Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, Connie Burk

This beloved bestseller—over 180,000 copies sold—has helped caregivers worldwide keep themselves emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and physically healthy in the face of the sometimes overwhelming traumas they confront every day.

A longtime trauma worker, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky offers a deep and empathetic survey of the often-unrecognized toll taken on those working to make the world a better place. We may feel tired, cynical, or numb or like we can never do enough. These, and other symptoms, affect us individually and collectively, sapping the energy and effectiveness we so desperately need if we are to benefit humankind, other living things, and the planet itself. 


In  Trauma Stewardship , we are called to meet these challenges in an intentional way. Lipsky offers a variety of simple and profound practices, drawn from modern psychology and a range of spiritual traditions, that enable us to look carefully at our reactions and motivations and discover new sources of energy and renewal. She includes interviews with successful trauma stewards from different walks of life and even uses New Yorker cartoons to illustrate her points.


“We can do meaningful work in a way that works for us and for those we serve,” Lipsky writes. “Taking care of ourselves while taking care of others allows us to contribute to our societies with such impact that we will leave a legacy informed by our deepest wisdom and greatest gifts instead of burdened by our struggles and despair.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Social Work, Self Help, Counselling, Social Justice

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Laura van Dernoot Lipsky is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others and The Age of Overwhelm.

Reviews

[zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good, helpful tips about keeping yourself sustainable for the work. one enormous gap is that it doesn't distinguish between helping professions and conflates really harmful professions (child welfare worker and law enforcement officer) with all other kinds of helping professions. seems to lack an analysis of systemic racism and oppression. it's a really great guide for white saviors who are involved in the work as a strategy to master their own trauma through institutions that cause harm to communities of color, but a lot of it doesn't resonate as much for me as a community organizer of color seeking to support my own communities. that said, I would still recommend this book for those in leadership roles at nonprofits and community organizations for its guidance on cultivating a more sustainable workplace.

[Tinea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought this book with me to the Central African Republic, and read it by headlamp in a dark room after they shut the generator off for the night each night over about a week. I started the book about 3 weeks after I arrived in this northwestern town comprised of burned and knocked down houses, empty quartiers, and, at the time, two crowded tent cities, one surrounding the main church and its many outbuildings, the Christian camp, at one point some 40,000 strong when the vast majority of the town cowered under Seleka control, and the other the square block of muddied grass surrounding a primary school in the center of town, where the Muslims were confined behind armed guards after a pogrom five months ago following the Seleka departure drove them out of their homes and storefronts. Within this context of tired, displaced people my work took me outside the city limits on rural roads that hadn't been traversed by cars since the last Seleka pickup gunned it down the dirt paths, stopping to loot and burn and rape and burn, last fall. It's spring now, and I work with people who are offering meager help in the face of incomprehensible terror and hard times-- besides the violence there is the lack (of food, of seed, of tilled land, of tools, of clothes, of bedding, of anything one could have in a house that could go up in flames) to contend with, and it is just as hard.

The book is now in the hands of a 20-something Central African coworker who daily leads teams to rural villages, taking responsibility for their wellbeing in the face of constant roadblocks and hassling from armed men, who I think will be the friend I take away from this place in my heart in some many months from now when it's time for me to leave the people who were born here and will stay.

I'm writing this from a peaceful place in Bangui, the capital city where gunshots ring out across the night but there's fuel and food and places to go at night before curfew, to see other people and speak English, which is delicious. There are flowers and birds and a view of the Oubangui river and the Congo rainforest in the distance in front of me as I type. When I got to Bangui for a few days of rest, I felt urgent and sad and anrgy, at a loss for how to negotiate (a) people who didn't realize how bad it is in the northwest, (b) people who knew and also were able to set it aside and enjoy life and beer and each other, and (c) trying to sleep in a quiet, comfortable bed with AC instead of a hot, no-fan concrete box with a thin mattress and the constant sounds of animals and people sleeping in tents around my little enclosed private room all night. But comfort and happy, relaxed people are not the enemy and they are not causing the pain of the people I work with and for. These other aid workers are here to devote their lives too to help and cope with limits of resources and time and energy and everything, too. The anger I felt, unasked for, welling up at their ease was both erasing their own trauma and so misdirected. It was my first vision of how hard it is to do this work, when I was able to see that part of me in others that at this moment I can't access, that I have shut down: ease. Lipsky warned of 'persecution complexes,' and I felt one manifest. I was glad to have read about it so I could identify the feelings, sit with them, and move on.

