and when you um get closer towards it, it really does help in coping for future um um future pain, future trauma. Courageous and getting less affected by people’s words. Yep. It’s another great uh strength to develop inner strength and courage. Um, yep. That is really beautiful. To still trust over Yes. Namata. To still have the courage, I would say to still trust, you know, despite what what it is you’ve gone through. Of course, I don’t know each of your stories, but reading all of this, you know, being independent, patience, acceptance, and letting it go, making boundaries. These are all amazing meanings that you are making from the awful things you’ve gone through trying to be kind and loving with my friends. Oh, that is really great to hear, man. And you know, I hope that you’re able to continue doing that, especially with you living abroad. I hope you’re still able to find that that connection with them. I’m starting to stand up for myself against my narcissistic father because I don’t want to become like him. Wow. Wow. That is that takes a lot of strength, a lot of awareness. Thank you for sharing that, Shiza. Acceptance and growth. I feel more connected to my own self, which is something I was totally not paying attention to. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? It is fine. It is fine that if you feel like, oh, up until now, I’ve not done anything. I’m only starting now. It doesn’t matter when you start as long as you do. Drawing boundaries, focusing on self-love, courage, survival, patient, resilience, self, and acceptance. Yep. Patience, being dependent. Oh, no worries at all, Monty. Thank you for sharing. All of you, thank you so much for sharing. I love I mean it. I love reading this. I love reading about your experiences. Um, is it okay to hate people and becoming bitter, but it’s not what I want, but I can’t avoid this thought and feeling coming up. So, not resisting is very painful. Yeah. You know what what you’re describing, I think that you are still in the thick of what you’ve gone through. It’s still very raw. all of the trauma and the feelings that you’ve gone through. And this is quite common actually. You know, your mind is reacting. You want to it’s kind of again it’s your it’s your mind protecting you from more pain. Um so hopefully with more of what we talk about in the workshop, you’ll be able to um find ways to, you know, grow from this. But thank you for sharing that, Rich. And I’m sorry that you know even though you don’t want it it’s something that you keep feeling. All right. Um thank you so much for sharing. Uh please continue to I’ll move on to the next one to keep time. Oh yes and we have a little ad break. I’ll be quick with this. Um so here at my tribe we provide one-to-one counseling. Um, it’s personalized confidential sessions between the client and therapist and you can address any issues whether it’s from anxiety, stress or trauma like how we’re looking at here. If you want to go into post-traumatic growth, that’s something you definitely work with. Um, and you will be able to, you know, set goals and reach a better version of yourself. The main misconception with counseling is that it’s only for those who are sick. Obviously, that can’t be further from the truth. Um, you know, counseling is for anyone who wants to be their best version, whether it’s in terms of relationships, friends, career, academic success. And here in my tribe, all of our counselors are highly trained and experienced. Uh, you can book your first session for just rupees 99 and following sessions can um range from rupees 800 to 2400 depends on the therapist seniority. We also have affordable packages for booking the therapist to make your investment in your mental health easier. Uh if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Uh feel free to put it Oh. Um Bash is saying he needs to monitoring these sessions for us. Oh, wonderful. Yes. Any questions that you have, please feel free to put in the chat box. I’ll leave it to my co-host um to answer them. All right. All right. So, now we’re going to go into the more shortterm like what you can do starting from today um uh strategies or activities um to hopefully in the long term help with your personal growth. So, after trauma, many people discover new pets, right? We kind of just talked a little bit about this with the five domains of PTG. So, this doesn’t mean forgetting the pain. It means pain can shake us free from old patterns and awaken awaken a desire for something more. So growth can mean seeing life through a new lens. It’s not about forgetting that pain. All right? That pain did happen to you. It was real. But you can still find new meaning and opportunities from it. So I would say, you know, to ask yourself, you guys don’t have to answer this, don’t worry. Um, but I would say just ask yourself this. All right. What did I used to dream about? What did I want to do but I never did? What part of me feels more alive after my experiences? You know, whether it’s being more compassionate, whether it’s working on self-love, you know, you feel a lot more passionate about focusing on yourself, focusing on your friends, trying to learn something new, a new skill, trying to focus on your health. And what am I free to explore now? you know what can I mean what are the possibilities that you can see right now it can be something very simple it can be just you know let me try to um read a new book let me try a different genre that I’ve never tried before um let me try to go for