The Psychological Trauma program was created to provide quality, compassionate treatment for those whose mental illness is related to past psychological trauma.

Based on the Trauma Model as outlined by Dr. Colin Ross, the basic philosophy is that chronic severe trauma is a major theme throughout many forms of mental illness and diagnoses such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Borderline Personality Disorder and others, have their roots in previous traumatic experiences. Persons with a history of trauma often have multiple symptoms and varying diagnoses with extensive comorbidity.

The structure of the program is designed to meet the needs of patients with a history of one or more of the following:

• Chronic mental illness with multiple hospitalizations
• Unmanageable anger or poor impulse control
• Disorganized attachment patterns
• Self-destructive and addictive behaviors
• Multiple diagnoses
• History of past traumatic experiences

Treatment Approach
Forest View’s Psychological Trauma program utilizes innovative, non-regressive treatment that maintains and encourages the patient's stability while actively engaging in therapy. The treatment plan focuses on teaching the patient to regulate affect, develop healthy attachment patterns and reduce distorted thinking.

The Psychological Trauma program includes an integration of cognitive-behavioral, experiential and didactic treatment modalities essential to modifying behavior and cognition. Individual and group therapy addresses core attachment issues and emphasizes symptom reduction and improved coping ability.

Communication with Other Professionals
Referral sources are an essential part of the treatment team and are kept informed of the patient's progress from admission through discharge.

To learn more about Trauma Related Disorders or the Trauma Model, visit the Colin Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma at www.rossinst.com.

Visiting Professional Program
Visiting Professionals Program provides professionals with the opportunity to see our Psychological Trauma program in action. Contact Community Relations at (616) 954-3115 or 1-800-949-8439, ext. 115 to make an appointment. The Visiting Professional form is available for download.