I've read a lot of books and trauma and practiced care of secondary trauma. I've survived PTSD from sexual assault and worked/volunteered/practiced advocacy and support for other survivors; I've lived abroad where I spent isolated months immersed in malnutrition and agriculture where it is hard to grow food-- from these previous experiences and primary/secondary exposures, I've learned tools, techniques, practices, and sources of strength. I am implementing them here in CAR, I prepared. Some of what I got from this book was a feeling of strength and resilience, because I know and do already much of what Lipsky teaches.

Some of what I got from Lipsky was frustration. She directs much of the book to burnout and compassion fatigue, and so many of the stories and advice are about how to gently pry oneself loose from the work at hand. But what if this work is-- at the same time it is so, so harsh and hard-- giving me life and vibrant energy and the most deep satisfaction in action I have ever found? I had an Owen Meany moment when I felt the 10 years of study and research and lesser but related jobs finally come out in responsibilities into which I was able now to step. Lipsky, I needed more joy and embracing of the work itself, I needed more love and advice for how to continue the work through the trauma, not how to shy away from traumatic, traumatizing work. I am fresh, of course. I can tolerate a book that doesn't always speak to me.

In general, I think this is not the end of books for caring for trauma. I like some other books with more practical step-by-step guides. I like the lessons I've gotten from years of yoga classes with teachers, from a couple periods of time with therapists. I like the lists I've prepared for myself of herbal tinctures and writing and people to contact and small rituals and fantasy novels and a stock of yoga and high-intensity workout videos. This book is a very good introduction to self-care while giving care and it is good for those who have burned through their candle. I'll guard the burnout advice in my heart and try to cultivate ease.

[lezhypatia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work in abortion care. So much of the time, it fucking sucks. I hear women’s pain every day— inflicted on them by their partners, by their state laws, by their families, by their religions, by strangers, by the protesters that ambush them outside of our clinic. Then I talk them through the pain that we will inflict on them— because unfortunately, having an abortion is painful. Then I listen to the pains they inflict on themselves. I try to help solve what problems I can. Usually, the only thing I can help with is the unwanted pregnancy. I can’t help with the indecision, the guilt, the shame, the abuse, the denial, the poverty of some patients or the economic dependence on partners and families of others, the homelessness or the mortgage, the unemployment or the stressful new job, the grief, the confusion, the overwhelming responsibility that these women feel for everything else in their lives. I do my best to help with the fear. I assist the doctors during the procedure, and I remind patients to breathe. Sometimes I hold their hands. At the end of it, I stay in the room for the aftermath. Much of the time, the aftermath is just relief. Sometimes it’s heartbreak, shock, nausea. Many times it’s all of the above, or some indecipherable point in between. I do what I can— I apply a damp paper towel to her forehead. I take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, until she can do it with me. I give her water, and I maintain eye contact. The eye contact always seems to help the most. If she wants, I offer a hug to ground her. Sometimes I give a high-five, and tell her that she should be proud. It sucked, so badly, but she did it. It’s over now. Then I move on to the next patient. It is tiring to see women in pain every day.

