Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Research Paper

Degree Name

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Organizational Unit

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

First Advisor

Kathryn Barrs

Second Advisor

Alyssa Oland

Third Advisor

Wendell Robinson

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Posttraumatic growth, Military veterans, Trauma, Treatment approaches, Psychological flexibility

Abstract

Military veterans are disproportionately exposed to potentially traumatic events across service eras. While much of the clinical and research literature has focused on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and symptom reduction, a growing body of work highlights the possibility of posttraumatic growth (PTG) following adversity. PTG refers to positive psychological changes that may emerge through engagement with traumatic experiences, including enhanced appreciation for life, renewed purpose, personal strength, deepened relationships, and reintegration into community roles. Importantly, PTG does not imply the absence of distress but may coexist alongside ongoing trauma-related symptoms. Understanding processes that facilitate growth alongside suffering may support more comprehensive, veteran-centered trauma treatment. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has demonstrated growing empirical support for veterans with PTSD and related conditions, particularly in addressing experiential avoidance, enhancing treatment engagement, and improving functional outcomes. This doctoral project examines the conceptual and empirical relationship between ACT-based psychological flexibility processes and posttraumatic growth among military veterans. Drawing on PTG theory, veteran trauma research, and the ACT literature, this paper proposes psychological flexibility as a potential mechanism supporting growth following trauma. Emerging empirical findings linking flexibility-related processes (e.g., mindfulness, acceptance-based coping) to growth-related outcomes are reviewed. Clinical considerations are discussed with emphasis on how ACT-informed approaches may support conditions under which PTG can emerge. The paper concludes by identifying gaps in the current literature and outlining directions for future research relevant to trauma recovery and PTG among military veterans.

Copyright Date

7-6-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Andrew J. Moller

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

33 pgs

File Size

287 KB

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