Trauma Therapy in Context: The Science and Craft of Evidence-Based Practice

As researchers have developed increasingly effective interventions aimed at relieving trauma symptoms, trauma therapists have come to understand that the success of these approaches is highly contingent on personal factors. Whether affected by natural disaster or sexual assault, by traumarelated symptoms like PTSD, substance abuse, or depression, each victim of psychological trauma has undergone a uniquely personal experience. Recovery too is highly variable and deeply dependent upon an individual's distinctive history and cultural context.

This book examines several clinical and theoretical approaches to trauma-focused treatment. The editors integrate these interventions into a broader clinical context and provide knowledge about how various approaches interact to inform a holistic understanding of trauma treatment. Contributors emphasize basic therapeutic skills, such as empathic listening, instilling resilience, and creating meaning, in the service of empirically supported, highly efficacious trauma interventions. Throughout, they focus on the real-life challenges that arise in typical, therapy sessions to deepen our understanding and application of evidence-based interventions.