On this page, you will find helpful books covering various aspects of complex PTSD, childhood trauma, mental health, and healing.
Recomended Books:
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is a seminal work in understanding the effects of trauma on the human body and mind. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Introduction
- Trauma’s Pervasiveness: Dr. van der Kolk discusses how trauma is a widespread issue that affects many people in different ways, from childhood abuse to war experiences.
Brain and Trauma
- Neuroscience of Trauma: The book explains how trauma physically changes the brain, affecting areas responsible for pleasure, engagement, control, and trust.
- Brain Regions: Specific brain regions, such as the amygdala (responsible for fear and emotional processing), are altered in trauma survivors.
Mind and Trauma
- Impact on Memory and Cognition: Trauma can cause fragmented memories and a disconnection from reality.
- Dissociation: The author explores how trauma leads to dissociation, where individuals disconnect from their thoughts, feelings, and sense of self.
Body and Trauma
- Physical Manifestations: Trauma manifests physically, leading to chronic health issues and a hyperactive stress response.
- Somatic Experience: The body holds onto trauma, which can be expressed through physical symptoms and conditions.
Healing from Trauma
- Therapies and Interventions: Dr. van der Kolk outlines various therapeutic approaches for healing trauma, emphasizing the importance of integrating the mind and body.
- Talk Therapy: Traditional methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy.
- Body-Centered Therapies: Techniques such as yoga, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and neurofeedback.
- Innovative Therapies: Newer methods that incorporate understanding trauma’s impact on the brain and body.
Conclusion
- Holistic Healing: Emphasizes the importance of treating trauma through a comprehensive approach that addresses both the psychological and physical aspects.
- Hope and Recovery: Highlights that healing from trauma is possible with the right interventions and support systems.
Dr. van der Kolk’s work provides a profound understanding of how trauma affects individuals and offers practical solutions for recovery, making it a crucial resource for trauma survivors and those who support them.
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
“Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving” by Pete Walker is a comprehensive guide to understanding and healing from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). Here’s a summary of the key points:
Introduction
- Definition of C-PTSD: The book defines C-PTSD as a more severe form of PTSD, often resulting from prolonged, repeated trauma, especially during childhood, such as abuse or neglect.
Understanding C-PTSD
- Symptoms and Characteristics: Walker explains the symptoms of C-PTSD, which include emotional flashbacks, toxic shame, self-abandonment, and a harsh inner critic.
- Difference from PTSD: C-PTSD involves chronic trauma that leads to a more complex and persistent set of symptoms compared to PTSD, which typically results from a single traumatic event.
Emotional Flashbacks
- Nature of Flashbacks: Emotional flashbacks are intense feelings of fear, shame, and helplessness that are relived without a clear memory of the original trauma.
- Managing Flashbacks: The author provides strategies for recognizing, understanding, and managing these flashbacks.
The Inner Critic
- Understanding the Inner Critic: Walker discusses the inner critic, an internal voice that perpetuates negative self-talk and reinforces feelings of worthlessness.
- Reducing the Inner Critic’s Power: Techniques for challenging and diminishing the influence of the inner critic are provided.
Toxic Shame
- Nature of Toxic Shame: Explains how chronic trauma leads to toxic shame, making survivors feel inherently defective.
- Healing Shame: Offers methods to combat and heal from toxic shame, including self-compassion and inner child work.
Self-Abandonment and Self-Love
- Self-Abandonment: Describes how trauma survivors often neglect their own needs and emotions.
- Cultivating Self-Love: Emphasizes the importance of self-care and self-compassion in the healing process.
Recovery and Healing
- Therapeutic Approaches: Walker discusses various therapeutic approaches for healing from C-PTSD, including:
- Somatic Therapy: Techniques that involve bodily awareness and movement.
- Cognitive Therapy: Methods to reframe negative thoughts and beliefs.
- Relational Healing: Building supportive relationships and safe connections with others.
- Recovery Tools: Provides practical tools and exercises for daily practice to aid in recovery.
Conclusion
- Path to Thriving: Emphasizes that healing from C-PTSD is a journey from merely surviving to thriving.
- Hope and Empowerment: Encourages survivors to embrace hope and take empowered steps towards healing and reclaiming their lives.
Pete Walker’s book is a valuable resource for individuals suffering from C-PTSD and those supporting them, offering deep insights and practical strategies for recovery and personal growth.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine
“Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” by Peter A. Levine is a groundbreaking work that presents a new approach to understanding and healing trauma by looking at how animals in the wild process and recover from traumatic experiences. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Introduction
- Premise: Levine introduces the idea that trauma is a natural part of life and that the human body has an innate ability to heal from it, similar to animals in the wild.
