Healing from Trauma through Psychoeducation: Understanding Young Adult Client Group Experiences

ABSTRACT Young adults with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) face greater risks for health complications, homelessness, and court involvement. However, research on trauma interventions for young adults is minimal. Thus, this study examines the experiences of young adults participating in a six-week trauma psychoeducation group to explore aspects of group experience that could potentially increase the benefits and efficacy of such intervention. The group combined trauma psychoeducational content on ACEs and resilience, practice of coping skills during sessions, and traditional group processing techniques. Participants were asked to respond to open-ended questions on the most helpful aspects of the group and any insights gleaned. Qualitative results suggest that the therapeutic group context is vital in effectively presenting psychoeducational content. These findings indicate that this group model, which integrates psychoeducation and traditional group techniques, has the potential to help young adults develop the resilience needed to reverse the negative impacts of ACEs and prevent future adversity.