Title: The Use of Relational-Cultural Theory in Counseling Clients Who Have Traumatic Stress Disorders

Authors: Victoria E. Kress, PhD; Maria Haiyasoso, PhD; Chelsey A. Zoldan, MSEd

Description: Counseling scholarship has increasingly demonstrated the utility of relational•cultural theory (RCT) in promoting the relationship building and growth•fostering connections many clients require to manage problems in living. The authors of this article apply RCT to counseling clients who have traumatic stress disorders rooted in traumas of an interpersonal nature (e.g., child abuse, sexual assault, interpersonal partner violence). An overview of traumatic stress disorders and RCT, as well as the ways in which RCT can inform trauma conceptualization and treatment approaches with victims, is here discussed.