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Post-Traumatic Growth: Becoming an Expert Companion in Healing Through Struggle

Seminar with Dr. Victoria Grinman
October 5, 2025 (Sunday), 12-3:15 pm EDT
Virtual Live
Continuing Education: 5 CE hrs for APA (covers most mental health professionals outside of NYS),
NYS Psychologists, & NYS Social Workers

To Register please complete the Registration form

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:

As clinicians, we often accompany individuals and groups who have experienced life-shattering events or adverse life circumstances. In this role, we help patients and clients move from dysregulation toward resilience, but what happens beyond coping?

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive psychological and existential changes that can emerge in some individuals following trauma. This seminar offers clinicians a framework for supporting clients not only in surviving their experiences, but in finding new meaning, identity, and purpose through them.

Drawing from recent research (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, 2006, 2018), as well as insights from mindfulness-based interventions (Kabat-Zinn, 2003) and neuropsychological models (Siegel, 2012), this seminar introduces practical strategies for promoting PTG in clinical work.

Participants will explore the five core domains of PTG and develop skills to help clients access their inner strengths, re-author their narratives, and experience growth alongside ongoing struggle, while acknowledging the ongoing presence of pain, ambiguity, or loss.

Building on the clinical model presented in Posttraumatic Growth in Clinical Practice (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2012), particular attention will be paid to the clinician’s role as an “expert companion” — a witness and guide who listens deeply, recognizes moments of emerging growth, and knows how to support that growth with attuned timing, therapeutic language, and relational presence. Psychodynamic awareness of relational processes, regulation, and meaning-making will be interwoven throughout.

Through clinical examples, experiential exercises, and hands-on strategies, participants will leave better equipped to support the unfolding of PTG in a wide range of populations.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the conclusion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

  1. Define post-traumatic growth (PTG) and describe how it may present across diverse clinical contexts and everyday life domains.
  2. Summarize core findings from PTG research and describe their clinical applications.
  3. Identify five domains of PTG and recognize verbal and non-verbal indicators in client presentations.
  4. Describe the clinician’s role as an “expert companion” and apply key principles of attuned presence to support PTG.
  5. Discuss how trauma impacts the brain and body, and explain how mind-body integration can support the healing process.
  6. Demonstrate three clinical strategies that foster PTG, including journaling, narrative techniques, mindfulness, and art-based interventions.
  7. Apply a culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate lens to PTG work with diverse populations.
  8. Reflect on the importance of clinician self-care in work involving trauma and vicarious PTG.

Intended Audience: psychologists, psychoanalysts, social workers, marriage and family counselors, medical professionals, nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and any professionals who are interested in enhancing their trauma-sensitive practice by facilitating their patients’/clients’ growth and well-being.

SUGGESTED READINGS:

