Friday Philosophies: Unraveling the Spiritual Threads of Post-Traumatic Growth
Join us for this episode of Friday Philosophies, as hosts Michelle and Wallis navigate big seasons of change through the lens of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), a sister theory to the well-known PTSD.
In this energetic and thoughtful back-and-forth, Michelle and Wallis share their personal experiences — breakups, work heartbreaks, and immigration struggles. They explore building resilience and fostering a "growth mindset" through the unique perspective of PTG.
Post-Traumatic Growth isn't about 'bouncing back', it's about 'bouncing forward'— following a path that comes from questioning our core beliefs, appreciating the little things, and persevering through it all.
“You don’t have to be brave and strong. You’ll still build resilience. You don’t have to be perfect about it or put a veneer on top to flex that muscle.”
“You’re never going to go back to the person you were before the trauma. And I think that’s really healthy.”
“Resilience doesn’t come from being brave and trying to be strong. It just comes from continuing to exist, and just getting back up. It’s okay if it hurt your feelings or it sucks or it’s hard. You don’t have to be brave and strong. You’ll still build resilience. You don’t have to be perfect about it or put a veneer on top to flex that muscle. You’ll still build it even if you drag yourself through it.”
Key Takeaways
Delve into the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its five subscales - New Possibilities, Relating to Others, Personal Strength, Spiritual Change, and Appreciation of Life
Why traumatic events spark our search for spiritual meaning and the integral role of spirituality in PTG
Learn to build resilience, not through sheer bravery, but by taking small, consistent steps each day
Discover practical ways to develop and strengthen your "growth mindset" muscle that don’t require a complete overhaul of your life
Show Notes
Creativity, inspiration, intuition, and running a business
The concept of post-traumatic growth, experiencing positive change and growth after traumatic events.
Five categories in the post-traumatic growth inventory:
New possibilities: Seeing new opportunities and pathways after the trauma.
Relating to others: Developing deeper relationships and empathy with others.
Personal strength: Discovering inner strength and resilience.
Spiritual change: Experiencing spiritual growth and new beliefs.
Appreciation of life: Valuing life more and finding joy in the present moment.
Wallis’ personal experiences of moving to LA and overcoming challenges related to immigration, leading to personal growth and resilience
Post-traumatic growth theory, and growth after traumatic events
Seeing new opportunities and pathways after trauma
Developing deeper connections and empathy with people who provide support
Feeling stronger and more capable
Assessing the change in one's spiritual beliefs and the importance of spirituality in life post-trauma
Trauma leading to seeking a deeper purpose or spiritual belief
Bouncing back versus embracing forward momentum and evolution
The process of post-traumatic growth as it coexists with PTSD
Various archetypes and perspectives in understanding life