Trauma News & Resources

Last updated on 6/15/2021

While it may feel disheartening to know that trauma changes the brain, remember, healing changes the brain too.

Clinical Research

Why does exposure-based psychotherapy work? Researchers examined the treatment mechanisms and biosignatures of therapeutic response: Amygdala and Insula Connectivity Changes Following Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Children progress through critical stages of development during which their brains are more sensitive to the influence of experience, making them especially vulnerable to adverse experiences, both direct and observed. Given recent national exposure to racially-charged events, researchers review the findings of multiple studies examining the association between vicarious racism and child health: Transmitting Trauma: A Systematic Review of Vicarious Racism and Child Health

Researchers explain the neurobiology of PTSD and discuss the clinical mechanisms of action of exposure-based therapy: Neuroscience Informed Prolonged Exposure Practice: Increasing Efficiency and Efficacy Through Mechanisms

The studies below suggest self-compassion may be an important mediator for reducing depression and PTSD symptomology (Note: Loving-kindness meditation is a practice designed to enhance feelings of kindness and compassion for self and others):

Self-Compassion Influences PTSD Symptoms in the Process of Change in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies: A Study of Within-Person Processes

Loving-Kindness Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study

Books

Transformed by Trauma: Stories of Posttraumatic Growth by Richard G. Tedeschi, Ph.D. and Bret A Moore, Psy.D., ABPP with Ken Falke and Josh Goldberg

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.