  • Berger, R. (Ed.). (2023). The Routledge international handbook of posttraumatic growth (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032208688
  • Berger, R., & Quiros, L. (2016). Best practices for training trauma-informed practitioners: Supervisors’ voice. Traumatology, 22(2), 145–154.
  • Berger, R., Quiros, L., & Benavidez-Hatzis, J. R. (2018). The intersection of identities in supervision for trauma-informed practice: Challenges and strategies. The Clinical Supervisor, 37(1), 122–141.
  • Berger, R., & Weiss, T. (2009). The posttraumatic growth model: An expansion to the family system. Traumatology, 15(1), 63–74.
  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (Eds.). (1999). Facilitating posttraumatic growth: A clinician’s guide. Routledge.
  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2004a). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations of empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.
  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2004b). The foundations of posttraumatic growth: New considerations. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 93–102.
  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2006). Handbook of posttraumatic growth: Research and practice. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2006a). Expert companions: Posttraumatic growth in clinical practice. In L. G. Calhoun & R. G. Tedeschi (Eds.), Handbook of posttraumatic growth: Research & practice (pp. 291–310). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
  • Calhoun, L., & Tedeschi, R. (2012). Facilitating Posttraumatic Growth through expert companionship. In Posttraumatic Growth in Clinical Practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203629048
  • Calhoun, L. G., Cann, A., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2010). The posttraumatic growth model: Sociocultural considerations. In Weiss, T. & Berger, R. (Eds.), Posttraumatic growth and culturally competent practice: Lessons from around the globe (pp. 1–14). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Fayaz, I. (2025). Posttraumatic Growth among children and adolescent survivors of trauma: Systematic scoping review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 18, 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-024-00670-1
  • Gonzalez-Mendez, R., Marrero, H., & Romei, V. (2023). Mechanisms underlying psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth (Editorial). Frontiers in Psychology, 14.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1230055
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
  • Rhodes, J.R., Tedeschi, R.G., Moore, B.A., Alldredge, C.T., & Elkins, G. R. (2023). Posttraumatic growth-oriented peer-based training among U.S. veterans. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1322837
  • Senol-Durak, E., Di Tella, M., & Romeo, A. (2023). Post-traumatic growth: Editorial overview. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1227892
  • Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. Guilford Press.
  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The posttraumatic growth inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 455–471.
  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual
    foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15, 1–18.
  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2009). The clinician as expert companion. In C. L. Park, S. C. Lechner, M. H. Antoni, & A. L. Stanton (Eds.), Medical illness and positive life change: Can crisis lead to personal transformation? (pp. 215–235). American Psychological Association.
  • Tedeschi, R. G., Calhoun, L. G., & Groleau, J. M. (2015). Clinical applications of posttraumatic growth. In S. Joseph (Ed.), Positive psychology in practice: Promoting human flourishing in work, health, education and everyday life (pp. 503–518). HoboWiley.
  • Tedeschi, R. G., Shakespeare-Finch, J., Taku, K., & Calhoun, L. G. (2018). Posttraumatic growth: Theory, research, and applications. Routledge.
  • Wang, W., Ye, J., Wei, Y., Yuan, L., Wu, J., Xia, Z., Huang, J., Wang, H., Li, Z., Guo, J., & Xiao, A. (2024). Characteristics and influencing factors of Post-Traumatic Growth: A cross-sectional study of psychiatric nurses suffering from workplace violence in Guangdong China. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 17, 1291-1302. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S450347

Instructor’s Bio:

Victoria Grinman, Ph.D., LCSW-R, is a licensed mental health practitioner, educator, and researcher with deep expertise in trauma-informed care, posttraumatic growth, relational healing, and parent-child dynamics. She is the founder of Growing Kind Minds, a private practice and educational platform dedicated to supporting individuals and communities in transforming adversity into meaningful personal and interpersonal growth.

Dr. Grinman’s scholarship and clinical work center on the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG), with particular focus on caregiving, identity development, and the lived experiences of individuals navigating trauma, loss, and systemic adversity. Her doctoral research explored PTG among parents of children with autism, and she continues to teach, train, and consult on this topic nationally and internationally.

Her professional experience spans school-based mental health, program development in community-based organizations, and integrative trauma work with neurodiverse populations. She brings a relational, strengths-based approach to all her work and integrates mind-body practices such as mindfulness, yoga, and pranic healing into clinical support for individuals across the lifespan.

Dr. Grinman has taught as adjunct faculty at Boston College, Adelphi University, and Columbia University School of Social Work, and continues to mentor clinicians across disciplines. She also holds certifications in aromatherapy, yoga, and mindfulness, along with ongoing transdisciplinary training, which she integrates into her practice with special populations. Dr. Grinman is a trained pranic healer and member of the LIPHUSA.

