Psychology Trauma

Traumatic experiences happen to nearly everyone, at some time, in some form. The aftereffects—depression, anxiety, addiction, panic attacks, insomnia, and more—can affect us for years or even a lifetime. But the brokenness following a traumatic event is never a life sentence. We are all changed by trauma, but we do not have to be defined by it.

From pioneering therapist Cathy A. Malchiodi, this book synthesizes the breadth of research on trauma and the brain and presents an innovative framework for treating trauma through the expressive arts.

By age thirty, Stephanie Foo was successful on paper: She had her dream job as an award-winning radio producer at This American Life and a loving boyfriend. But behind her office door, she was having panic attacks and sobbing at her desk every morning. After years of questioning what was wrong with herself, she was diagnosed with complex PTSD—a condition that occurs when trauma happens continuously, over the course of years.

Have you ever felt at a loss for an answer when asked: ‘How are you really feeling?” Maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know something is definitely off. Microaggressions, challenging family relationships, toxic positivity, work and pandemic stress, gaslighting—these are just a few examples of what psychologist Dr. Meg Arroll calls “Tiny T” trauma. These tiny traumas can slowly build up inside of us, and if ignored for too long, can manifest in our lives as high-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, binge eating, insomnia, broken relationships, and a host of other problems.

An insatiable need for sex and love. Periods of overeating or starving. A pattern of unstable and painful relationships. Does this sound painfully familiar? Trauma counselor Kelly McDaniel has seen these traits over and over in clients who feel trapped in cycles of harmful behaviors - and are unable to stop. Many of us find ourselves stuck in unhealthy habits simply because we don't see a better way. With Mother Hunger, McDaniel helps women break the cycle of destructive behavior by taking a fresh look at childhood trauma and its lasting impact.

"Untangling Trauma and Addiction" by Grace Monroe emerges as a poignant and transformative guide, offering a new perspective on the daunting challenges of addiction and trauma. With her unique voice, Grace Monroe transcends the traditional boundaries of non-fiction, providing a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relevant. Grace's journey, marked by her own battles and those of her loved ones, infuses this book with authenticity and heartfelt insight.

Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga is a book for survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors who are interested in mind/body healing. It introduces trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified approach to yoga developed in collaboration between yoga teachers and clinicians at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, led by yoga teacher David Emerson, along with medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk.

After 9/11, mental health professionals flocked to New York to handle what everyone assumed would be a flood of trauma cases. Oddly, the flood never came. In The End of Trauma, pioneering psychologist George A. Bonanno argues that we failed to predict the psychological response to 9/11 because most of what we understand about trauma is wrong. For starters, it’s not nearly as common as we think.

Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery bridges the path of healing between the psyche and the body by walking you through the sacred practice of yoga so you can release the burdens of trauma from your body and mind. Grounded within the principles of polyvagal theory, affective neuroscience, and trauma-informed care, this book will help you gain a better understanding of how our brains and bodies respond to stress and trauma and offer a self-led healing journey toward feeling more empowered, grounded, clearheaded, inspired, and at ease.

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) provides a revolutionary treatment plan for PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and more. Using a non-pathologizing, accelerated approach—rooted in neuroscience—IFS applies inner resources and self-compassion for healing emotional wounding at its core. This new audio manual offers straight-forward explanations and illustrates a wide variety of applications. Easy to listen to and highly practical.

From Dr. Mariel Buqué, a leading trauma psychologist, comes this groundbreaking guide to transforming intergenerational pain into intergenerational abundance. With Break the Cycle, she delivers the definitive guide to healing inherited trauma. Weaving together scientific research with practical exercises and stories from the therapy room, Dr. Buqué teaches readers how trauma is transmitted from one generation to the next and how they can break the cycle through tangible therapeutic practices, learning to pass down strength instead of pain to future generations.

Do you struggle to find happiness in yourself or in your relationships? Do you have issues with your physical or mental health such as fatigue, anxiety, sleep problems, addictions or depression? Do you feel emotionally numb, or are you unable to truly feel your emotions? You are not alone. And maybe you need to stop blaming yourself. We are all affected by our early experiences – both good and bad. But for many of us, the patterns of our younger years have damaged us as adults, leaving us unable to truly feel or form lasting positive relationships with ourselves and others.

An essential work that centers colonial and historical trauma in a framework for healing, Decolonizing Therapy illuminates that all therapy is—and always has been—inherently political. To better understand the mental health oppression and institutional violence that exists today, we must become familiar with the root of disembodiment from our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will listeners see how colonial, historical, and intergenerational legacies have always played a role in the treatment of mental health.

Are you sick and tired of being haunted by the past? Have you tried countless other solutions but nothing seems to work for long-term healing? Do you finally want to say goodbye to the pain and discover something that actually works for you? If so, then this book is for you. You see, healing from childhood trauma doesn’t have to be complicated. Even if you’ve tried therapy, self-help books, or other methods without success.

In this game-changing book, trauma therapist and mental health expert Dr. Anita Phillips reveals how embracing emotion is the key to living your most powerful life. Just as gardens thrive in good ground, the abundant life you’ve been seeking can only be grown in the soil of your heart.

If you've experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, your past trauma could affect how you care for yourself today. You may struggle with difficult thoughts and feelings, and reach for food to soothe your emotions when feeling sad, anxious, or stressed. You aren't alone. Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors offers an innovative, trauma-informed approach to overcoming emotional eating using the principles of mindfulness, self-compassion, and neuroscience.

The path to the future is connected to the past. Only when you heal, your hurts will you be able to move forward and connect with your true self. If you struggle with self-doubt or anxiety and find it difficult to embrace new experiences, there’s a high chance that your inner child is crying out for help. That child is no stranger. That child is you, and their experiences are still shaping the ones you have today.

Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps listeners understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life—such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders—can cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage.

Our human nervous system has the power to cope with high stress but not when it's been ground down by the relentless stimuli of today’s world. Over time, these persistent demands leave us burnt out because our nervous system is stuck in survival mode. In this mode, we have reduced capacity for rational thinking and less capacity to care. Dr. Claire Plumbly draws on polyvagal theory and her professional insights as a trauma therapist working with clients experiencing anxiety, trauma and burnout to give you tools to thrive amidst the challenges of modern life, at work, at home.

With Quiet, Susan Cain urged our society to cultivate space for the undervalued, indispensable introverts among us, thereby revealing an un­tapped power hidden in plain sight. Now she em­ploys the same mix of research, storytelling, and memoir to explore why we experience sorrow and longing, and how embracing the bittersweetness at the heart of life is the true path to creativity, con­nection, and transcendence.