a short walk um every day let me try to um reconnect with an old friend you know that I’ve been meaning to do but I haven’t done because what for whatever reason you know there’s all sorts of possibilities that you can try that when you look back you might realize that was actually a good thing that I did. It did help me later on. Um so these are really simple little things and I hope that you guys can take them home with you and just think about what’s a possibility for you to do next. Doesn’t matter how small, how big, it’s personal for you and I hope that you can try it out. And next, so this is I am going to bring this back to you guys. What does growth look like for you? Okay, this can you know be anything like asking for help instead of pushing people away or in the future I would like to let myself rest without feeling guilty. I want to wake up without feeling angry or sad. So, take a minute. Um, I would love to hear, you know, what you guys think would be, I guess, a better version of you in the future. Says, “Having healthy boundaries.” Oh, wonderful. That is difficult again. It is difficult, but it is amazing when you do it. And you know, well done, Rita, for recognizing that’s something you want. Oh, thanks Abilasha. Less regrets. Yep, that is that is also a hard one, isn’t it? Less regrets. But it is possible. It’s all about building self-awareness. You know, what do you want? What are you willing to tolerate? What do you deserve? What can you try to do to live your life with less regrets? Ki says, “Happiness, peace, learning to love myself.” Yes, I think that that’s fair. I think everyone wants that. Wonderful. acceptance and success, right? Yeah. Whatever your definition is of success and acceptance, you know, I hope that you’re able to work towards that. Happy and excited for little things in life and content inside. Yeah. Yes. The little things in life, you know, it’s so easy to get lost in the big picture and thinking, oh, 10 years from now, I should have this and that. But, you know, to focus a little bit on the present as well, like what do I have? you know, like why don’t I look outside, look at the weather. Um, oh, I, you know, I see plants there. I, you know, um, I’m able to reconnect with a friend. Um, I’m able to try a new recipe. Yeah, just a little things. Accepting oneself as I am despite having flaws and loving myself more and more. Yes, that is the epitome of accepting yourself. Recognizing who you are, what you are, what you’ve been through, flaws and all, and still loving yourself. That is what you deserve. Amazing. Being able to do what I set out to do. Yeah, that can be daunting, isn’t it? But you won’t know until you try. Um, doing what you set out to do. Setting boundaries without guilt. Yes, that guilt is if I could put that like on a billboard. Setting boundaries without guilt, I would do that. being a bit mindful. It can help me prevent overthinking. Yes. Yes. Mindful. There’s a lot of um mindfulness uh videos on YouTube, I would say, Tashu, to help with overthinking. Um and it it takes practice, but I really encourage you to try that. I have not achieved healthy boundaries, but I want to Yeah, it takes time. It takes work. Sometimes, you know, you’ll take two steps forward and you feel like you take one step back. That’s okay. like take it at your everyone like whatever your growth looks like let it be at your own pace you know if you falter every once in a while that’s okay you can you can get back up that’s the whole thing you know with new possibilities don’t give up on yourself keep trying um all right so lovely like everything that you’re all of you guys are writing and again I’m so sorry about to keep the time I will be moving forward but thank you for sharing continue to share you know for everyone else to read it as well to know that none of you guys are alone in wanting to um yeah have growth in your lives and I’m sure you guys have already thought of this but this is just you don’t need to answer this it’s just for you guys to think about you know in the future how would I describe my healing journey so far this is to recognize the strengths you’ve developed you know what signs of growth am I proud of even if no one else can see At the end of the day, the most important thing with growth is not for the people around you. It’s for you. All right? Each of you deserves to feel safe, comfortable, and content with your life. And part of that is to recognize how far you’ve come. And you guys have come so far from all that I’ve read. So, well done with that. Um, I should move on to the next slide now. So this is a very crucial one, very crucial one in post-traumatic growth. You know, self-compassion is the foundation of recovery. Why? Because healing is hard. And if you beat yourself up the whole way, the journey is going to be even harder. So it’s about learning to replace self-criticism with supportive statements. It’s to recognize that imperfection is part of the human experience. I know we all love to be perfect. Like I wish I was perfect, but no one has been perfect. No one ever will be perfect. All you can do is just try your best. And again with the questions in the previous slide to reflect on what you’ve done so far. Now um self-compassion also means to be mindful. You know, acknowledge your suffering, your struggles without ignoring it or judging it. It’s to recognize the common humanity of knowing you are not alone in this. All of you that are here, you know that you’re not alone in this. And the