Hello Friends,

On behalf of one of our students we are passing along an opportunity for members of our community to participate in a research study. Details follow.

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Call for Participants in a Research Study: The Somatic Path to Post Traumatic Growth
Contact: Sweigh Emily Spilkin, exs9149@ego.thechicagoschool.edu

Purpose of the Study: Trauma brings us face-to-face with some of the most fundamental questions at the heart of the human journey. It often carries with it emotional pain, nervous system dysregulation, and a grappling for meaning. But trauma also carries the potential for growth, spiritual expansion, and a fuller experience of being human—what is known as Post Traumatic Growth (PTG).

As of now, the primary theory about how PTG develops assumes that PTG is a cognitive process, and that growth occurs as old belief systems are shattered by trauma and new ones form. No research has been done to date on the role that the nervous system plays in the development of PTG.

The purpose of this study is to begin to bridge the gap between positive psychology’s understanding of PTG and somatic psychology’s understanding of trauma. I will do this by interviewing somatic trauma therapists who have gone through a PTG experience to investigate whether or not nervous system regulation plays a role in PTG and if so, what that role is. Although this study focuses on the nervous system the research is interview based and no quantitative measures will be taken.

Eligibility for Participation: Participants must be over 25, somatically-trained trauma psychotherapists, and have undergone a significant growth experience as a result of trauma.

The focus of the interviews will be on the process of personal, emotional, and spiritual growth post-trauma. That said, it is important to note that participants will be asked to briefly discuss their experience with trauma during the interview.

Time Commitment: The study consists of two phases. Phase 1, a Skype screening survey will take approximately 30 minutes. Those who qualify to move on will be invited into Phase 2, a Skype interview that will take approximately 1-1.5 hours. Directly after the interview, participants will be invited to participate in a 10-20 minute debriefing conversation to integrate their experience in the study. Within a few weeks after the interview they will be contacted and given the opportunity to review their data (approximately 1 hours). The total estimated time for Phase 2 of the research is approximately 2-3 hours.

Location of the Research: Online

Name and Contact information: To participate in the study or if you have any questions, please email Sweigh Emily Spilkin, at exs9149@ego.thechicagoschool.edu with your name, where you are from, and the best way to contact you. I will then be in touch to ask you a few questions and to set up the preliminary screening interview. If you have any questions, you are also invited to call me at 720-771-4778.

Thank you for considering volunteering for this important research, and the opportunity to bridge the worlds of somatic and positive psychology and develop a more comprehensive theory about Post Traumatic Growth.