Parenting Trauma

Most people are familiar with PTSD. But many have not heard of complex PTSD and developmental trauma disorder. As adults, many of us experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. We feel chronically stressed. We have trouble trusting others, or we may even experience feelings of paranoia in our relationships with others. We struggle to define what it is that is bothering us, and we struggle to find ways effective ways to treat it.

Almost all of us have had some sort of traumatic experience, but each person deals with it differently. Depending on the experience and the personality and biology of the person who experiences it, they may suffer immensely or feel little to zero effect. Similarly, when it comes to healing from that trauma, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is where this invaluable book comes in.

Breaking the Cycle: The Epigenetics, Psychology & Trauma of Narcissistic Families not only tells a story about the author’s journey through healing and recovery, but also dives deep into the science and psychology behind generational family disfunction.

Author, mental health expert, and professor David Bedrick helps us understand how shame shows up—and offers a revolutionary, stigma-free model to help us unshame and release its hold on our happiness. Shame is more than feeling guilty, sad, or responsible. It develops when we experience a trauma but can’t access the tools or freedom to express how we feel—or are denied the ability to ask for the care we need. It shows up when we aren’t witnessed—whether by a loved one, our community, our culture, or anyone from whom we need to hear.

The journey towards self-discovery and healing can feel lonely and overwhelming, especially when it seems like nothing has worked so far. But what if you could discover a holistic way of living, one where trauma, anxiety, and pent-up emotions are replaced with tranquility and unshakable self-love?

Have you ever felt uncomfortable or not “at home” in your body? In this book, the founders of Body Trust, licensed therapist Hilary Kinavey and registered dietician Dana Sturtevant, invite listeners to break free from the status quo and reject a diet culture that has taken advantage and profited from trauma, stigma, and disembodiment, and fully reclaim and embrace their bodies.

A remarkable true story of how one woman defied the odds and healed her complex inner child wounding. Veronica is the daughter of two alcoholic parents, a survivor of sexual abuse, and several domestic violence relationships. Using a simple yet profound process that was intuitively guided from deep within, Veronica found healing and profound inner peace.

Adoption is often framed by happy narratives, but the reality is that many adoptees struggle with unaddressed trauma and issues of identity and belonging. Adoptees often spend the majority of their youth without the language to explore the grief related to adoption or the permission to legitimize their conflicting emotions. Adoptee and counselor Cameron Lee Small names the realities of the adoptee's journey, narrating his own and other adoptees' stories in all their complexity.

At age twenty-two, Nadine married Jordan Belfort, the nefarious stockbroker portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster The Wolf of Wall Street. Their marriage began as a fairy tale, but once they were bonded, Jordan’s “mask” began to slip, and acts of infidelity, narcissistic abuse, insatiable greed, and uncontrollable drug addiction became Nadine’s nightmare. The horrific relationship gave Nadine the inspiration to become a psychotherapist specializing in narcissistic abuse, trauma bonds, and complex PTSD.

The author of the runaway hit Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies shares honest and practical lessons for healing your past and owning your future so you can radiate strength, bravery, and joy when life gets dark.

Since Stephen Porges first proposed the Polyvagal Theory in 1994, its basic idea-that the level of safety we feel impacts our health and happiness-has radically shifted how researchers and clinicians approach trauma interventions and therapeutic interactions. Yet despite its wide acceptance, most of the writing on the topic has been obscured behind clinical texts and scientific jargon.

How to Breathe While Suffocating is your antidote to the all-too-common tendency to surrender, giving up on your life's ambitions. You don't have to give up! For anyone who has gotten caught in the trap of "I can't do it," this book reminds you that you are enough, you possess value, and your unique ability to engage with the world can and will get you to where you want to be.

We are often urged to rely only on ourselves for strength, mental fortitude, and positivity. But with her distinctive “skill, wit, and sharp insight” (Laura Bates, author of Girl Up), Soraya Chemaly challenges us to adapt our thinking about how we survive in a world of sustained, overlapping crises. It is interdependence and nurturing relationships that truly sustain us, she argues. Based on comprehensive research and eye-opening examples from real-life, The Resilience Myth offers alternative visions of relational hardiness by emphasizing care for others and our environments above all.

Whether you're a trauma survivor seeking healing, a therapist in search of evidence-based practices, or an individual focused on holistic self-improvement, Essentials of Somatic Therapy provides the compassionate guidance you need.

The #MeToo movement brought worldwide attention to sexual violence, but while the media focused on the fates of a few notorious predators who were put on trial, we heard far less about the outcomes of those trials for the survivors of their abuse. The conventional retributive process fails to serve most survivors; it was never designed for them. Renowned trauma expert Judith L. Herman argues that the first step toward a better form of justice is simply to ask survivors what would make things as right as possible for them.

In our search for love, affection, and acceptance, we often find ourselves repeating old patterns with new partners. Our brains seek familiar touch points as a way of navigating the unpredictability of our lives, but this means we can find ourselves reentering relationships with the same toxic dynamics. Toxic relationships are especially hard to recover from, especially when they uncovered some of our earliest and deepest traumas. When we leave them, we often find ourselves nursing a broken heart, again and again.

If you've experienced trauma, you may struggle to think positively, or feel too anxious to believe in an abundant and joyful future. This is especially true if you have unhealed childhood trauma. Written by a psychologist and trauma expert, Heal Your Past to Manifest Your Future acknowledges the profound impact of past trauma on your ability to imagine, move toward, and create a life you truly love; and offers a three-step process to regulate your nervous system, "reparent" your inner child, and rewire your brain to open to new possibilities.

Too often, survivors of trauma are left feeling hopeless, exiled from normal social interactions, and destined for heartbreak in any relationship they attract. Through her work with clients, and her own experiences, Dr. Copley developed a roadmap for healing the toxic emotions that come from being bonded by trauma in relationships. In Loving You is Hurting Me, Dr. Copley guides you through your trauma origins and into a life rich with meaning, loving connection, and inspiration.

If you are a man that wishes to become more grounded and present—in relationship, socially, or at work—then this is the audiobook for you. It will show you how this is possible through the daily practice of Youngblood's specially designed embodiment exercises.

Healing Sex is the encouraging, sex-positive guide for all women survivors of sexual assault- heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, coupled, and single - who want to delight in their own sexuality. While most books on the topic broach sexuality to reassure women that it's all right to say "no" to unwanted sex, Healing Sex encourages women to learn how to say "yes" - to their own desires and on their own terms.