most important is to offer kindness to yourself. You know, speak to yourself the way you’d speak to a friend in pain to the way you need to be spoken to. I would say if you guys are struggling with self-compassion, just try this. Think to yourself, I am allowed to struggle and still be worthy of love. Okay? With all of your flaws, with all of your pain, with how impossible it might feel to ever overcome this, it’s okay to struggle, okay? And you can still, you are, all of you. I mean this, you are all worthy of love. Okay? Let’s move on to the next one now. So, we’re getting towards the end. Um, set intentions for growth. So, let’s pause here for a moment in our journey. We’ve spoken about pain. We’ve explored strength. You know, we’ve looked at how healing doesn’t always mean returning to who we were. So, this slide is an invitation to all of you. An invitation, an invitation to set an intention on what to do. It’s a gentle guide for your growth journey. Okay? It’s to set small, meaningful intentions that can help with practical steps forward. So, here are some examples. I will treat myself with kindness when I face challenges. I want to reconnect with joy even in small moments. I will notice when I’m being hard on myself and pause. If you’d like, you know, you can take a moment to write your own. You don’t have to um in the chat box, but these are things to always carry with you. All right. It is something that Oh, I see convey says you are powerful and full of potential. Yes. Yes. That is amazing. You are great and you are doing well. Keep it. Yes. and all of you guys I hope that you know if you have to you know write this down somewhere where you’ll see it every day whether it’s on your fridge on your desk in your phone somewhere you know it is part to it is to encourage yourself to keep going you know if I don’t know what again what the situation is for a lot of you people but you know if you feel like no one else has encouraged you I know this sounds cheesy but let yourself be your own cheerleader let these intentions be what encourages You you are doing better than you ever thought yourself capable of. Be proud. Yes, you are brave and bold. I have it as my lock screen. Oh, that yes, that’s that’s exactly what you should do, Py. Like, you know, take note, guys. This is how you, you know, you make sure you always see it. You make sure it encourages you and builds your self-love. This is, yeah, this is one way to build your self-love actually. Setting intentions for growth. Wonderful. Thank you guys for sharing. And yeah, I just want to say you don’t need to have everything figured out now. This is just the start of a new chapter and it is all on your own terms. No one else can have a say in this. It is just you. And now very quickly we’ll do a little vision exercise. Okay, this is just again to bring it all in. So just imagine it’s one year from now. You’ve taken small steps towards healing. you know, you’re taking all these uh new intentions. You’re building on self-compassion. Um you know, you’re focusing on your growth. So, what does that version of you look like? Just try have a think about it. If any of you guys want to share, that’s that’s great. If you don’t want to share, that’s okay. I know it might be difficult to imagine this person a year from now that is you know further along in their journey of healing but if you can you know what would they say to you now would they say you know thank you for starting would they say you know I know it’s difficult but you can get through this calm and self-composed yep I think that’s the same for me as well says happy and more alive right and you know what you guys are thinking of your potential future self these are very possible I have seen it okay you have that and sometimes you actually might be even further along than what you imagined as long as you try all these things that I’ve said okay and even more you know there’s a lot of information out there there’s a lot therapy you can also try to do and you Reach a level of yourself you never thought was possible. Happy and confidence. Yeah. Believe in yourself. Only you can save yourself. So, you have to come out of your comfort zone and actually take a step towards positive change. Yeah, that’s great. Oh, Rich says, I can’t see the slide, please. Oh, it’s uh it literally just says, you know, to do a little vision exercise. Um, Rich, so it’s just to imagine the version of you a year from now that has taken steps towards healing and just to think of what that looks like. Huh, it’s weird. You can’t see the slide. I’m sorry, guys. Uh, I’m not quite sure what’s happening if it’s uh my internet or something. All right, let me move on to the next slide. Let me know if you can see that. Okay. So, since we’re short on time, I am going to just read this through and hope Oh, thank you guys. Um, I’ll just read this through and hopefully you guys can um just see what you can take away from it. So, Somia, a 40-year-old mother left an abusive marriage after years of emotional, sexual, and physical trauma. Through therapy, she rebuilt her life. She became kinder to herself, no longer blaming herself for the past, but recognizing her survival as a reflection of her strength. By identifying new possibilities, she pursued higher education and join a support group for other survivors. She also developed a stronger sense of self-worth, appreciating her supportive relationships, and set intentions for growth by rebuilding trust in herself and reconnecting with her