I recognized the burnt out healthcare worker of myself in this book. I use coping mechanisms I probably shouldn’t, just so that I am able to move onto the next patient until my shift is over. I worry over patients when I go home. I lose sleep because I try to stretch out my free time before bed, before I have to go back into work. I work six days a week. I stay overtime. I skip lunches because I promised patients that I’d be there for their procedure. I tend to go beyond my means for the women I work with. I love what I do, but no one taught me how to handle all that I carry for my patients. Where do I put the grief, the physical pain, or the fear of having an abortion? How am I supposed to balance it? How do I honor it? My job has taught me a lot. I am a better communicator, I am a better teacher, I am more intuitive and kind. I have learned to listen for what gets left unsaid. I have learned how to gain trust. I’ve learned how to help women respond to their own pain. I am more confident, because I am incredibly proud of what I do and how I do it. But my job did not teach me to care for myself well, and I have not figured that out on my own. This book has been very useful for me in giving me an idea of the types of tools I can use to carry the burden of what I do.

Some of the suggestions in this book felt too spiritual to be genuine for me (I am a decidedly unspiritual person) but the framework is useful. I’ve started using this stuff, and it’s helping. If you work in healthcare, especially with patients who are in pain, with needy patient populations, in emotionally charged areas of healthcare, read this. There are obvious flaws to the book, but the clarity and honesty with which the author addresses long-term exposure to trauma is really impactful. The most helpful thing about this book was that it held up a mirror.

[Ariel ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone working or volunteering in a healing profession, including individuals involved in healing animals and the environment. I should have read this years ago when I started volunteering as a survivor's advocate. It was a very isolating experience, and although I recognized that the work I was doing was important, that recognition did not do much to lessen the vicarious trauma. I did not feel like I had any appropriate outlets to discuss that I was experiencing. More than that, I didn't feel like I had a right to discuss what I was experiencing. Surely this trauma could not be worse than the trauma experienced by my clients? I realize now how foolish I was.

I could say so much about this book and who it's for. Even individuals helping friends or family members through traumatic experiences could benefit from Lipsky's wisdom. I'd like to give a shoutout to women's studies professors specifically because much of WS classroom discussion focuses on teaching and recognizing trauma, and students often feel comfortable enough with those professors that they will share their previous and current traumatic experiences in detail, whether in their written work or during office hours. Most people are put in the role of "helper" in one way or another at some point in their lives. Most people would benefit tremendously from this book.

I'll leave you with a concluding quote:

We must open ourselves to the suffering that comes with knowing that there are species we can’t bring back from extinction, children we can’t free from their abusive homes, climate changes we can’t reverse, and wounded veterans we can’t immediately heal. We must also open ourselves to the hope that comes with understanding the one thing we can do. We can always be present for our lives, the lives of all other beings, and the life of the planet. Being present is a radical act. It allows us to soften the impact of trauma, interrupt the forces of oppression, and set the stage for healing and transformation. Best of all, our quality of presence is something we can cultivate, moment by moment. It permits us to greet what arises in our lives with our most enlightened selves, thereby allowing us to have the best chance of truly repairing the world.

As we continue on our journeys, may our lives be informed by our deepening awareness of our role in life’s web. May we care well for ourselves and for others. May we remember that our courage on this path lies in the way we take each and every step...May we remember that trauma stewardship requires us to honor others and our planet in a way that is possible only if we have made a commitment to our own path of wellness. May we discover peace amid the strife, joy amid the suffering, and trust amid the groundlessness that is, ultimately, life’s course.

[Israel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helpful reminders and gives a general place to start. Doesn't go too deep into the how to take care of oneself part especially from an intersectional lens. Part of the book is like a white woman (assuming identity) doing lots of learning from POC and publishing a book with her findings. Learned that I wanted more of how to navigate organizational spaces that oppress leaders/professionals that do the work.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

unpopular opinion on this book, apparently, but i found it a very trite read that did not exactly act as a guide for caring for the self while caring for others. it's a compilation of stories about various fields that are hard to connect to if you don't work in them, some new agey advice, quotes from peace prize candidates and cartoons. it didn't click with me, and if it was successful in being a guide, perhaps my eyes just ran over it without taking it in. the writing style was not for me, but i acknowledge that the intention was right.

