Includes bibliographical references (page 109).

The living legacy of trauma -- Understanding the traumatized brain -- How the brain helps us survive -- The challenge of post-traumatic coping -- Recovering from self-destructive patterns of coping -- Trauma and attachment -- Trauma-related fragmentation and dissociation -- Healing and resolution.

Janina shows us that healing traumatic wounds consists of learning new habits of observation and self-discovery. The goal of treatment is not so much digging up the past but the repair of the injuries suffered as a result of traumatizing experiences. It is a marvelous and easily accessible work that should be part of every therapist's skill set. --Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score. Traumatic experiences leave a living legacy of effects that often persist for years and decades after the events are over. Historically, it has always been assumed that re-telling the story of what happened would resolve these effects. However, survivors report a different experience: Telling and re-telling the story of what happened to them often reactivates their trauma responses, overwhelming them rather than resolving the trauma. To transform traumatic experiences, survivors need to understand their symptoms and reactions as normal responses to abnormal events. They need ways to work with the symptoms that intrude on their daily activities, preventing a life beyond trauma. Dr. Janina Fisher, international expert on trauma, has spent over 40 years working with survivors, helping them to navigate the healing journey. In Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma, she shows how the legacy of symptoms helped them survive and offers: Step-by-step strategies that can be used on their own or in collaboration with a therapist; Simple diagrams that make sense of the confusing feelings and physical reactions survivors experience; Worksheets to practice the skills that bring relief and ultimately healing.