Stage 1  |  Stage 2  |  Stage 3  |  Stage 4

Stage 2 begins to focus on emotional experiencing. For those with Post Traumatic Stress, this is the stage where past trauma is explored and maladaptive thoughts, beliefs and behaviors are identified. The primary goal of stage 2 is to reduce traumatic stress. This is achieved by remembering and accepting facts of earlier traumatic events, reducing stigmatization and self-blame, reducing the denial and intrusive response syndromes and resolving dialectical tensions regarding who to blame. Stage 2 targets are worked on only when maladaptive behavior is under control.