About Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, present-focused counseling model to help people attain safety from trauma and/or addiction. The Seeking Safety book describes how to conduct it in groups of any size as well as individual modality, for all genders. The model has been used with adults and adolescents (and some elements can be used with younger ages). In over 30 years of use, it has been found to be extremely safe. At every session, both trauma and addiction are addressed but without delving into the past (the detailed narrative of disturbing trauma and addiction memories). It can thus be implemented with any client, from the start of treatment, at all levels of care and the full range of treatment settings. So too any facilitator can conduct it, including all types of professionals as well as peers, paraprofessionals, and advocates. It does not require licensure, experience, or training (unless publishable research is being conducted); we do, however, offer options for training as this can aid implementation. Seeking Safety has 25 treatment topics to choose from, for any timeframe (25 sessions are not needed). It was developed by Lisa Najavits, PhD, at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital beginning in 1992 under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Seeking Safety book provides client handouts and facilitator guidance; and is available in various languages. Only the book is needed for implementation but optional clinical materials are also available.
25 topics, each a safe coping skill
Seeking Safety offers 25 topics that can be conducted in any order and as few or many as time allows: Introduction/Case Management, Safety, PTSD: Taking Back Your Power, When Substances Control You, Honesty, Asking for Help, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Getting Others to Support Your Recovery, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Compassion, Healing from Anger, Creating Meaning, Discovery, Integrating the Split Self, Recovery Thinking, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Commitment, Respecting Your Time, Coping with Triggers, Self-Nurturing, Red and Green Flags, Detaching from Emotional Pain (Grounding). Life Choices, and Termination. Read a brief description of all 25 topics.
The key principles of Seeking Safety
1) Safety as the overarching goal (helping clients attain safety in their relationships, thinking, behavior, and emotions).
2) Integrated treatment (working on both trauma and addiction at the same time if the person has both)
3) A focus on ideals to counter the loss of ideals in both trauma and addiction
4) Four content areas: cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, case management
5) Attention to counselor processes (counselors' emotional responses, self-care, etc.)
Highly flexible across a broad range of clients
The model is highly flexible. It can been conducted in group or individual format; for adults or adolescents; all gender identities; any length of treatment; any level of care (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential); any type of trauma, any type of addiction. Clients do not have to meet formal criteria for PTSD or addiction-- it is often used as a general model to teach coping skills. Seeking Safety has been successfully implemented for many years across vulnerable populations including homeless, criminal justice, domestic violence, severely mentally ill, veterans and military, and others. It has been successfully used for decades across all types of traumas and all types of addictions, and for those who may have problems in both areas or just one or the other. For group treatment, it has been conducted in single-gender as well as mixed-gender groups.
You may be interested in some of these key documents to get a better feel for Seeking Safety:
About our team
You can read more about Lisa, the training team, and Treatment Innovations if desired.
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, present-focused counseling model to help people attain safety from trauma and/or addiction. The Seeking Safety book describes how to conduct it in groups of any size as well as individual modality, for all genders. The model has been used with adults and adolescents (and some elements can be used with younger ages). In over 30 years of use, it has been found to be extremely safe. At every session, both trauma and addiction are addressed but without delving into the past (the detailed narrative of disturbing trauma and addiction memories). It can thus be implemented with any client, from the start of treatment, at all levels of care and the full range of treatment settings. So too any facilitator can conduct it, including all types of professionals as well as peers, paraprofessionals, and advocates. It does not require licensure, experience, or training (unless publishable research is being conducted); we do, however, offer options for training as this can aid implementation. Seeking Safety has 25 treatment topics to choose from, for any timeframe (25 sessions are not needed). It was developed by Lisa Najavits, PhD, at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital beginning in 1992 under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Seeking Safety book provides client handouts and facilitator guidance; and is available in various languages. Only the book is needed for implementation but optional clinical materials are also available.
25 topics, each a safe coping skill
Seeking Safety offers 25 topics that can be conducted in any order and as few or many as time allows: Introduction/Case Management, Safety, PTSD: Taking Back Your Power, When Substances Control You, Honesty, Asking for Help, Setting Boundaries in Relationships, Getting Others to Support Your Recovery, Healthy Relationships, Community Resources, Compassion, Healing from Anger, Creating Meaning, Discovery, Integrating the Split Self, Recovery Thinking, Taking Good Care of Yourself, Commitment, Respecting Your Time, Coping with Triggers, Self-Nurturing, Red and Green Flags, Detaching from Emotional Pain (Grounding). Life Choices, and Termination. Read a brief description of all 25 topics.
The key principles of Seeking Safety
1) Safety as the overarching goal (helping clients attain safety in their relationships, thinking, behavior, and emotions).
2) Integrated treatment (working on both trauma and addiction at the same time if the person has both)
3) A focus on ideals to counter the loss of ideals in both trauma and addiction
4) Four content areas: cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, case management
5) Attention to counselor processes (counselors' emotional responses, self-care, etc.)
Highly flexible across a broad range of clients
The model is highly flexible. It can been conducted in group or individual format; for adults or adolescents; all gender identities; any length of treatment; any level of care (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential); any type of trauma, any type of addiction. Clients do not have to meet formal criteria for PTSD or addiction-- it is often used as a general model to teach coping skills. Seeking Safety has been successfully implemented for many years across vulnerable populations including homeless, criminal justice, domestic violence, severely mentally ill, veterans and military, and others. It has been successfully used for decades across all types of traumas and all types of addictions, and for those who may have problems in both areas or just one or the other. For group treatment, it has been conducted in single-gender as well as mixed-gender groups.
You may be interested in some of these key documents to get a better feel for Seeking Safety:
- Brief overview of the model for counselors (2 pages)
- Brief overview of the model for clients (1 page-- can be made into a brochure)
- Brief description of all 25 topics for counselors and/or clients (2 pages)
- Examples of full chapters (topics).for counselors
- Book chapter that summarizes the model for counselors
- Reviews of the Seeking Safety book by Marsha Linehan, Aaron Beck, and others
About our team
You can read more about Lisa, the training team, and Treatment Innovations if desired.