Eine ambulante Stabilisierungsgruppe zur Verbesserung der Emotionsregulation bei komplexen posttraumatischen Störungen

Abstract

Insufficient regulation of intense emotions and impulses is frequently seen in patients suffering from complex mental disorders following childhood trauma. Therefore, phase-oriented trauma therapy first aims at stabilization and arousal control. Group therapy for the improvement of emotion regulation skills has increasingly been implemented in inpatient treatment settings. However, despite their economic and therapeutic advantages, "stabilization groups" are scarcely offered in outpatient facilities. We introduce a novel outpatient group treatment protocol for the enhancement of self-regulatory capabilities. The protocol focuses primarily on the application of a hierarchically structured model of affect regulation strategies including body-oriented, hypnotherapeutic and guided imagery interventions. This is complemented by psychoeducation and resource activation based on recent neurobiological findings in traumatic stress research. Data from the first completed program is presented and discussed.