Understanding Trauma Group

• This group is suitable for students who have suffered one or more traumatic experiences, either during their childhood or more recently, and who are continuing to suffer associated symptoms.
• Traumatic experiences might include: sexual assault or sexual, emotional or physical abuse (all where no further legal or other action is planned); the sudden death or suicide of a friend or family member; witnessing domestic violence; experiencing parental alcohol misuse and/or mild to moderate mental health difficulties; acrimonious parental divorce or separation; significant or prolonged bullying; significant attachment disruption e.g. non-family carer at less than 6 months old, multiple non-family carers at less than 8 years old, boarding school at less than 13 years old or 13 and over if traumatic.
• Symptoms might include e.g. flashbacks, avoidance, hyperarousal, emotional numbing, dissociation, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal relationship difficulties, negative feelings and/or negative self-perception.
• The group will use a Group Analytic approach, reflecting on how previous experiences might be impacting both consciously and unconsciously on current ways of interacting with others, thought patterns, and perceiving/ experiencing the world. It will also include some psycho-education on the impact of trauma on the mind, with plenty of opportunity for discussing how the theory relates to your own and others’ experiences. Although students will be encouraged to discuss the impact of traumatic experiences on their day to day lives, naming and discussing traumatic experiences will not be required unless students feel able to do so in a way that does not re-traumatise themselves or others in the group.
• This is an ‘in-person’ group for students at any stage of their education which will run over 8 consecutive weeks. Each session will be for 1.25 hours and attendance at every session will be required.
• Students interested in the group should discuss this with their CAPS Psychological Therapist. They may then be invited to a collective pre-group meeting (PGM) with the group facilitator(s) and other potential members of the group to decide on whether this is a suitable option for them.