Posttraumatic growth – or PTG – reveals what’s possible when we face our darkest moments

by Josh Goldberg – CEO, Boulder Crest Foundation
Officer using laptop in vehicle

Key points

  • Posttraumatic growth (PTG) transforms trauma into strength, wisdom and purpose for first responders and veterans.
  • Boulder Crest Foundation's PTG programs, like Struggle Well, have helped over 130,000 people grow from trauma.
  • FirstNet users can get 50% off a Boulder Crest online course to start discovering PTG principles. Coupon code at bottom.

 

PTSD. The weight of this acronym is heavy.  

And no community carries that burden more than first responders, military and veterans. But trauma doesn't have to be the end of the story. It can be the beginning of something extraordinary.

This is Posttraumatic growth (PTG) – where struggle becomes transformation, forging unimaginable strength, profound wisdom and renewed purpose. It's not just an inspiring concept. It's an evidence-based science with life-changing implications.

PTG reveals what's possible when we face our darkest moments – not just survival, but transformation. It's about emerging from hardship as a stronger, more authentic version of ourselves. When we're tested in fire, we can be forged into something greater than we ever imagined possible. 

While the scientific study of PTG began only decades ago, the concept itself is centuries old.

PTG appears throughout human history – in literature, philosophy and religious texts. It's the hero's journey in Star Wars and countless epic tales. It's the oldest idea you've never heard of.

In 1995, it became a scientific framework through the groundbreaking work of Dr. Richard Tedeschi and Dr. Lawrence Calhoun. They coined “posttraumatic growth” after a decade of studying those who had not just survived trauma but thrived beyond it.

 

Understanding the science of PTG 

PTG is the remarkable psychological transformation that can emerge from trauma’s ashes. When forced to make sense of destruction, our struggles become catalysts for profound growth and meaningful change.

People who experience PTG report growth in 5 main areas: 

  • New possibilities – the sense that new opportunities have emerged from the struggle, opening up possibilities that were not there before
  • Deeper relationships – experiencing closer relationships with specific people, and an increased sense of connection with others who suffer
  • Personal strength – and an increased sense of one’s own strength (“If I lived through that, I can face anything”)
  • Appreciation for life –  a sense of gratitude for the small and large things in life 
  • Spiritual and existential change –  a deepening of their spiritual lives; an exploration of beliefs and notions previously unconsidered 

Applying the science to first responder wellness

Three decades later, Dr. Tedeschi remains the world’s leading authority on PTG and ranks among Stanford University’s top 2% most-cited researchers. Today, he serves as Executive Director of the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, which is dedicated to developing, delivering, studying and scaling PTG-based training programs. 

More than 130,000 people have experienced posttraumatic growth through Boulder Crest’s transformative programs: Struggle Well for first responders and military personnel, Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes) for veterans, and a PTG Certification equipping mental health clinicians to integrate PTG principles into their practice. 

At their core, these programs teach people how to navigate life’s inevitable hardships – how to struggle well and emerge stronger. 

“We all struggle. Not just in this job, not just as first responders, but as human beings. We all carry something heavy, something painful. Struggle Well doesn’t erase it, but it gives you the tools to move forward, to grow from trauma instead of letting it break you... it's about navigating life's ups and downs and understanding what posttraumatic growth really is, but for me? It saved me from me." – Struggle Well program participant

Boulder Crest’s partnership with FirstNet has brought Struggle Well training to nearly 15,000 first responders across 28 states in 2024 alone – and as we say at Boulder Crest, we're just getting started.

To learn more about posttraumatic growth and how to struggle well, visit Boulder Crest’s PTG Resource Library.  

Josh Goldberg is the CEO of the Boulder Crest Foundation, the global leader in the development, delivery, study and scale of PTG-based programs. It exists to transform the way society thinks, feels and acts when it comes to notions of mental health and struggle, so that we live in a world that is fueled and founded in notions of PTG, rather than PTSD, diminishment, diagnosis or dysfunction.

 

Offer for FirstNet users:

Interested in taking the next step and gaining a more comprehensive understanding of PTG?  

Take the PTG in Practice: Learning to Struggle Well online course. This self-guided course from the Boulder Crest Foundation is designed to teach the essential concepts of PTG and how to incorporate PTG in your daily life.  

Use the coupon code FirstNetRLzg5RYM for 50% off course (full course price: $29.95).