Meditations for Healing Trauma: Mindfulness Skills to Ease Post-Traumatic Stress

by Louanne Davis

Post-traumatic stress isn’t your fault. Many people suffer traumatic events, which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and debilitating symptoms. This evidence-based book delivers easy-to-use mindfulness skills that can be used as needed to alleviate symptoms and promote healing.

Some people heal naturally after they experience a traumatic event, but some trauma lasts and can develop into PTSD, with symptoms like depression, anxiety, panic, flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, or losing interest in life. You may find yourself on the sidelines, disengaged from your own life, with little sense of who you are and how to relate to others. The body, heart, and mind are all profoundly affected by trauma; in this way it can live on, causing a serious disconnect and a state of imbalance in which you’re always in survival mode. How do you move on?

This book is designed to target the most common symptoms of post-traumatic stress and PTSD, providing mindfulness-based practices to help relieve your symptoms and increase self-compassion. Offering meditations for reconnection with your body, heart, mind, and life, this guide presents a unique, evidence-based way to heal the disconnects and help you re-engage. Instead of getting stuck reliving your trauma or worrying about it happening again, these mindful meditations will ground you in the present moment and enable you to better cope with unpleasant thoughts and feelings as they arise—and then let them go.

With Meditations for Healing Trauma, you’ll explore your experience of post-traumatic stress and learn how the healing power of mindfulness can free you from suffering and bring back connection and balance to your life every day. This book will help you cultivate a wise mind and heart for regaining peace and well-being in the present moment—anytime, anyplace.

Genres: Psychology, Meditation, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2017

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting introduction to mindfulness, the in thing at the moment.
It approaches healing in five steps: the basics, value daily activities, nurture compassion, cultivate inner peace and find yourself again. In this manner treating you gently and with compassion, which seems to be one of the important ideas behind mindfulness.
I enjoyed the book and even if you only read the FAQs at the end this book has important messages for those who practice mindfulness.
My only concern is that the only resources are for the US and not more widespread.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Mary Nee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book to be very helpful. Husband is a vet with pstd and enjoyed this book and have shared it with others at vet center. Hope someone picks it up and uses it.

[Alex Enahoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sensitive, compassionate, wise and engaging guide to using mindfulness meditation for healing from the horror of trauma.

I co-facilitate a peer support group and I have used these exercises with my clients.

These exercises have benefitted me so much and I love Louanne Davis's style of writing.

Louanne Davis comes across as a very caring, kind hearted and empathetic soul.

It is the kind of warmth and hope that so many overcoming trauma need. Highly recommended. I admire Louanne Davis deeply.

[Trina Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend for those who struggle with past negative experiences. I use it as a guide for meditation. I read the piece, then meditate on a candle flame. I don’t always realize the past will always be a part of me, and when I get overwhelmed, I always go back to these though-provoking insights.

[Deana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating addresses introductory chapters 1 and 2. Solid overview of PTSD symptoms and why mindfulness practice is beneficial to survivors.

[Aubrey Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely more of an introduction book aimed at folks starting a meditation practice without a guide

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book, with wonderful practical information, to develop mental balance, peace, compassion, suitable for anyone!
This book has made a very good impression on me, it is written very fluently and interweaves the relevant information very clearly and to the point, all balanced and focused manner. It is very well structured, it gives the background and the necessary fundamentals to understand what is Mindfuness, the scientific evidences of its benefits, therapeutic examples of real cases, 4 practice chapters and a valuable FAQs chapter! Throughout the book you can perceive the extensive experience of Louanne Davis, which is a guarantee of the content’s quality of this book.
Many people have experienced traumatic situations of some sort, or experiences that have left a strong emotional impact on our lives and that has upset them to some extent. The wonderful news is that this book is a tangible proof that if this technique works in cases like the PSD, the benefits it can provide to anyone are great, so I invite all people to read it.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to optimally connect their mind-body and heart, balance their mind, establish a deeper connection with peace and happiness that are natural to the Self, to develop acceptance and self-love, towards all their closer relationships, more impersonal, with nature, life itself! When I have practiced mindfulness in daily life in a task as simple as rinsing dishes or walking, the sensations that invade me are of being very present, of feeling very lively and lucid that causes a generalized sensation of happiness, that everything is well as it is!
My gratitude to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book