Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy

Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy focuses on the creation of the therapist as healing presence rather than technique administrator-in other words, how to be rather than what to do. Trauma survivors need wise therapists who practice with the union of intellect, knowledge, and intuition. Through self-work, therapists can learn to embody healing qualities that foster an appropriate, corrective, and loving experience in treatment that transcends any technique. This book shows how Eastern wisdom teachings and Western psychotherapeutic modalities combine with modern theory to support a knowledgeable, compassionate, and wise therapist who is equipped to help even the most traumatized person heal. Chapters: Chapters 2 and 3 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Susan Pease Banitt, LCSW, is a social worker and psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of severe trauma and PTSD. She has worked in the field of mental health for more than four decades in diverse settings and teaches classes on healing from trauma in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of The Trauma Tool Kit: Healing PTSD from the Inside Out.

Foreword Preface Part I: Wisdom 1. What Makes a Great Therapist? 2. Neuroscience and Trauma-Informed Practice 3. Ego Development and Traumatic Defenses Part II: Attachment 4. Fostering Attachment in Psychotherapy 5. Preventing Relationship Rupture: Countertransference and Thresholds 6. Repairing Relationship Ruptures 7. Qualities of the Advanced Trauma Therapist Part III: Love 8. Superhuman Empathy and Trauma Work 9. Self-Care for the Trauma Therapist 10. Awakening to Wisdom, Love and Compassion