In addition to her clinical and academic roles, Dr. Grinman is a longtime volunteer clinician with Experience Camps, a national grief support program for bereaved children.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

2025 Fall Advanced & Transdisciplinary Topics in Psychoanalysis
Online

Live Online
Session 1: 9-4-25 – 9/25/25 (Thursdays, 7-9:40pm EDT): James F. Masterson’s Approach to Modern Psychoanalytic Praxis: A Contemporary Introduction (training course with Loray Daws, PhD) (10.00 CE)
Session 2: 9-13-25 (Saturday, 12-2pm EDT): Trauma Treatment in Crisis: Clinical Approaches Following October 7th (interactive lecture with Aner Govrin, PhD) (2.00 CE)
Session 3: 9-20-25 (Saturday, 11:30am-3:45pm EDT): Understanding and Treating Personality Disorders with Fairbairn’s Object Relations Model (seminar with David P. Celani, PhD) (6.00 CE)
Session 4: 10-5-25 (Sunday, 12-3:15pm EDT): Post-Traumatic Growth: Becoming an Expert Companion in Healing Through Struggle (seminar with Victoria Grinman, PhD) (5.00 CE)

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Amedco Joint Accreditation Provider Number: 4008163

Professions in scope for this activity are listed below.

Psychologists (APA) Credit Designation

This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and content. Maximum of 23.0 hours.

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Psychologists/Counselors: AK, AR,

AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA (LEP ONLY), MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY

MI: Accepts courses from APA for Psychologists. No general CE requirement for Counselors.

OK: Accepts APA credit for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WDC, WI, WY

AL MFTs: Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted. MA MFTs: Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review. MI MFTs: There are no CE requirements for MFTs in MI.

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Addictions Professionals: AK, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY (held outside NY ONLY), OK*, OR, SC, UT, WA, WI, WY

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Social Workers: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, VT, WI, WY

New York Social Workers

Amedco SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0115. 23.0 credit hours.

New York Psychologists

Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0031. 23.0 hours.

To receive CE certificates for the actual hours attended – please request them at the time of registration or any time prior to beginning of the conference. CE certificate fee: $25 (in addition to the registration fees). No fees charged for PD (Professional Development) certificates from ORI.

REGISTRATION, TUITION, & FEES:

Early Bird registration (before August 20th, 2025):
$45 regular/ $35 graduate students & analytic candidates/ $15 undergraduate students

Regular registration (from August 20th, 2025 – to October 4th, 2025 – before 6pm EDT/NYC time):
$60 regular/ $45 grad students & candidates/ $20 undergrad students

Registration ‘at the door’ (after 6pm EDT/NYC time on October 4th, 2025):
$70 regular/ $55 grad students & candidates/ $25 undergrad students

Please Note: IF CEs ARE REQUESTED — please use the “regular” registration (not a “student”) option. There is an additional fee of $25 for CE certificate processing (can be paid on the day of the conference or in advance).

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS are available for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for retired or disabled practitioners, or need-based.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Full refund will be issued if cancelled before the beginning of the event.
No refund will be issued if cancelled after the beginning of the event, but full paid tuition will be applied to any further ORI events.

2025 ORIPP Summer Training at ORI
June 7, 2025 – June 29, 2025

Drive in Contemporary Psychoanalysis Around the Globe:
Enigmatic Concept ‘Translated’ And Explained

with Eva D. Papiasvili, PhD, ABPP
6-7-25 & 6-28-25 (12-3:30pm EDT)
9.0 CE

View full info →

Neurobiology and Neuropsychiatric Syndromes:
Bridging Brain, Mind, and Meaning Across the Lifespan

with Dr. Inna Rozentsvit
6-13-25 (Friday, 12-2pm EDT)
3.0 CE

View full info →

The Liberation of Psychoanalysis:
Breaking Free from Intergenerational Blindness into Growth and Transformation

with Dr. Jeffrey B. Rubin
6-22-25 (Sunday, 12-3:15pm EDT)
5.0 CE

View full info →

Working with Fairbairn’s Metaphors of the Human Mind
in Mental Health Treatment Setting

with Dr. David P. Celani
June 29, 2025 (Sunday), 11:30am-3:45pm EDT
6.0 CE

View full info →

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