Who You Were Before Trauma

The Healing Power of Imagination for Trauma Survivors

By: Luise Reddemann

Narrated by: Rosemary Benson

A key objective of treatment for complex PTSD is to confront the traumatic experience. But survivors still reeling from trauma can find this confrontation traumatic. Thirty years of pioneering work with trauma patients made leading German psychotherapist Luise Reddemann realize: It's immensely beneficial to rebuild survivors' sense of self before trauma confrontation.

Reddemann incorporates imagination work at every stage of the three-phase treatment model supported by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies - before, during, and after confrontation.

First, the patient reimagines their past self, tapping into forgotten sources of strength. Then, they create a mental cache of personal, positive images for warding off flashbacks and negative thinking. Ultimately, they build an "internal counterweight" to their trauma-a new identity equipped with self-compassion.

Reddemann's approach avoids the counterproductive dynamic where the therapist becomes the patient's only source of comfort. This definitive resource for therapists and patients empowers trauma survivors to be the coauthors of their own recovery narrative.

©2001 J. G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung (P)2020 Tantor

Too technical for my liking . Book was not liked

I thought the book was going to deal with
more adult issues and not so much children's issues

it's for therapists not the regular reader

the reader sounds like a robot. d gave me a headache just not for me very boring ugh 😔😫 then I find out it was written for therapists NOT regular readers.

This book is for therapist, not readers trying to better themselves.

This book is not for regular people who have trauma experiences. This book was written for therapist. This was a waste of my money and not helpful for me. I was actually hoping to learn how to remember who I was before my life long traumas.

Loved it!

This was super informative and very well explained/written, there was moments where I even became emotional 😅