Group Therapy Programs

Healing Hearts and Souls

The Center for Post Traumatic Growth (CPTG) provides individual, couples, and group therapy to all eligible clients.

Post Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury Group Therapy Program for Veterans and First Responders

Healing Process

The Center for Post Traumatic Growth (CPTG) offers time-tested, effective group psychotherapy for traumatized veterans, first responders, and their families (Keenan, Lumley, and Schneider, 2014). The clinicians of CPTG have been providing this treatment program to combat veterans since 2001.

We believe that innovative approaches to healing combat trauma and moral injury that reach beyond the treatments offered by the VA are needed. Integrated couple/family services are also imperative for healing trauma in family systems allowing more full recovery from PTS and Moral Injury.

Read our article published in the Journal Psychotherapy, March, 2014.

The programs offered at the CPTG are an intensive, three-phase, outpatient group-therapy program for veterans , first responders, and their family members.

Orientation

Orientation to the CPTG treatment programs and commitments. Evaluation and referral to additional veterans’ services and benefits if appropriate and necessary. Thorough individual clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning by a licensed mental health professional or supervised intern follow based on need and level of commitment.

Phase One

Psychoeducation: Thirteen-week educational group series for veterans, and first responders. 

Family Day: A five-hour educational program for veterans, first responders, and their loved ones offered quarterly. 

Phase Two

Trauma Focus: Weekly trauma-focused psychotherapy group in which letter writing is used to address unresolved grief, guilt, and shame.

Phase Three

Aftercare / Post Traumatic Growth: Bi-weekly and monthly groups focusing on trauma process progression and the domains of Post Traumatic growth for 12 months. 

Phase 1

  • Psychoeducation
  • 14 Weeks
  • 1x per week @ 90 minutes
  • Classroom environment
  • 14 Sessions

Phase 2

  • Trauma focused
  • 9 Months
  • 1x per week @ 90 minutes
  • Small groups
  • 36 Sessions

Phase 3

  • Aftercare / PTG
  • 12 Months
  • 2x per month (4 months)
  • 1x per month (8 months)
  • 16 Sessions

Group Therapy for Military Sexual Trauma

(PTS & Moral Injury)

Woman Standing in font of Her Family

The group therapy program for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) mirrors the combat stress and moral injury group program in that it focuses on reconnection and empowerment. Betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1998) is at the core of MST. Betrayal trauma occurs when those who are supposed to protect and respect you violate you in the basest ways.

The focus of the therapy addresses moral injury inherent in this type of betrayal and focuses on finding a path of reconnection to others and oneself and empowerment by “casting out” the perpetrator(s) in the context of a group of “worthy others” (i.e. those that have experienced the same injuries).

Phase 1

  • Psychoeducation
  • 14 Weeks
  • 1x per week @ 90 minutes
  • Classroom environment
  • 14 Sessions

Phase 2

  • Trauma focused
  • 9 Months
  • 1x per week @ 90 minutes
  • Small groups
  • 36 Sessions

Phase 3

  • Aftercare / PTG
  • 12 Months
  • 2x per month (4 months)
  • 1x per month (8 months)
  • 16 Sessions

Couples-Family Group Program

Integrated couple or family services are also imperative for healing the wounds of Post Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury. The Family Program is a phased outpatient group-therapy program for the loved ones of combat veterans and first responders.

This program parallels the PTS/Moral Injury Group Therapy Programs. Additionally, treatment is offered for couples and individual families to support the healing of the family system.

Center for Post Traumatic Growth family therapy
woman hugging military man

Phase 1

  • Psychoeducation
  • 11 Weeks
  • 1x per week @ 90 minutes
  • Classroom environment
  • Family members only
  • 11 Sessions

Phase 2

  • Trauma focused
  • Psychoeducation
  • 6 Months
  • 2x per month @ 90 minutes
  • Small groups
  • 12 Sessions

Phase 3

  • Aftercare / PTG
  • Caregiver training
  • 8 Months
  • 2x per month (4 months)
  • 1x per month (8 months)
  • 12 Sessions

About The Center for Post Traumatic Growth

At the Center for Post Traumatic Growth (CPTG) we promote and support the healing of combat veterans, first responders, and their families, from moral injury and trauma.

The field of mental health has only begun to recognize the role of moral injury in the suffering of veterans and others. Yet, despite all of the discussion and recent writings regarding the concept, very few interventions have been developed to address moral injury directly. The current evidence-based treatments have been developed to address the symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but they fall short in addressing the core issues of moral injury including unresolved loss, guilt, and shame