Dr. Taku and the PTG lab were featured in the Hour Magazine. The article Trauma and Triumph talks about Luke Fleer’s experience with PTG after a car accident in 2004 that lead to five surgeries, months in recovery and two years in physical therapy. The article discusses Fleer’s reaction to his traumatic experience and his path to not only healing, but growth. Fleer now works at OU and is raising a family, read more about his story here.
Ross grew up in Macomb County and shares his traumatic experience. Check out the videos sharing his story. At the end of the videos he shares how his views on life have positively changed as a result of his near death experience. This is a story of an adolescent that may have experienced posttraumatic growth. There are stories out there that show traumatic experiences can have a deep, meaningful impact on a persons outlook of life.
Last year, the PTG lab conducted the High School Intervention project, which assessed posttraumatic growth in high school students from both the U.S. and Japan.
The members went to local high schools to conduct pre and post surveys, along with presentations discussing PTG, PTSD and cross-cultural differences. This year, the lab is hard at work re-vamping this study by adjusting the survey content and preparing new intervention programs. Once the study is approved by the IRB, lab members will begin administering the surveys this coming summer and continue into Fall of next year.
Maggie Britton and Leah LaLonde presented The Combined Role of Religiosity and Gender on the Self-Esteem of American Adolescents at Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. This was the first conference for both Maggie and Leah. They thought it was a great experience and were able to share their research with faculty and students. They feel that this conference has prepared them for what to expect when attending future conferences. Maggie and Leah are shown on the top right picture with their poster, along with their fellow members showing support for their presentation.
Sharell Elam and Kellie McGuire presented their poster Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the Awareness of Posttraumatic Growth on Positive Psychological Change Among American and Japanese Adolescents at Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. Both members had the opportunity to share their current research right here at Oakland University. Conferences are a great opportunity for others in the academic community to see your research and to see others research. Sharell and Kellie can be seen in the top left picture with their poster, along with fellow lab members supporting their presentation.
Our former PTG lab member, Katherine Lewitzke, visited OU campus and made her research presentation, entitled “Influences of social learning and cognitive development theories in the formulation of a religious self– concept” as a part of Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters conference, February 28th 2014.
Kat graduated OU in 2009 and received her M.A. in clinical psychology at University of Detroit Mercy, with specialization in Child Development and Child Studies in 2012. She is currently in PsyD program at Michigan School of Professional Psychology.
FF-PTG LAB 