Understanding Trauma
- Definition of Trauma: Trauma is defined as a disruption in the body’s natural equilibrium, often caused by overwhelming experiences.
- Physiological Basis: Levine explains that trauma is stored in the body and affects the nervous system, leading to symptoms like anxiety, hyperarousal, and dissociation.
The Animal Connection
- Animal Behavior: Observations of wild animals show that they experience trauma but rarely develop lasting symptoms. This is due to their instinctual processes for releasing the energy of the traumatic event.
- Freeze Response: When faced with a threat, animals go through a sequence of responses: fight, flight, and freeze. Humans often get stuck in the freeze response, leading to chronic trauma symptoms.
The Somatic Experience
- Somatic Experiencing (SE): Levine introduces Somatic Experiencing, a therapeutic approach that helps individuals release the stored energy of trauma by focusing on bodily sensations.
- Pendulation: This technique involves gently guiding the client’s focus between the sensations of distress and safety, helping the nervous system to return to a state of balance.
- Titration: Small doses of traumatic material are processed gradually to avoid overwhelming the individual, allowing for safe and effective healing.
Healing Trauma
- Recognizing Symptoms: Levine emphasizes the importance of recognizing trauma symptoms in the body and mind, such as muscle tension, disorientation, and emotional numbing.
- Creating a Safe Environment: Establishing a sense of safety is crucial for trauma healing. This involves both a safe physical space and a supportive therapeutic relationship.
- Completing the Cycle: Healing involves allowing the body to complete the instinctual fight, flight, or freeze response that was interrupted during the traumatic event.
Practical Exercises
- Body Awareness: Levine provides exercises to enhance body awareness and reconnect with physical sensations.
- Grounding Techniques: Techniques to ground oneself in the present moment, which can help to reduce symptoms of hyperarousal and dissociation.
- Discharge of Energy: Methods to safely discharge the pent-up energy associated with trauma, such as shaking, breathing exercises, and movement.
Case Studies and Examples
- Real-Life Applications: The book includes numerous case studies and personal anecdotes that illustrate the principles of Somatic Experiencing in action.
- Success Stories: Examples of individuals who have successfully used these techniques to heal from trauma provide hope and inspiration.
Conclusion
- Natural Healing: Levine concludes that trauma is a part of the human experience but does not have to result in lifelong suffering. By harnessing the body’s natural healing abilities, individuals can recover and thrive.
“Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” offers a revolutionary perspective on trauma therapy, emphasizing the importance of listening to the body and completing the natural processes that were disrupted by traumatic events. This approach provides practical tools and hope for those seeking to heal from trauma.
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
Healing from Hidden Abuse: A Journey Through the Stages of Recovery from Psychological Abuse by Shannon Thomas
It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman
Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre
The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self by Alice Miller
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter A. Levine
Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
The Emotionally Absent Mother: A Guide to Self-Healing and Getting the Love You Missed by Jasmin Lee Cori
Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole by Arielle Schwartz
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook by Bruce D. Perry
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing by David A. Treleaven
Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists by Suzette Boon
The Healing of Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of the Body by David Berger
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation by Daniel J. Siegel
The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild
Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body by Peter A. Levine
Treating Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Practical, Integrative Approach by Kathy Steele
Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life by Susan Forward
Complex PTSD Made Simple: Recognizing and Surviving Complex PTSD by Michael R. Brown
Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect by Jonice Webb
Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy by Pat Ogden
Breaking Free of Childhood Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents by Eli R. Lebowitz
Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation by Janina Fisher
The Trauma Tool Kit: Healing PTSD from the Inside Out by Susan Pease Banitt
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms by Mary Beth Williams
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud
The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Dan B. Allender
The Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
Surviving and Thriving After Trauma: Stories and Strategies for Healing Your Body, Mind, and Spirit by Michaela Haas
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari
Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families by Charles L. Whitfield
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown
Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive by Daniel J. Siegel
The Unsayable: The Hidden Language of Trauma by Annie G. Rogers
When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté
The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Relationships by Patrick J. Carnes
The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation by Stephen W. Porges
The Body Remembers Volume 2: Revolutionizing Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild
Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook: Somatic Skills to Help You Feel Safe in Your Body, Create Boundaries, and Live with Resilience by Erika Shershun
The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual: An Integrative, Mind-Body Approach to Trauma Recovery by Arielle Schwartz
Taming Your Outer Child: Overcoming Self-Sabotage – the Aftermath of Abandonment by Susan Anderson
The Trauma Recovery Workbook: Exercises to Rebuild Your Life After Trauma by Lisa Ferentz
Disaster Mental Health Counseling: A Guide to Preparing and Responding by Jane M. Webber
eBooks:
