Judith Lewis Herman, a psychiatrist, teacher, researcher, and prolific author, dedicated her life to closely studying the impact of trauma on traumatic stress on the human psyche. She is currently a professor of clinical psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School and a founding member of the Women’s Mental Health Collective. She is well-known for the important contributions she has made to the realm of trauma treatment, and her second book, Trauma and Recovery, is currently used by many healthcare professionals as a classic study of the diagnostic category PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder.
In this book, Herman presents a detailed model which describes the complex healing process of individuals who have undergone significant trauma and struggle with a combination of personal problems as a result.
According to Herman, these personal problems may include:
In the book Trauma and Recovery, Judith Herman presents three main stages of trauma recovery. While the stages will vary significantly based on the individual, they provide a realistic and beneficial guide for those attempting to permanently overcome the lasting, devastating effects of past traumatic experience.
There are several core issues that can be used to more successfully determine a clear path for recovery
These issues include shame and guilt, powerlessness, the unintentional reenactment of past abuse, and deep-seated feelings of distrust.
During the first stage of trauma treatment, these specific dynamics must be addressed – especially when they pose an immediate threat to the safety of the patient. Oftentimes, these themes will prove obstacles when it comes to practising adequate self-care and regulating emotions and behavioural patterns.
Therapy and Coaching can help to bring a greater awareness to and increased understanding of these issues and dynamics, therefore providing individuals with an increased ability to take full responsibility for them. Once responsibility has been taken, new, healthier forms of coping can be adopted.
Please Note re the Facebook Group - If you're headed into the FB group this is how the Stages relate to the Emotional Safety foundation: Three Stages of Recovery in Relation to Group - the Stages of Recovery are definitely there to outline that Stage 1 needs to be established i.e we are not equipped to be a crisis group. Individuals must have achieved a stage of safety and security in their life and be able to self manage their triggers. This is due to our Emotional Safety foundation, which in itself requires a level of recovery for individuals to be able to understand this is a group and we impact each other.
You belong if you wish to be part of a proactive group who support each others vast and diverse recovery journey's and are choosing to be proactive despite how damn hard it is just one day at a time. We do the work until we find the 1 thing that works for us individually. Meanwhile we keep taking one next step. If group isn't for you at this time, that's okay too. I'm very open about this group is definitely not for everybody who enters it. The choice is always yours.
The 3 Stages of Trauma Recovery
In this book, Herman presents a detailed model which describes the complex healing process of individuals who have undergone significant trauma and struggle with a combination of personal problems as a result.
According to Herman, these personal problems may include:
- Anger and aggression
- Emotional numbness and detachment
- Dissociation (losing time, blanking out, etc.)
- Trouble regulating emotions
- Difficulty managing impulse control
- Engaging in self-harm
- Behavioural addictions (sex, gambling, porn, etc.)
In the book Trauma and Recovery, Judith Herman presents three main stages of trauma recovery. While the stages will vary significantly based on the individual, they provide a realistic and beneficial guide for those attempting to permanently overcome the lasting, devastating effects of past traumatic experience.
There are several core issues that can be used to more successfully determine a clear path for recovery
These issues include shame and guilt, powerlessness, the unintentional reenactment of past abuse, and deep-seated feelings of distrust.
During the first stage of trauma treatment, these specific dynamics must be addressed – especially when they pose an immediate threat to the safety of the patient. Oftentimes, these themes will prove obstacles when it comes to practising adequate self-care and regulating emotions and behavioural patterns.
Therapy and Coaching can help to bring a greater awareness to and increased understanding of these issues and dynamics, therefore providing individuals with an increased ability to take full responsibility for them. Once responsibility has been taken, new, healthier forms of coping can be adopted.
Please Note re the Facebook Group - If you're headed into the FB group this is how the Stages relate to the Emotional Safety foundation: Three Stages of Recovery in Relation to Group - the Stages of Recovery are definitely there to outline that Stage 1 needs to be established i.e we are not equipped to be a crisis group. Individuals must have achieved a stage of safety and security in their life and be able to self manage their triggers. This is due to our Emotional Safety foundation, which in itself requires a level of recovery for individuals to be able to understand this is a group and we impact each other.
You belong if you wish to be part of a proactive group who support each others vast and diverse recovery journey's and are choosing to be proactive despite how damn hard it is just one day at a time. We do the work until we find the 1 thing that works for us individually. Meanwhile we keep taking one next step. If group isn't for you at this time, that's okay too. I'm very open about this group is definitely not for everybody who enters it. The choice is always yours.
The 3 Stages of Trauma Recovery
