Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Study
The Finding Solid Ground (FSG) RCT study evaluated changes in symptoms and adaptive capacities in individuals experiencing who have experienced trauma, including those with complex PTSD, the dissociative subtype of PTSD, and dissociative disorders. These populations often face a more refractory treatment course and have high rates of suicidality Unlike other trauma treatment studies, we did not exclude anyone based on the symptom severity or additional diagnoses.
In our RCT study, an international group of trauma survivors ranging in symptom severity and their therapists participated in an adjunctive online program based on the FSG psychoeducational program.
The RCT study found that adding the FSG program to psychotherapy for individuals with trauma-related dissociation results in significant improvements. At 6 months, the group with immediate FSG access showed significant improvement in emotion regulation, PTSD symptoms, self-compassion, and adaptive capacities compared to the waitlist group. By 12 months, the immediate access group demonstrated large effect size changes in these areas compared to their study entry. Importantly, the waitlist group showed comparable improvements after accessing the FSG program for 6 months, indicating that the benefits are attributable to the program itself. The waitlist group, while anticipating access, showed no placebo or other nonspecific responses to the study design during their 6 months of treatment as usual.
A major strength of the study is its inclusion of patients with severe dissociative and PTSD symptoms, comorbid conditions (e.g., substance use), NSSI, suicidality, and recent or concurrent hospitalization—conditions typically excluded in other treatment outcome studies, suggesting the program's broad applicability. The randomized controlled design demonstrates that the observed improvements are specifically due to the addition of FSG to psychotherapy, rather than just the passage of time or the effects of individual psychotherapy alone. Overall, FSG is shown to be an evidence-based, stabilization-focused program that helps patients develop recovery-oriented self-regulation, reducing reliance on high-risk behaviors and ameliorating chronic safety struggles.