The trauma treatment handbook

Trauma--whether it's incident-related, arising from a car accident or catastrophic event, or the result of prolonged childhood abuse or relational trauma--overwhelms our ability to cope and compromises our relationships. Many therapists can treat patients who suffer from simple trauma, but are stymied when faced with complex traumatic stress disorders, dissociation, and the many comorbidities that may accompany trauma diagnoses. The first book of its kind to provide a synthesis of trauma treatment options, The Trauma Treatment Handbook presents 17 currently-practiced trauma treatments in a single, accessible volume, making sense of a wide range of techniques and equipping therapists with a go-to source for treating their traumatized patients. As Shapiro advises, there is not one perfect trauma therapy, and the best approach a therapist can take is to adopt a wide theoretical lens, synthesizing aspects of the primary protocols into a unique, integrated treatment modality for each client. From psychodynamic and exposure therapies to mindfulness, EMDR, hypnosis, neurofeedback, and more, Shapiro lays out all the treatment options available, details their advantages and disadvantages, and explains how to determine which course of treatment is best for which type of client. With warmth and clinical expertise, Shapiro emphasizes the importance of facilitating a deep connection with each client; she guides readers through the basics of assessing simple trauma, acute stress disorder (ASD), complex trauma, and dissociation; and she discusses how to prepare for trauma work with clients. She also provides the resources--books, Web sites, and articles--from which to pursue further training in each protocol. A section on specific client populations--survivors of war, sexual assault, traumatic grief, and relational trauma--as well as a chapter on therapist self-care, explore important clinical issues that arise in this challenging therapy work. The ideal go-to guide for new and seasoned clinicians alike, The Trauma Treatment Handbook provides a unique and invaluable tool that untangles the complexities of assessing and treating traumatized patients, and guides clients toward appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions. --Book Jacket.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Mental Health. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.