Continuing Education for Psychologists

HEALING THE TRAUMATIZED SELF
Consciousness, Neuroscience, Treatment

A neurobiological explanation of self-awareness and the states of mind of severely traumatized people. Cultivation of emotional awareness is difficult, even for those of us not afflicted by serious mental illness. This book discusses the neurobiology behind emotional states and presents exercises for developing self awareness. Topics include mood (both unipolar and bipolar), anxiety (particularly PTSD), and dissociative disorders. Frewen and Lanius comprehensively review psychological and neurobiological research, and explain how to use this research to become aware of emotional states within both normal and psychopathological functioning. Therapists will be able to help survivors of trauma, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and dissociative disorders develop emotional awareness. The book also includes case studies, detailed instructions for clinicians, and handouts ready for use in assessment/therapy with patients/clients.

Paul Frewen, Ph.D, and Ruth Lanius, MD, Ph.D, both teach at the University of Western Ontario and live in London, Ontario

"This book elegantly blends phenomenological research and neurobiology in its elucidation of a serious symptom and its associated suffering. . . . The addition of abundant case examples and treatment narratives increases the value of the book for clinicians and aids students curious to know more about why trauma causes dissociation and what it feels like to experience it in the mind and body. . . . The authors are to be commended for opening the door for future scholarship while increasing hope for healing. . . . Highly recommended."
--CHOICE

"[A] well-written and thoughtful text that will be useful to clinicians, researchers, legal scholars, and those in the general public who are interested in this area of psychological distress. . . . The case studies of the appendix are excellent."
--PsycCRITIQUES

"[T]he most noteworthy aspect of the book is the inclusion of patient testimonies in the forms of artwork, poetry, and vignettes. . . . [T]he audience can scrutinize in a more involved and understandable way than simply reading technical words on a page, a feat not many research-oriented publications are able to achieve."
--Somatic Psychotherapy Today

"The TRASC [trauma-related altered states of consciousness] model is useful and interesting. The book is well-written and supported."
--American Journal of Forensic Psychology

"Breaking new ground, if not creating an entirely new research and clinical domain, this book startles with its intelligence and breadth. Frewen and Lanius call upon over a decade of functional MRI research and detailed clinical interviews to define what they refer to as ?trauma-related altered states of consciousness' (TRASC). The ideas are new, the data are very strong, and the grounding in the real-world experience of suffering people is refreshing. This is a whole new step forward in understanding and assisting those with dissociative difficulties."
--John Briere, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Southern California; Director, USC Adolescent Trauma Training Center, National Child Traumatic Stress Network

"This is a landmark book in the history of psychotraumatology. Frewen and Lanius have created a new intellectual blueprint for understanding dissociation. Their book is unique in providing a detailed integration of the latest neuroscientific findings with the experience of what it is like to be traumatized. It is a treasure trove of ideas for anyone pursuing the study or healing of the traumatized self."
--Chris R. Brewin, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University College London

"This book reaches into the depth of PTSD-the invisible domain of troubled brains that can captivate the mental apparatus. Healing the Traumatzied Self provides clear insights to help people return to the joys of human companionship. It is a must read for all who wish to understand the neurodynamics of broken minds and pathways to healing."
--Jaak Panksepp, Professor of Neuroscience and Baily Endowed Chair of Animal Well Being Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

"In this scholarly, highly focused, yet accessible and readable volume, Frewen and Lanius tackle the characterization, meaning, and neurophenomenological basis for dissociation. The deep clinical insights coupled with state of the art neuroimaging data permit an in-depth analysis of dissociation in its many forms, and its relationship to traumatization, perception, and brain/mind/body connections. This work considerably advances our knowledge of dissociation and lays out a pathway for successful therapeutic interventions for highly traumatized individuals."
--Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at Icahn School of Medicine; Mental Health Patient Care Center Director at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center