What It Takes to Thrive

This book deals with all aspects of severe trauma and stress recovery. It offers tools and techniques to manage triggers, flashbacks or intrusive thoughts, helping survivors of severe trauma and stress to regain control of their lives. The techniques and advice described here are organised into six sections: Triggers; Flashbacks; Unwelcome Thoughts; Dealing with the Lows; Disturbed Sleep; and Living Life to the Full: Meaning and Purpose in Life. Readers can refer to each section and experiment with methods that work best for them. This is a useful guide for survivors of severe trauma and stress, psychotherapists, social workers, counsellors, welfare workers and volunteers in the field.Contents: Dedication Disclaimer The Book's Purpose Introduction How to Use This Handbook The Term "Survivor" Acknowledgements About the Author Dealing with "Triggers" How to Deal with Flashbacks How to Deal with Unwelcome Thoughts Dealing with "The Lows" Dealing with Sleep Disturbance Living Life to the Full (or, as Full as Possible) Appendices: Reassuring Things for Survivors to Know What Survivors Have Found to be Helpful in This Work Helpful Questions and Statements from the Worker The Three Stages: Victim –Survivor–Thriver (Living Life to the Full, or as Full as Possible) Blocks to Disclosing How to Avoid Retraumatisation and Revictimisation Benefits of Doing This Important Work Two-Day Solution-Focused Workshops on Working with Severe Trauma and Stress Supporting Research Evidence for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Bibliography Index Readership: Psychotherapists, counsellors, welfare and social workers, volunteers in social and welfare work, and survivors of trauma and abuse. Keywords:Survivors;Severe Trauma;Stress, Techniques;Thrivers;PTSD;Solution Focused;Strengths;Disclosing;Re-Traumatisation;Re-Victimistion;Empathy;Evaluation;Triggers;Flashbacks;Unwelcome Thoughts;Sleep Disturbance;Lows;Living Life to the FullReview: "It is useful for anyone who wants to manage their lives better and seek to take steps to a better way of being and doing. I will be recommending this book to the people I work with as it explains so much, so simply and in bite size chunks." Steve Flatt Director Psychological Therapies Unit, Liverpool, UK "This book serves as a compendium of immediately applicable tools to use with people who have experienced trauma. A beginning practitioner will be able to act as a seasoned therapist using this book and the experienced trauma clinician will find it a highly practical reminder of what works and perhaps get a few new ideas." Stephen M Langer, PhD Director, Northwest Brief Therapy Training Center, Olympia, WA USA faculty, International Trauma Treatment Program, USA "As a family therapist, this book will not sit on my bookshelf: It will be in my hands and on my mind for a long time, with the best hope of it influencing my practice. As a trainer in Solution Focused Practice, John Henden's book contributes many very useful and concrete tools and techniques for people suffering from severe trauma and stress. The book is set to be included in my education program at the Danish Solution Focused Institute." Anne-Marie Wulf Managing Director, Solutionsbywulf; and Chair of Danish Solution Focused Institute, Denmark "A thoroughly practical and helpful read. The information contained enables one to take immediate and action. We use John's insights to help our clients on a regular basis." Lee Hayward Managing Director, Save Our Soldier, UK "This excellent book is a useful resource for distressed individuals and for those who work with sufferers from post-traumatic stress. Good results in a safe fashion are guaranteed by the author's own personal experience and his long history of working with such clients." Dr Alasdair Macdonald Consultant Psychiatrist, UK "Readers will find solid practical techniques, balanced with reassuring facts drawn from well documented scientific research and exemplified by scenarios drawn from real life...