You will learn to understand stress reactions and the consequences of trauma, strengthen your self-regulation skills, and gradually regain a sense of safety and agency. The group offers a protected setting to process what you have experienced without being overwhelmed by emotions.
The group is aimed at adults with stress reactions, PTSD, or complex trauma-related consequences who are ready to work on processing in a stabilising and structured setting. The group is suitable as preparation for, or as a supplement to, individual psychotherapy.
Requirement: Sufficient psychological stability (no acute suicidality or severe dissociation).
Definitions:
Acute stress reaction vs. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vs. complex PTSD.
Normal reactions to abnormal events (e.g. shock, avoidance, hyperarousal).
Psychoeducation:
How trauma affects the brain and body (e.g. amygdala, prefrontal cortex, stress axis).
The difference between trauma as an event and trauma as a reaction.
Creating safety:
External safety (e.g. safe places, emergency plans).
Internal safety (e.g. breathing techniques, grounding).
Activating resources:
Identifying personal strengths, positive memories, and supportive relationships.
Exercises: “Safe inner place”, resource journal.
Emotion regulation:
Skills for coping with overwhelm (e.g. the 5-4-3-2-1 method, temperature scale of emotions).
Physical reactions:
Somatic symptoms (e.g. sleep disturbances, chronic pain, panic attacks).
Explaining body memory (e.g. according to Peter Levine).
Cognitive and emotional consequences:
Intrusions (flashbacks, nightmares), avoidance behaviour, feelings of guilt and shame.
Metaphors: “The brain as an alarm system” or “The trauma storage”.
Emergency plan:
Individual strategies for crises (e.g. contact persons, skills, emergency kit).
Group reflection:
What have I learned? Where am I now?
Ritual: Symbolic conclusion (e.g. burning a letter, writing a wish on a stone).
Outlook:
Options for further treatment (e.g. individual therapy, self-help groups).
Commitment: Personal goals for the time after the group.
This service is provided as part of group psychotherapy and is fully covered by statutory health insurance. A prerequisite is attending a psychotherapeutic consultation, during which indication and expectations are discussed.
Cost coverage by private health insurance depends on your agreed insurance benefits. Participation as a self-paying participant is possible.