Ron Unger: Trauma, Psychosis, and Problems in Relationships: Exploring the Connections - 2024 FEP

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚, 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬: 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 📌
Psychosis is often understood as an illness that happens to people, a brain problem that has little to do with what has happened in that person’s relationships with others or in their relationship with themselves. Much evidence however points to a different reality, where psychosis quite often follows traumatic experience that damages both social and intrapersonal relationships, and where recovery typically involves the restoration of healthy relationships with both external and internal “others.”
Treatment is different when we conceptualize psychosis as primarily a disturbance in relationships. The goal then shifts from suppressing “symptoms of psychosis” to first finding healthy ways for us to relate to the person with psychosis and then ways to help them rebuild trust and constructive relationships with family, friends, and others including the parts of themselves from which they may have become alienated. Let’s explore what is possible when working from this radically humanistic paradigm!
𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 ✅
1. Discuss the evidence linking traumatic experiences with psychosis and the impact of trauma and psychosis on social and intrapersonal relationships.
2. Explain how a paradigm shift to viewing psychosis as relational alters treatment goals, orienting towards building healthy relationships instead of symptom suppression.
3. Explore compassionate and empathetic therapeutic strategies for helping individuals with psychosis rebuild connection with others and with alienated and dissociated parts of themselves.
𝐑𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, (he/him) is a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and consultant specializing in CBT and related approaches for psychosis. For the past 2 decades he has been providing seminars on therapy for psychosis, working with the intersection of trauma and psychosis, and addressing cultural and spiritual issues within treatment for psychosis, at universities and mental health facilities across the United States and internationally. His teaching aims to inspire and guide people to relate to the essential humanity in otherwise puzzling extreme states of mind, and to reveal possible pathways people can take toward recovery and healing. He chairs the Pacific Northwest Branch of ISPS-US, and maintains a blog at: recoveryfromps...
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 📌
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The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐇𝐓𝐓𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐅𝐄𝐏) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 was held virtually from June 5-6, 2024. Participants dedicated to enhancing FEP care, including individuals with lived experience, family members, providers, and researchers, came together to celebrate achievements and explore a future of sustained growth and accountability in FEP care. ‪‪@TIEMH‬
𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: sites.utexas.e...
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:39 The Role of Uncertainty
00:11:32 Evidence that Trauma can Cause Psychotic Symptoms
00:14:48 Trauma Disturbs Relationships
00:23:26 Trauma Narrows the Focus
00:38:19 Three Positions on "Psychosis"
00:41:36 The Man Behind the Curtain
00:45:27 Working Towards Balance
00:52:06 Storytelling and Freedom
00:57:47 Indigenous Psychology
01:01:58 Q&A
#psychosis #psychosisawareness #traumainformed