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms by Mary Beth Williams
Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship by Laurence Heller
Wired for Healing: Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses by Annie Hopper
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies by Mark Goulston
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation & Distress Tolerance by Matthew McKay
Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body by David Emerson
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World by Ted Zeff
Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy by Francine Shapiro
The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole by Arielle Schwartz
Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw
Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing by Peter A. Levine
Recovering from Trauma: A Workbook for Teens by Christiane Sanderson
Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach by Patricia A. DeYoung
C-PTSD: Symptoms, Types, Tests, and Treatments by Matthew Klein
Healing the Traumatized Self: Consciousness, Neuroscience, Treatment by Paul Frewen
Recovery from Trauma: A Workbook for Teens by Christiane Sanderson
The Gift of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown
Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard
Trauma-Informed Practices with Children and Adolescents by William Steele
Attachment-Focused Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents: Phase-Oriented Strategies for Addressing Complex Trauma Disorders by Niki Gomez-Perales
Trauma-Proofing Your Kids: A Parents’ Guide for Instilling Confidence, Joy, and Resilience by Peter A. Levine
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
The Warrior Heart Practice: A Simple Process to Transform Confusion into Clarity and Pain into Peace by HeatherAsh Amara
Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice by Brené Brown
The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma by James S. Gordon
Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body by Peter A. Levine
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past by Peter A. Levine
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild
The Trauma-Informed Yoga Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Recovery from Sexual Trauma by Zahabiyah Yamasaki
I Can’t Get Over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors by Aphrodite Matsakis
Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: A Comprehensive Manual by Patricia A. Resick
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for PTSD: Practical Exercises for Overcoming Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by Kirby Reutter
Conquering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Guide to Overcoming Traumatic Events and Recovering Your Self by Victoria Lemle Beckner
Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma by Staci Haines
The PTSD Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth by Glenn R. Schiraldi
Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience: A Prolonged Exposure Treatment Program Workbook by Barbara Olasov Rothbaum
C-PTSD: Symptoms, Types, Tests, and Treatments by Matthew Klein
Trauma-Informed Practices with Children and Adolescents by William Steele
Overcoming Childhood Trauma: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques by Helen Kennerley
The Trauma Recovery Group: A Guide for Practitioners by Judith Herman
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy: Bringing the Body into Treatment by David Emerson
Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families by Charles L. Whitfield
Treating Trauma-Related Dissociation: A Practical, Integrative Approach by Kathy Steele
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth by Glenn R. Schiraldi
The Trauma Tool Kit: Healing PTSD from the Inside Out by Susan Pease Banitt
Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Here is a list of books specifically focused on trauma from childhood sexual abuse and incest:
Books about Incest Trauma
The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse by Mike Lew
The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Dan B. Allender
Ghosts in the Bedroom: A Guide for the Partners of Incest Survivors by Ken Graber
The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Beverly Engel
Strong at the Broken Places: Overcoming the Trauma of Childhood Abuse by Linda T. Sanford
Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects in Women by E. Sue Blume
The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Wendy Maltz
Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Laura Davis
Resurrection After Rape: A Guide to Transforming from Victim to Survivor by Matt Atkinson
After Silence: Rape & My Journey Back by Nancy Venable Raine
Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse by Steven R. Tracy
Beyond Survival: A Writing Journey for Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse by Maureen Brady
Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy by Christine A. Courtois
I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse edited by Ellen Bass and Louise Thornton
Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused As Children by Eliana Gil
Father-Daughter Incest by Judith Herman
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman
Invisible Girls: The Truth About Sexual Abuse by Patti Feuereisen
Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma by Staci Haines
Recovered, Not Cured: A Journey Through Schizophrenia by Richard McLean (focuses on the intersection of mental illness and trauma)
The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild
Hush: Moving From Silence to Healing After Childhood Sexual Abuse by Nicole Braddock Bromley
Breaking Free: Help for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (Including Ritual Abuse) by Carolyn Ainscough and Kay Toon
Incest-Related Syndromes of Adult Psychopathology by Richard P. Kluft
eBooks:
Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
Breaking Free from the Victim Trap: Reclaiming Your Personal Power by Diane Zimberoff
The Survivor’s Guide to Sex: How to Have an Empowered Sex Life After Child Sexual Abuse by Staci Haines
The Healing Journey for Adult Children of Alcoholics by Stefanie Rankin (relevant for those dealing with incest in alcoholic families)
Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies by Sandra L. Bloom
These books offer a range of perspectives and healing strategies for individuals who have experienced trauma from childhood sexual abuse and more specifically, incest, addressing both psychological and physiological aspects of recovery.