When it comes to healing trauma and recovering from past traumatic events, sometimes the only way out is through. In this context, through equates to processing.
There are several ways one can go about processing what happened to them – and the impact it left behind. Therapy is usually a good start.
In addition to working with a mental health professional, reading books on trauma can be very helpful and insightful.
Our team – including a staff psychologist – has compiled a list of some of the best books written on the subject of trauma, including those that touch on childhood trauma, racism, abuse, complex PTSD, intergenerational trauma, physical health manifestations of trauma, and more.
The Deepest Well explores the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on long-term health and well-being. Blending personal stories, scientific research, and clinical insights, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris reveals how childhood trauma can lead to chronic illness, emotional struggles, and even early death if left unaddressed. Dr. Harris also offers a hopeful roadmap for healing, emphasizing the power of early intervention, resilience, and community support.
Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know is a powerful memoir that explores her journey of living with and healing from, Complex PTSD (CPTSD). Through raw storytelling, Foo delves into the impact of childhood trauma, cultural identity, and the struggle for emotional peace. Her story offers hope and insight, showing that recovery is possible through therapy, self-compassion, and resilience.
In My Grandmother’s Hands, Resmaa Menakem examines the deep-rooted impact of racialized trauma on Black, white, and police bodies in America. Blending somatic practices, historical insight, and personal stories, Menakem encourages readers to heal through body-focused methods rather than solely cognitive approaches. The book offers practical tools for developing resilience and breaking generational cycles of pain and oppression.
Trigger Points – authored by Joyelle Brandt and our very own TINRC Advisory Council member Dawn Daum – offers a raw and insightful exploration of the unique challenges childhood abuse survivors face as parents. Through personal narratives, the book highlights how past trauma can resurface during parenting while providing understanding and support for navigating these complex emotions and experiences.
What Happened to You?, penned in collaboration by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, delves into how early childhood experiences, particularly trauma, shape brain development and behavior. Through compassionate conversations, they shift the focus from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn explores how inherited family trauma can shape mental and emotional well-being across generations. The illuminating book offers practical tools to identify and heal subconscious patterns, breaking cycles of pain for future generations.
Bessel van der Kolk’s seminal work, The Body Keeps the Score, deep dives into how trauma impacts the brain, body, and mind, often manifesting in physical and psychological struggles. Combining research and case studies, the book highlights innovative treatments, emphasizing the importance of body-based therapies for healing.
Peter A. Levine’s Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma explores the nature of trauma and its impact on the body. Levine offers a groundbreaking approach to healing by harnessing the body’s innate ability to process traumatic experiences through somatic awareness and natural movement.
Judith Herman’s Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror highlights the relational aspect of trauma and healing. In her 1997 work, Herman explores the psychological impact of trauma, specifically in cases of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and political terror. She reframes recovery as a three-stage process, including: safety, remembrance & mourning, and reconnection. This process has served as a foundation for phases of treatment and recovery that others have built on. Herman’s book changed the way people understand trauma by showing how personal struggles connect to broader social and political issues. It highlights the dual importance of healing as an individual, as well as making changes in society. The New York Times called it “one of the most important psychiatric works to be published since Freud.”
The NYS TINRC ENews is produced by CCSI. The views, opinions, and content expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH).