dreams. So, you know, Somia’s journey is one of many possible versions of post-traumatic growth. It doesn’t mean the trauma was erased, okay? But it means that something new was able to grow from that pain. And for each of you, growth might look completely different. You know, it might be saying no, like you said, a lot of you had said, you know, putting boundaries and not feeling guilty. It might be, you know, letting someone in, um, you know, getting close to someone again. It might be finally resting, giving yourself, you know, some me time, some self-care, or it might just be showing up here today in this workshop. Wherever you are, that’s okay. You don’t have to do this alone. All right. So, we’re going to the last big slide. We’re almost done, guys. Don’t worry. Just something to reflect on. What is one compassionate step you can take to support your growth forward? And as I always say, it can be something very small. Um, it can be something big, you know, a big goal that you have. So have a think of it like from today onwards, for this week, for this month, what do you want? What do you think would be a good compassionate step to support yourself to get you to that version that you imagine a year from now? I will say to myself, you did it. You walked through the storm and found your light again. I’m proud of your strength, your softness, and the way you chose healing. even when it was hard. Yes, that is such a beautiful powerful I mean Sorry everyone, I’m back. Um, uh, I’m not sure where I was, but what I was saying is, you know, tough times will still come. Part of post-traumatic growth is that, uh, you will still you will have the tools by then to get through it and be even stronger. So, thank you guys for letting me know I was muted. All right. So, you know, oh yes, this too shall pass. That is actually a really profound statement. You know, bad things unfortunately keep happening to everyone every day. They come and go, but you guys have gone through it so far and you will get through it again. And hopefully by the next time you would be utilizing more of the steps we’ve talked about today and it’ll feel a bit easier. All right. So thank you so much everyone for contributing. Let’s move on to so uh if you guys would like let’s take a little mindfulness break. Um so I did speak about earlier on emotional regulation on breath work and mindfulness. If you guys would like we could just do a two to three minute meditation and give me a thumbs up or anything you guys would like. Yeah. Okay. Great. Great. Um if not you guys can just use this as a time to um Okay. Uh so I’ll show you that at the end of the workshop. Okay. So just stay back and I can show you that. All right everyone. So let’s take a pause. Begin by gently closing your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. Let’s do that again. In through the nose and out. Allow your body to settle. However it is right now is okay. Now bring your attention to your feet on the floor. Feel the ground holding you, supporting you. You don’t need to do anything. Just notice the weight of your body being held. Now bring your awareness to your heart. Imagine your heart as a gentle witness carrying the story and the pain of all you have lived through. Your heart has been with you through the pain, the moments of survival, the small steps forward. Now, silently repeat to yourself like a whisper from your wiser self. It’s okay to feel what I feel. I have carried a lot and I am still here. Healing takes time. I give myself permission to grow gently. Imagine now that somewhere within you a small seed has been planted. The seed is not forced to bloom overnight. It’s just there, resting in the soil of your experience, nourished by every moment of awareness, every act of care. It knows how to grow and it will grow in its own time. Breathe in and imagine offering kindness to yourself. Breathe out releasing any harshness or pressure. Breathe in possibility. Breathe out anything heavy you don’t need to carry anymore. Now, gently bring attention back to the room. Wiggle your fingers or toes. Notice what has shifted even slightly. And when you’re ready, you can open your eyes slowly. May each of you carry a small drop of gentleness with you from this moment onwards. You don’t have to rush your growth. You are not behind. You are becoming the best version of yourself so far. All right, I hope that that was a little helpful for you guys. I know this was a heavy heavy one. Um, thank you very much for this wonderful session. Oh, oh, defin Oh, thank you so much for your kind words, guys. And I’m so glad I got you guys as the audience today. Really, I am really grateful that I was able to interact with all of you and hear all of your stories. Just a little summary, I’ll make this very quick. Post-traumatic growth is a gradual process. Okay? It may require support though and small steps count. As I’ve kept on saying, practice emotional regulation, set your intentions, and be kind to yourself. You are not alone. If you are seeking support, therapy can help guide you. Healing is not about returning to who you were before. It’s about discovering who you are now. And with that, thank you all for being here. I hope you leave with a little more clarity, a little more hope, and a reminder that even though the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. I really enjoyed the session with you guys. And you know, I hope that we can see you again for future workshops. I hope you all take care and have a wonderful day.

