ISSN 2520-6265 (print)
ISSN 2520-6273 (online)
Authors:
L. Z. Serdiuk, Doctor in Psychological Sciences, Professor,
Chief Research Fellow, P.R. Chamata Personality Psychology Laboratory,
G.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology, NAES of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0001-8301-4034
E-mail: lzserdyuk15@gmail.com
T. I. Melnychuk, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher,
Leading Research Fellow, Laboratory of Organizational and Social Psychology,
G.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology, NAES of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-5205-9958
E-mail: mti_kiev@ukr.net
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/upj.2025.1(23).11
Article Information
Issue: 1(23) 2025, pages: 227-241
Language: Ukrainian
Received: 05.03.2025
1st Revision: 15.03.2025
Accepted: 19.03.2025
The article substantiates the potential of Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) as a means of promoting post-traumatic growth (PTG) in military personnel, clarifying the aims, mechanisms, and principles of working with traumatic experience in a military context. PPT is shown to integrate bodily, cognitive–behavioral, relational, and spiritual–meaning dimensions, enabling a systematic activation of internal resources and the transformation of crisis into an opportunity for development. The central framework is the Balance Model with four life domains (body, activity/achievement, relationships/contacts, future/meaning), which serves as a «map» for interventions and allows targeted restoration of equilibrium across life functions. Three core PPT mechanisms are substantiated: positive re-interpretation (reframing event meaning and broadening perspective), a body–relational alliance axis (internalization of acceptance, trust, and safety), and the development of primary/secondary capacities; together they form a «resource buffer» that supports the integration of traumatic experience and the transition to PTG. Practically, a structured intervention matrix is proposed for each domain (goals → capacities → methods → micro-practices → progress indicators), outlining therapeutic targets from bodily stabilization and restoration of control to building social “bridges” and meaning-making. It is concluded that combining a salutogenic perspective with PPT tools creates an actionable framework for supporting resilience and PTG in service members. Future research should focus on empirical tests of PPT effectiveness and on cross-cultural adaptations in military settings. Among veterans and active-duty personnel, strengthening resilience reduces the risk of depression in the context of combat exposure and maladaptive coping—thus functioning as a key moderator in the «trauma → outcomes/PTG» pathway.
Key words: posttraumatic growth, resilience, military personnel, positive psychotherapy, Balance Model, personal resources.
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