Trauma Resources

Written By: Cristina Mardirossian
January 25, 2024

Books for Trauma/Complex Trauma

  1. “No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model” by Richard C. Schwartz Ph.D.
  2. “Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving” by Pete Walker
  3. “Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: A Workbook for Survivors and Therapists” by Janina Fisher
  4. “Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors” by Janina Fisher
  5. “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
  6. “Attachment-Based Yoga and Meditation for Trauma Recovery: Safe, Simple and Effective Practices for Psychotherapy” by Deirdre Fay​
  7. ​”A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse” by Ellen Lacter
  8. “The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Relationship: How to Support Your Partner and Keep Your Relationship Healthy” by Diane England
  9. “Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship” by Heller and LaPierre
  10. “Healing Together: A Couple’s Guide to Coping with Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress” by Suzanne B. Phillips 
  11. “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” by Peter A. Levine 
  12. “Healing Trauma: Restoring the Wisdom of the Body” by Peter A. Levine 
  13. “The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self” by Alice Miller
  14. “What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Oprah Winfrey, Bruce D. Perry
  15. “It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle” by Mark Wolynn
  16. “The Heart of Trauma: Healing the Embodied Brain in the Context of Relationships” by Bonnie Badenoch 
  17. “Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love” by Amir Levine, Rachel Heller
  18. “When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress” by Gabor Mate
  19. “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness” by Peter Levine
  20. “Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror” by Judith Herman
  21. “The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole” by Arielle Schwartz
  22. “Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual: Trauma-Informed Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, PTSD & Substance Abuse” by Richard Schwartz

Books for Sexual Abuse Survivors

  1. “Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma” by Staci Haines 
  2. “The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse” by Wendy Maltz
  3. “Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse” by Mike Lew
  4. “Allies in Healing: When the person you love was sexually abused as a child” by Laura Davis

Resources for Dissociative Disorders

  1. International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.  Provides information & resources on trauma and dissociation, as well as a Find a Therapist or facility locator: https://www.isst-d.org/
  2. Diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Emma and her system share what they learn along the way about DID, dissociation, trauma, and mental health. Educational, supportive, inclusive, and inspiring, System Speak documents her healing journey through the best and worst of life in recovery through insights, conversations, and collaborations https://www.systemspeak.org/
  3. Provides information on complex trauma and dissociative disorders: https://www.carolynspring.com/
  4. “Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists” by Suzette Boon, Kathy Steele, Onno van der Hart
  5. “The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook” by Deborah Bray Bray Haddock 
  6. “Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors” by Janina Fisher
  7. “Got Parts? An Insider’s Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder” by A.T.W.
  8. “Becoming Yourself” by Alison Miller (specifically for Ritual Abuse)
  9. “Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narrative, Evidence, and Healing Approaches” by James Randall Noblitt and Pamela Perskin Noblitt (specifically for Ritual Abuse)
  10. “Safe Passage to Healing: A Guide for Survivors of Ritual Abuse” by Chrystine Oksana

Resources for Crisis/Emergency Mental Health Services

  1. NAMI Helpline Resource Directory: website
  2. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 
  3. In case of a dangerous or life-threatening emergency, always dial 911 immediately
  4. Crisis Text Line: Text NAMI to 741741www.crisistextline.org
  5. International Suicide Hotline Directory: www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html
  6. National Institute of Mental Health: Federal agency responsible for research on causes and treatments of mental illness. Also offers general information about mental illness (866) 615-6464www.nimh.nih.gov
  7. Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)- National Sexual Assault Hotline (800)656-4673 https://www.rainn.org/
  8. National Human Trafficking Hotline: (888)373-7888 https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
  9. 211 website; can also call 211 

Funding for Therapy

  1. Beauty After Bruises: Offers grants to survivors of complex trauma with C-PTSD and/or dissociative disorders. 
  2. To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA): Offers scholarships for mental health treatment. 
  3. California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB): Offers coverage of therapy sessions for eligible survivors of crime. 
  4. Open Paths Collective: Directory for sliding scale therapy.

Video: Trauma and the nervous system

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