THE TRAUMA TOOL KIT: Healing From The Inside Out

At the 2009 Evolution of Psychotherapy conference

Jack Kornfield noted, “We need a trauma tool kit.” Here it is.

Most people, Pease Banitt says, experience trauma as a terminal blow to their deepest sense of self. Her techniques restore a sense of wholeness at the core level from which all healing springs. The uniqueness of her book lies in its diversity and accessibility. She assesses the values and limitations of traditional and alternative therapies and suggests methods that are universally available. Almost anybody can grow some lavender in a pot, she notes, or find a tree to sit under, a journal to write in, or Epsom Salts in which to soak. They can learn exercises of the mind and breath work to regulate the body. Besides such resources, Pease Banitt’s tools for healing include:

• Skills to build a first-aid kit to respond to any traumatic event
• Insight into the causes of stress mentally and physically
• Motivation to deal with stress sooner rather than later
• An insider’s knowledge about maintaining health
• The ability to make good decisions for effective interventions
• Increased resilience to overwhelming events

She closes with a look at public policy and public health issues and the need for new therapeutic models. If trauma is the disease of our time, then healing from trauma individually and globally can pave the way for a brighter future. This book provides the tools.