8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery: Take-Charge Strategies to Empower Your Healing

by Babette Rothschild

Overview

Safe and effective principles and strategies for recovery from trauma.

Trauma recovery is tricky; however, there are several key principles that can help make the process safe and effective. This book gives self help readers, therapy clients, and therapists alike the skills to understand and implement eight keys to successful trauma healing: mindful identification of what is helpful, recognizing survival, having the option to not remember, creating a supportive inner dialogue, forgiving not being able to stop the trauma, understanding and sharing shame, finding your own recovery pace; mobilizing your body, and helping others.

This is not another book promoting a new method or type of treatment; rather, it is a necessary adjunct to self-help and professional recovery programs. After reading this book, readers will be able to recognize their own individual needs and evaluate whether those needs are being met. They will have the tools necessary to put themselves in the drivers seat, navigating their own safe road to recovery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393706055
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	01/04/2010
Series:	8 Keys to Mental Health
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCSW is an internationally recognized PTSD specialist and best-selling author of seven books translated into eighteen languages, including her new offerings Help for the Helper Updated + Expanded and the 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery Workbook. Babette is also the creator and Series Editor of W. W. Norton’s 8 Keys to Mental Health Series. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Preface: Common Sense and Trauma Recovery ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

Key 1 Plot Your Course With Mindfulness 7

Key 2 Begin With Your Epilogue...You Made It! 27

Key 3 Remembering Is Not Required 41

Key 4 Stop Flashbacks 59

Key 5 Reconcile Forgiveness and Shame 73

Part A Forgive Your Limitations 73

Part B Share Your Shame 87

Key 6 Take Smaller Steps for Bigger Leaps 101

Key 7 Get Moving 115

Key 8 Make Lemonade 131

Afterword: Evaluating Recovery Progress 145

Further Reading 149

Notes to Self-Help Readers 151

Notes to Past, Present, and Future Clients of Trauma Therapy 153

Notes to Trauma Treatment Professionals 157

Index 161

Editorial Reviews

"A succinct and easy read, founded predominantly on compassion-focused and mindfulness-based approaches, this book is certainly one I would recommend to my own trauma clients.... [S]traight-forward and enlightening to read."

Journal of Mental Health

"Rothschild’s brief, personable, and accessible book directly targets safe, successful recovery in a way that compels and convinces the reader. If trauma memories impact your life or that of someone you now or treat in a healthcare setting, you need this book."

Trauma Psych

Psychotherapist Rothschild (The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment) here provides a practical explanation of her novel approach to trauma recovery and therapy, which strives to make healing less painful than the traumatic incident. Drawing on her personal experience with trauma and her treatment process, Rothschild realized that treatment does not necessarily require vivid remembering of the originating trauma's level of distress. Her keys to recovery include plotting a course of treatment, realizing that remembering is not required, stopping flashbacks, reconciling forgiveness and shame, taking small steps, and making the best of the situation. In each passionately written chapter, Rothschild provides a description of the key principle, a case example, a lay-oriented discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of the issue, examples of how to apply the principle, and practical exercises. Rothschild's valuable information is not designed to replace established therapeutic approaches but will serve as a nice adjunct. VERDICT Readers who have experienced traumatic events will find this a helpful tool as they work with their professional therapist. Also of interest to self-help readers and professional therapists.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX

Library Journal