PTSD Professional Perspective: Developing the Self-Concept, Part 1

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and view the whole PTSD recovery process from a distance, as if, say, you are a product in development. Nike, McDonald’s and KFC have their own well defined concept of who they are and who they want you to see them to be.

In constructing a post-trauma identity you, too, must be clear about how you want people to perceive you. I like Dr. William Tollefson’s idea of using the marketing concept of branding as a tool in (re)constructing an identity…

Branding is a concept that has been used in advertising for many years. Branding has been very successful in the marketing world. Branding is used in developing awareness of a name, identifying a trademark, to identify a product, service or a manufacturer. Branding can also be used in distinguishing a symbol, mark, logo, name, word, sentence or an individual which distinguishes a product from other similar products in the market. In this case of this article the market is a person.

I feel that the branding concept could be extended into the recovery life skill world. The way to do that is through a life skill called a self concept.

A self concept is an action plan that assists in the creation of a new identity. Individuals who experienced childhood abuse and/or trauma are robbed of their ability to know themselves. A sense of self is lost and he/she moves through life not knowing who they are.

In life, everyone has the right or personal authority to know his/her self. Many who have created a self concept have been very successful in re-inventing themselves. A self concept is a way to re-script self into whatever he/she wants to be. The self concept is a self map of how he/she would want to act, feel, look and think.

This self concept allows the developer to know exactly the steps to take to know him/her and what distinguishes self from others. Start today in re-thinking yourself completely, script it on paper into an action plan, practice it every day, and hold steadfast to that scripted identity.

After the action plan is developed then perform the self concept daily over months. Over a course of months the new identity will become a natural function of self. Remember practice is what makes any person, in sports, business, or a profession proficient. Once the new script is completed, then investigate and learn the principles of branding. Apply these principles to spread the awareness of the new identity and give light to your creation.

For further explanation of this idea, plus a step by step how-to, tune in next week for Part 2.

Tags: branding, Identity, ptsd, recovery, william tollefson