🧱 Trauma doesn’t just break — it can also build.
In this deeply insightful workshop by MindTribe, we explore the concept of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) — the idea that after experiencing adversity, loss, or trauma, many people emerge stronger, wiser, and more connected to themselves and others.

Whether you’ve endured heartbreak, illness, abuse, burnout, or grief — this workshop is your space to begin again, not just by surviving, but by growing through what you’ve gone through.

🌱 What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?
Unlike PTSD, which focuses on distress and dysfunction, PTG refers to the positive psychological change that can occur as a result of the struggle with a major life crisis. People experiencing PTG often report:

Greater appreciation for life

Deeper interpersonal relationships

Increased inner strength

Clarity of purpose

Spiritual or existential growth

This workshop isn’t about denying pain — it’s about reframing your story with courage and compassion.

👩‍⚕️ Led by Experts at MindTribe
Founded by renowned psychologist Dr. Prerna Kohli (Ph.D., M.Phil), MindTribe is India’s leading mental wellness platform committed to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based therapy.

Our therapists work with trauma using approaches like:
✔ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
✔ Inner Child Healing
✔ EMDR & Somatic Therapy
✔ Grief and Loss Counseling
✔ Narrative Therapy

MindTribe’s mission is to empower people to transform pain into purpose — and Post-Traumatic Growth is a key part of that journey.

🎯 This Workshop is for You If You:
Have experienced trauma, burnout, or a major life change

Want to stop feeling stuck and start feeling hopeful

Are seeking strength, meaning, and emotional recovery

Are a therapist, caregiver, or coach supporting others through trauma

💬 What You’ll Take Away:
A deep understanding of the 5 pillars of Post-Traumatic Growth

Tools to process emotional pain safely

Guided practices for resilience, self-reflection, and reframing

Hope — not toxic positivity, but realistic, grounded, empowering hope

📍 What’s Next?
✔ Visit www.mindtribe.in to explore trauma counseling with our expert psychologists
✔ Join a free group therapy series on trauma healing, emotional resilience, or grief
✔ Follow @MindTribe on Instagram & YouTube for daily content that heals and uplifts

🔔 Like, Share & Subscribe to help someone else on their healing journey. Your story isn’t over — in fact, it might just be the beginning.

MindTribe: Empowering Minds, Transforming Lives.