About the Book
Integrative tools for healing the traumatized mind and body
• Combines cutting-edge Western cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and ancient Eastern wisdom to heal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Teaches Kundalini yoga practices specifically designed to reset parts of the brain and body affected by PTSD
• Presents a fast-acting, holistic, evidence-based, and drug-free program for eliminating PTSD symptoms and restoring health, vitality, and joy
Trauma, the Greek word for “wound,” is the most common form of suffering in the world today. An inescapable part of living, the bad things that happen to us always leave aftereffects in both body and mind. While many people experience these aftereffects and move on, millions of others develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)--a painful, chronic, and debilitating barrier to happiness.
Reclaiming Life after Trauma addresses both the physical and psychological expressions of PTSD, presenting an integrative, fast-acting, evidence-based, and drug-free path to recovery. Authors Daniel Mintie, LCSW, and Julie K. Staples, Ph.D., begin with an overview of PTSD and the ways in which it changes our bodies and minds. They present research findings on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and yoga, giving the reader insights into how these powerful modalities can counteract and reverse the physical and mental aftereffects of trauma.
The authors provide a suite of simple, powerful, and easily learned tools readers can put to immediate use to reset their traumatized bodies and minds. On the physical side, they teach four Kundalini yoga techniques that address the hypervigilance, flashbacks, and insomnia characteristic of PTSD. On the psychological side, they present 25 powerful CBT tools that target the self-defeating beliefs, negative emotions, and self-sabotaging behaviors that accompany the disorder.
Drawing on many years of clinical work and their experience administering the successful Integrative Trauma Recovery Program, the authors help readers understand PTSD as a mind-body disorder from which we can use our own minds and bodies to recover. Woven throughout the book are inspiring real-life accounts of PTSD recoveries showing how men and women of all ages have used these tools to reclaim their vitality, physical health, peace, and joy.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Roots of the Problem
2 Embodied Stress
3 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
4 The Hidden Wisdom of Symptoms
5 Rewire Your Brain
6 Belief: The Heart of the Matter
7 Yoga: Embodied Wellness
8 Sleep Well
9 The Road Forward
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Authors
About the Author :
Daniel Mintie, LCSW, is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University's School of Medicine and a cognitive-behavioral therapist, teacher and writer with 30 years experience in the field of integrative wellness. He hosts the weekly interactive webinar All Things CBT. Daniel has taught CBT at universities and training centers worldwide. He is the author of My Tropic of Cancer and Dharma Wheels and coauthor of Reclaiming Life after Trauma. Daniel lives and has a clinical practice in Taos, New Mexico.
Review :
“A valuable and inspiring contribution to the treatment of the post-traumatic stress that pains and limits so many of us. Well researched, clearly written, and practical.”
“All of us have experienced trauma in our lives, and some of it limits our ability to enjoy life to its fullest potential. Reclaiming Life after Trauma presents a host of proven Western and Eastern approaches that are explained in easy-to-understand language and backed by well-referenced science and decades of experience by the authors. Whether you are aware of your emotional limitations or suffer from established PTSD, this book is an important guide for your path to a vibrant and full life.”
“Reclaiming Life after Trauma is a phenomenal work. It explains PTSD in a straightforward, understandable yet thorough way. Mintie and Staples offer practical strategies for overcoming trauma symptoms. The book validates the pervasive consequences of trauma on the mind and the body, contains stories of patients we can relate to, and conveys hope that we can reverse many of trauma’s effects. The inclusion of yoga therapy addresses the crucial physical aspects of this complex disorder. Reclaiming Life after Trauma is destined to become a classic in the field of trauma treatment.”
“Reclaiming Life after Trauma combines cognitive-behavioral therapy and yoga therapy. The authors show how frameworks stemming from Western and Eastern systems can be integrated to inform a powerful biopsychosocial approach to the management of trauma. The book is theoretically grounded yet contains many practical tools and techniques that can be readily applied by the reader. A most-significant contribution to the field of integrative health care and trauma management.”
“A brilliantly presented book on the most debilitating health issues of the twentyfirst century: trauma and PTSD. Reclaiming Life after Trauma is a road map to rewiring the brain and embodying wellness. A well-timed book, I can confidently affirm that it will have a remarkable positive impact on people’s lives.”
“To recover from trauma is to awaken the seed of resilience inherent within each of us and to stabilize our renewed inner experience with supportive habits into a new way of being. The practice of yoga and meditation with cognitive-behavioral therapy forms an effective partnership to engage the physiological and structural aspects of the body and identify thought patterns that keep us in the past. Reclaiming Life after Trauma skillfully shows us that no matter what the source of the trauma, post-traumatic growth and full recovery are within reach.”
“Integrating cognitive behavioral therapy with Kundalini Yoga, Mintie and Staples weave the wisdom of both disciplines to effectively reduce suffering present with trauma. Practical strategies engage the reader to increase his or her awareness of maladaptive thinking patterns and create impact on his or her own pain patterns. Breathwork and go-to steps encourage participation. Case studies illustrate the process of change, including stumbling blocks met along the way. Well referenced yet easily understood. This is important information to be shared with professionals and the general public alike.”
“In this wise and compassionate book, the authors offer a clear, practical, stepby-step guide for those with PTSD who wish to find a path to joy, hope, and freedom from suffering. Grounded in research based on their wealth of professional experience and integrating key tenets, strategies, and principles from both cognitive-behavioral therapy and Kundalini Yoga, their innovative program includes a range of simple but powerful tools, which can be used either at home or in a therapeutic setting. Although specifically designed for those who have experienced trauma, this program would be beneficial to anyone seeking to lead a more joyful, peaceful, and fulfilling life. The book is a wonderful read, eloquently written and deftly interwoven with compelling stories of men and women who have used the tools of this program to transform their lives.”
