Thriving in the Wake of Trauma: A Multicultural Guide

by Thema Bryant

Race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, migration status, religion and many other cultural factors play an important role in recovery from a traumatic event. However, most conventional attempts to help people recover from trauma do not anticipate or address these factors. Here, a psychologist describes how to recognize the cultural issues that need to be considered for healing. She offers vignettes illustrating these issues, as well as activities for traumatized people to regain their sense of self-esteem, safety, strength and calm.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health, Research

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2005

Reviews

[Ryan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn’t go incredibly deep on any one topic but is very practical as a guide for thinking about trauma through lots of lenses. Likely most helpful for lay counselors or ministry leaders who are just beginning to seek information on trauma and mental health.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is organized by themes of trauma recovery (e.g. shame, loss, self-care...); each section discusses the intersection of the topic with various cultural groups (e.g. "How might disability status affect self-care?" "How does race/ethnicity relate to issues of shame?"). Most of these ideas were not new to me, but it was useful to have them fleshed out in detail.

Each section includes a set of activities that can be done by survivors. I liked the activities, particularly that they were in different domains (e.g. writing, movement, art, social support, activism), which offered a richer range of possibilities.

I really appreciated this book's emphasis on cultural awareness, as well as its focus on "thriving" instead of just surviving. I thought the activities were the most original and interesting part of the book. I wanted a little more integration of the activities into the text - for example, each section shares a case example related to the topic, but there was no mention of whether these activities were used, and how they were integrated into therapy.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide to bring multicultural awareness into everyday thinking. Wonderful for anyone, but especially for survivors and mental health professionals.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introductory overview on interpersonal trauma as it relates to specific intersections. Each topic is addressed with a paragraph or more at the end of each chapter regarding particular intersections and how that topic impacts or may be observed in that population. It's a quick read. Great resource.