Trauma and Abuse

Information & Educational Resources

National Institute of Mental Health: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  
Information about PTSD including causes, signs & symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatments.  Includes information about clinical trials and living with someone that has PTSD.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),  Mayo Clinic: Definition, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Causes, Treatments, etc.

Also, see Trauma in Education and Professional Development, MHAP

Prevention and Early Intervention Programs

Traumatic expereiences are sometimes unavoidable.

Psychological flexibility and resilience and having good social support are very helpful resources in coping with trauma and avoiding prolonged negative effects.

Programs, such as "Say It Straight," that intervene early in helping someone reduce risky behaviors that increase the chance of a traumatic experience can be helpful with at-risk populations.

Programs that help families avoid and/or address violence in the home are also helpful. For example, see:

Treatment Programs

There are a broad range of psychotherapy models and treatment programs that treat trauma related stress and anxiety. See treatments for Anxiety. In particular, the below treatments were designed to address trauma:

Self-Help Resources

Books

Bass, Ellen and Davis, Laura, The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2008

Beckner, Victoria Lemle and Arden, John B., Conquering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Fair Winds Press, 2008.

Davis, Laura, The Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, Harper Perennial, 1990

Meichenbaum, Roadmap to Resilience, Institute Press, 2012

Williams, Mary Bet and Poijula, Soili, The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms, New Harbinger Publications, 2013

Videos/Podcasts

Childhood Trauma and the Process of Healing, by Daniel Mackler (59 minute video)

ACT for Coping with Trauma and PTSD with Robyn Walser (podcast)

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