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Trauma and Recovery  By  cover art

Trauma and Recovery

By: Judith Lewis Herman MD
Narrated by: Alison Mathews, Xe Sands
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Publisher's summary

The groundbreaking work on trauma that remains a “classic for our generation” (Bessel van der Kolk, MD, author of The Body Keeps the Score)

Trauma and Recovery is the foundational text on understanding trauma survivors. By placing individual experience in a political frame, psychiatrist Judith L. Herman argues that psychological trauma is inseparable from its social and political context. Drawing on her own research on incest, as well as a vast literature on combat veterans and victims of political terror, she shows surprising parallels between private horrors like child abuse and public horrors like war.

This edition includes a new epilogue by the author assessing what has—and hasn’t—changed in understanding and treating trauma over the last three decades.

Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the most important psychiatry works to be published since Freud,” Trauma and Recovery is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how we heal.

©2015 Judith L. Herman (P)2019 Basic Books

Critic reviews

"One of the most important psychiatric works to be published since Freud."—New York Times

"A landmark."—Gloria Steinem
"A stunning achievement ... a classic for our generation."—Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., author of The Body Keeps the Score

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What listeners say about Trauma and Recovery

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A must for everyone!!

This brilliant book kindly held my hand while blowing my mind.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it an academic yet highly accessible read, & for the first time I witnessed the fully fleshed out struggles, confusion, pain, gas lighting of myself & others who continue to suffer horrific experiences in seeking help from therapists & institutions that claim to offer it. Equal vigor is given to the success stories of those greatly benefited by quality support. Such instances well observed the many lessons learned from the ongoing pitfalls in the so called grey areas of the gulf between ‘great’ & ‘awful’ care, in my opinion.

This book gives a clear, concise, honest, well researched explanation on the subject of Trauma & Recovery from many angles. It explains what Trauma is, how & why it occurs, how it is & was treated
in the past through to the present day, with great insight on our future endeavors to heal from such complex events, linking our private & personal terrors to the wider landscape of society, including of course - the political.

This is an excellent read & is well narrated. I’m eternally grateful for having found such a gem, & loved it so much I’m about to read it again.

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3 people found this helpful

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So Good!

Never have I felt so seen, heard, and felt than when reading this book. So helpful in illuminating this topic from a holistic perspective. I feel empowered to help myself and others now.

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Wonderful

Great information which is much needed. The psychiatric field was terribly lacking in this area.

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Wow

This book is incredibly written and difficult to read. Recommended for all clinicians regardless of your population.

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Compassionate knowledgeable author

Judith Herman is a gem! Extremely caring and knowledgeable about trauma. One of the best.

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Phenomenal book

Warmly recommended for anyone wanting to better understand the mechanisms of trauma and recovery and what can and should be done about it.

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So important for everyone to read!

Just an amazing piece of work. I will listen to this countless times. Definitely a must read!

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prolific

patience has been a virus; praying it is virtuous in the end. narrator's voice was juuuuust right. Page Tourner fir sure

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first part was great 👍

I felt so identified and understood so many things. Moreover, helped me connect the dots. however, second part was just fine. Perhaps is better to read it or if they include a PDF with certain exercises or examples. And the epilogue was ok. I was recommended this book in a webinar about trauma and intervention. It's worth the purchase if you want to understand more about trauma.

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Brilliant

I very found of this book it offers a lot in explaining why trauma happens, and keeps happening.

it focuses a lot on getting a therapist as the path to recovery. In my lived experience, having a therapist is not the only way. I encourage other trauma survivors to seek other books for advice on recovery. But this is still a great addition to my "library of understanding trauma so I can be my own therapist"

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