Strubler, DavidKotori, JunaSmith, JuliaGolomb, SaraStejskal, Taryn Marie2026-03-032026-03-032025-01-01https://hdl.handle.net/10323/21886While trauma research has traditionally focused on pathological outcomes, attention has shifted toward understanding post-traumatic growth or positive psychological changes that can emerge from struggling with highly challenging events. However, existing post-traumatic growth theories provide limited guidance on how individuals can actively facilitate their own growth. This study introduced and empirically validated the KINDING Theory of Human Growth Through Positive Self Leadership, a novel framework that integrates positive self-leadership theory and affective neuroscience to explain how positive emotions, cognitions, and behaviors can facilitate growth following trauma.Higher educationKINDING theoryPositive psychologyPositive self-leadershipPost-traumatic growthTrauma recovery