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Trauma and Personal Recovery in Serious Mental Illness: A Case Report of Integrative Psychotherapy

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Abstract

Recovery from schizophrenia and serious mental illnesses has been increasingly recognized as the expectation in mental health treatment. Recovery has been conceptualized as both objective and subjective, including symptom remission as well as movement toward integration and personal recovery, even in the face of persistent symptoms. Individuals with serious mental illnesses face a variety of stressors, notably including trauma, and as such, there is a need for more individualized, integrative therapy approaches to address these complex presentations. This paper presents a case illustration of an individual who experienced prominent psychosis and a history of repeated trauma, in order to demonstrate the use of an open, recovery-oriented psychotherapy approach. An outline of the integrative model utilized is offered, and themes of interpersonal processes, increased personal agency, attachment and transition, and fragmentation and integration are explored to support the idea that psychosis is a relatable and understandable human experience.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center, Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Jacqueline F. Abate & Jay A. Hamm

  2. School of Psychological Sciences, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Rhianna E. Beasley

  3. College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Jay A. Hamm

  4. Dr. James Wright Center, 1700 North Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Jacqueline F. Abate

Authors
  1. Jacqueline F. Abate
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  2. Rhianna E. Beasley
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  3. Jay A. Hamm
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Correspondence to Jacqueline F. Abate.

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Informed consent was obtained from the individual participant included in this case report.

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Abate, J.F., Beasley, R.E. & Hamm, J.A. Trauma and Personal Recovery in Serious Mental Illness: A Case Report of Integrative Psychotherapy. J. Psychosoc. Rehabil. Ment. Health 7, 85–96 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-020-00157-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-020-00157-w

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