Traumatic life experiences can be devastating and they inevitably shape who you are. Such events can also become a powerful force that awakens you to an undercurrent of your own aliveness. Trauma recovery involves learning to trust in your capacity for new growth. In order to grow, we must make use of our suffering in order to find our happiness. Within these pages, you will find an invitation to see yourself as the hero or heroine of your own life journey. A hero’s journey involves walking into the darkness on a quest for wholeness. This interactive format calls for journaling and self-reflection, with practices that guide you beyond the pain of your past and help you discover a sense of meaning and purpose in your life. Successful navigation of a hero’s journey provides opportunities to discover that you are more powerful than you had previously realized. Written by Dr. Arielle Schwartz, bestselling author of The Complex PTSD Workbook, this healing guide provides a step-by-step approach to trauma recovery that integrates: • Mindfulness & yoga • Somatic psychology • EMDR therapy • Parts work therapy • Relational therapy About the Author: Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and EMDR consultant with a private practice in Boulder, Colorado. She is a certified yoga instructor offering therapeutic yoga for trauma recovery. Her integrative approach to therapy includes the synthesis of existential therapy, Gestalt, structural integration theory, somatic psychology and EMDR therapy – all with a strong relational foundation of care. She is dedicated to offering informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She is the author of The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole (Althea Press, 2016), The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook: Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience, and Awaken Your Potential. (PESI Publishing and Media, In Press), and co-author of EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology: Interventions to Enhance Embodiment in Trauma Treatment (Schwartz & Maiberger, 2018, W.W. Norton). Dr. Schwartz is a teacher for the PESI 3-day Complex PTSD training, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II: A Comprehensive Approach to Accurately Assess and Effectively Treat Clients with Chronic, Repeated and/or Developmental Trauma. She teaches advanced workshops with the Maiberger Institute offering advanced workshops in EMDR therapy and somatic psychology, working with attachment injuries, treating chronic pain and illness. In her free time, Dr. Schwartz enjoys hiking in the Colorado mountains and relaxing with her husband and two children. |