In Search of the Antonym to Trauma

This book, derived from the author's PhD thesis, examines the lived experience of positive psychological changes following trauma. Negative changes, including psychiatric diagnoses, have understandably, been the focus of research for well over a century as the relief of suffering is probably the foremost role of the mental health practitioner worldwide. On the other hand, positive psychological change following trauma is a developing field for which there is no standard terminology. The plethora of labels of which 'Post Traumatic Growth' is the most common descriptor, masks a significant gap in clinical and theoretical understanding. Even less well understood is the totality of psychological change after trauma, i.e. both negative and positive change and how they may interact. The author focuses on two specific contexts: psychological trauma stemming from Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), and subsequent treatment with Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR). The book's findings are quite remarkable and suggest that a totally knew perspective on psychological trauma is needed.