Stay safe- Do whatever you need to do to put your safety above all 20. Seek understanding, not blame- Listen to your behavior; blaming prevents growth 21. If one way doesn't work, try another- As if in a maze, turn a corner and try a new path 22. Link PTSD and substance abuse- Recognize substances as an attempt to self-medicate 23.

Seeking Safety offers 25 topics; each is independent of the others, allowing the clinician to conduct as few or as many as time permits. Each topic represents a safe coping skill that focuses on cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, or case management domains.

Compassion means searching with an open, nonjudgmental mind into what happened. This promotes real change. If compassion is not familiar be-cause you did not learn it when you were growing up, it may feel difficult. You may need to practice a lot for it to feel natural. x What does your harsh self-talk sound like?

The “Imagine” coping skill in the Seeking Safety Program is a powerful cognitive-behavioral technique designed to help individuals manage distressing emotions, particularly those related to trauma and substance abuse.

Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, coping skills intervention that helps people attain safety from trauma and/or addiction. This Implementation Guide is an adaptation of Seeking Safety by HIV experts in collaboration with community members to …

Here we will post handouts for Seeking Safety. All handouts are to be used only in this group setting and are not to be copied or redistributed. They are all for personal use while engaged with the Seeking Safety Class at AARS.

PTSD offers a framework that many clients and clinicians find helpful. It is like a new. and may increase their motivation to get clean and sober. It can be reassuring to realize that they may have abused substances as an attempt to cope with overwhelming emotional pain, and to recognize how common this pattern is.

From: Najavits, L.M. Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse (2002). Only for personal use (with clients); for any other use contact <[email protected]> or <permissions@gui lford.com>

Seeking Safety is the most popular and scientifically studied counseling model for trauma and addiction. Research shows that it works for both trauma and addiction issues, is cost-effective, and very safe.

Each topic provides practical tools and techniques to engage patients in treatment, teach "safe coping skills" that apply to both disorders, and restore ideals that have been lost, including respect, care, protection, and healing