This presentation will empower attendees with insights on how frontline workers can transform their struggles into strength and a meaningful life. Through storytelling, Tara will share her lived experience of post-traumatic growth, blending it with current and emerging research in the field. The session will delve into the science of post-traumatic growth and discuss a successful intervention model developed in the United States, which has been used to support military and emergency service workers affected by trauma.

Key to this approach is the concept of "expert companionship," a vital element in fostering post-traumatic growth through peer-led interventions in uniformed services. Tara will highlight how this model not only aids in recovery but also serves as a critical component of suicide prevention.

The presentation will conclude with a discussion of future plans to implement similar training programs in Australia, alongside a vision to establish a national "Struggle Well" centre dedicated to supporting military and emergency service workers impacted by trauma.

Presentation Key Learnings:
1. Understanding of the five domains (outcomes) of post traumatic growth and the science behind it.

2. How a peer led strengths-based model can run in tandem with and complement clinical approaches to supporting military and emergency service workers impacted by trauma.

3. Understanding the concept of “expert companionship” and how it can be used in a post-traumatic growth-based model of intervention.