“Preliminary results from research on clients’ experience with a group-based phase 1 treatment approach.”

By Signe Stige, psychologist at DPS Vest-Finnmark, Norway

Key words:  Therapy, clinical, or intervention research & Violence and sexual abuse

From June 2008 we have run a research project, where the aim is to map the experiences of women who have attended a group-based phase 1 trauma treatment in Alta, a small town in Northern Norway. The research project will continue until 2013, and the treatment approach will be presented elsewhere. The current presentation will hence focus on the preliminary results from the research project. Questions asked are; How do women with active post-traumatic symptoms experience attending a group where they meet other women with similar problems, and where they can share experiences and learn about trauma-related problems, and ways to handle them? What do they feel is helpful? What is less helpful? How do they experience the range of trauma-related problems presented by the different group members? Quotes and findings from the interviews with women from two different treatment groups will be presented, as well as my reflections on how the preliminary results go along with my initial plans and rationale for the organisation of the group-based treatment approach.