With an increased understanding of the impact of trauma, clinicians are beginning to recognize specific issues for men and for trans and nonbinary people. This includes the silence that surrounds their abuse and other adverse childhood experiences, the effects of male socialization on their response to such experiences, the risk of victims becoming abusers and perpetrators of violence, and the need to understand shame and reluctance to explore their trauma.
Exploring Trauma+: A Brief Intervention for Men and Gender-Diverse People is an innovative and research-based, six-session curriculum that is designed for people who have been abused or have experienced other forms of trauma. Topics include: defining trauma; understanding the process of trauma; intersection of trauma and SUDs; trauma’s impact on the inner self (thoughts, feelings, beliefs) and the outer self (behaviors and relationships); building resilience; and coping and calming strategies. Participant-led grounding activities are part of this interactive workshop.
Over the years, the understanding of gender has shifted from the binary male-female model to a more inclusive and expansive model. This second edition of Exploring Trauma is now entitled Exploring Trauma+: A Brief Intervention for Men and Gender-Diverse People in order to reflect the changes in this new edition. We have expanded the definition of gender responsive to include the experiences of transgender and nonbinary people.
