Just a note….
Healing happens in relationship. If you could outsmart your problems, you would have already done that. If there was a formula or a secret knowledge to unlock healing, you would have already found it and tried it. These resources are helpful and can be used to support your healing journey; but they will not override the need that is hardwired in your DNA for relational healing and interdependence.
Use these resources, but talk them out, wrestle with them, rage against them, and find healing in the presence of others. Let your heart with all its tenderness, pain, brokenness, and beauty be seen and loved by others!
Understanding Trauma
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
What my Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma
I love a good memoir and this one is both interesting and educational! Foo talks about her own journey of complex trauma, the impacts on her body, her relationships, her professional life, along with experiences of being a woman of color which many of the leading books on trauma only speak to from an outside perspective.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
No list on trauma is complete without this bestselling book by Bessel Van der Kolk. It was required reading in three separate classes in my training as a therapist. Whether you have special training in psychology or not, you will come away with a deeper understanding of how trauma affects the brain, mind, and body.
When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
In this book, Gabor Maté draws connections between stress and physical ailments highlighting how our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational well-being are inextricably inter-connected. I recommend this book to those working in the medical field as well as anyone struggling with chronic pain, IBS, or any other physical condition that puzzles medical practitioners.
When The Body Says No: Maté, Dr Gabor: 9781785042225: Amazon.com: Books
What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
In this book, Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey are intentional about asking and explaining: “What happened to you?” rather than “what is wrong with you?” As we can better understand the impact of trauma, we can have more realistic understandings of how healing and growth can happen. I found this book interesting, easy to read, balanced and solid.
The Boy who was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook
This was one of the first books I read on trauma and it rocked my world. I had already worked with kids with the kind of trauma Perry spoke about and his observations resonated and provided me with more understanding about what was going on and what these kids needed. This book is formatted in a way that connects teaching with specific stories which keeps it relevant and much easier to connect and understand with real world problems.
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies
This book is written by a black therapist who offers understanding and a way forward for racial trauma. Menakem specifically speaks about police violence against black bodies and the impact of generational trauma.
Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect
Too often when we think about trauma, we only think about major events that happen such as war, loss of parents, violence, sexual abuse. Unfortunately, this causes us to overlook and dismiss something that’s hard to see and name: the loss of something we never had. Emotional neglect has a significant impact on brain development, relationships, and more. Seeing and naming the dense fog of emotional neglect is validating for those significantly impacted by it.
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing
Based on original research from over 3,800 men and women, Unwanted is a groundbreaking resource that explores the “why” behind self-destructive sexual choices to help readers work towards freedom. “If you want to understand why you are addicted to something, you have to understand the conditions that keep your addiction in place.” Unwanted offers a Christian perspective to brokenness and healing.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief
Drawing on years of experience as a therapist and community healer, Weller invites readers to embrace sorrow as a vital part of the human experience. Through wisdom from ancient traditions, Weller shows how grief can lead to healing, personal growth, and a deeper connection to the world around us. The Wild Edge of Sorrow offers a path to embrace grief with courage, openness, and reverence.
Lost Connections: Uncovering the real causes of depression - and the unexpected solutions
Lost Connections by Johann Hari challenges conventional ideas about depression and anxiety, arguing that they are deeply linked to our disconnection from meaningful aspects of life. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with experts, Hari explores nine key causes of depression. With a blend of personal stories and scientific insights, Lost Connections provides a fresh perspective on mental health and offers practical steps for healing through connection, purpose, and community.
Lost Connections: Hari, Johann: 9781632868305: Amazon.com: Books
The Place We Find Ourselves podcast
The Place We Find Ourselves podcast by Adam Young unpacks how trauma and abuse impact the heart and mind, as well as how to navigate the path toward healing. Adam Young’s podcast from a Christian lens offers understanding for how your story impacts present relationships with self, God, and others.