Product reviews for From Trauma to Transformation

Written in the wake of the terrorist atrocities in the USA and, in particular, the bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001, with its aftermath of ongoing nationwide exposure to threat, From Trauma to Transformation by Muriel Prince Warren tackles the ever-pressing topic of how to understand the phenomenon of trauma and, most importantly, the way in which trauma victims can be successfully treated by psychotherapists and hypnotherapists. 

I am always acutely aware of how important it is for the therapist to understand what is actually happening for the client and Muriel Warren successfully deals with this vital issue by analysing the client's stress response. The author accurately explains the physiology of the fight-flight-freeze syndrome and the way in which this emergency response can be translated into the client's symptoms which then emerge as entrapped fixed beliefs and perpetual life-patterns. Muriel Warren stresses the importance of the role of amygdala in the limbic system, as the initiator of the stress response, and the development of the overwhelm state which dominates the client's perception of helplessness, fear and generalised anxiety. Mostly significantly the author explains the way in which hypnosis can be utilised to pacify the stress activation emanating from the amygdala. The author, moreover, does not neglect to remind the reader that a given traumatic event in the client's life will severely exacerbate any existing anxiety, phobic or obsessive disorders. 

The work is packed with creative strategies and treatment plans for a range of traumatic conditions which manifest in adults, children and family groups. These treatment strategies comprehensively include client-education, role-play, therapeutic games, investigative exploration, belief restructuring, coping strategies, breathing techniques and positive self-talk as well as the highly expedient Trauma Release Technique (TRT) and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET). For the busy practitioner, the book also defines and analyses a series of inspiring treatment methodologies for critical incident stress, acute stress and post-traumatic stress as well as bereavement and compassion fatigue. 

Muriel Warren is working at the sharp-end of trauma therapy with sincerity and dedication and her knowledge and experience is reflected splendidly in From Trauma to Transformation.