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really liked this book filled with stories, anectdotes, case studies, cartoons (that actually made me laugh out loud. that doesn't usually happen), accessible descriptions of what burnout and trauma exposure response looks like on different people, in different situations, which is so important. it was comforting to hear people process their burnout and how they moved forward from there.

i really liked the warning signs chapter--it didn't talk in overly clinical terms, just descriptions i could relate to.

i do wish there was a part 4 which talked more about people's healing rituals, practices, and healing responses: both the smaller kinds of healing people create space for day to day and the longer term things too. that would make the book complete, and completely amazing, for me.

all in all, i know i will refer back to this book many times and i'm glad i bought it.

[Milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. As a youth worker, I can often be exposed to the trauma and suffering of the young people I serve, and this can take a heavy toll on my emotional and mental wellbeing, leading at times to burnout and compassion fatigue. So I was excited to delve into this book on vicarious trauma and its impact on those in the field. However, while it offered valuable insights and was a good starting point, I feel ‘Trauma Stewardship’ fell short in several areas.

To start w the good, the author takes a unique approach to addressing the impact of trauma on those who work in helping professions. Instead of just offering run-of-the-mill coping mechanisms or self-care tips, she presents a holistic framework for understanding the dynamics of trauma exposure and how it affects us as individuals and organisations. She calls this concept “trauma stewardship” and emphasises the importance of taking responsibility fr our own wellbeing while also taking care of those we serve.

What I appreciated most about this book is the way it validated my own experiences as a youth worker. I felt pretty seen and heard fr the most part in the struggles and challenges that I face at work. But more than just acknowledging the difficulties, the author provides practical and concrete strategies for managing the impact of trauma in our lives and work.

One of the key takeaways from the book is the importance of setting boundaries and prioritising self-care. This can be challenging in a field where we’re often driven by our passion and commitment, but van Dernoot Lipsky stresses the importance of taking care of ourselves so that we can continue to be effective in our work.

However, one of the biggest issues I had w the book was the cop apologia present throughout the text. While it's true that cops can experience trauma, the institution of policing as a whole has caused immense and irreparable harm and trauma fr many populations, particularly vulnerable ones, such as BIPOC or homeless people or youth, etc etc, and this was not adequately addressed in the book. This lack of critical examination is problematic, as it ignores the systemic issues within the police force and perpetuates the idea that it is not an institution that causes immense harm and trauma to many populations those of us in the helping professions serve.

This failure to acknowledge the harm caused by police is particularly concerning, as those working in the helping professions are often called on to support individuals who have experienced trauma at the hands of law enforcement. By failing to address this issue, the book falls short in providing a complete and nuanced understanding of the impact of vicarious trauma. It undermines the important work being done by activists, communities, certain organisations, and many more, all fighting against police brutality and advocating fr the abolition of policing and prisons.

Overall, ‘Trauma Stewardship’ is a good starting point fr understanding the impact of vicarious trauma, but it could have gone deeper in exploring the root causes of trauma and offering solutions to address it. It offers a valuable perspective and tools fr navigating the complexities of trauma exposure and taking care of ourselves in the process, but its failure to acknowledge the harm and trauma caused by the institution of policing soured the book fr me.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this the ultimate answer to trauma, life, the universe and everything?

No

Is this going to be one of my most recommended books for the next several months?

Yes. By far

A well organized and clearly written collection of hard won wisdom around working with and through trauma. The author does an impressive job of balancing their own experience with larger lessons. Bringing in a variety of really impactful sources.

I do volunteer work for an organization that works with survivors of institutional abuse. This book is so spot on with the experience that I’ve had. Between vicarious trauma, picking up and internalizing the experiences that those you work with have had, doing work in an attempt to heal yourself, and many other behaviors that lead to burnout. This book gives language to and provides a shared vocabulary for those who work in and around those who wrestle with trauma.

Lastly the emphasis on sustainability and long-term health is pretty spot on. I know personally I go through cycles of excessive work and a sort of mild burn out. It can be really difficult to find that healthy balance. And while Im not sure any book can give you the exact formula for yourself, it’s heartening to hear that many others have found sustainable long-term solutions.

[Sondra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like entering guided meditation, showing me new ways to look inward and assess my outward interactions with the world. Each chapter was like a doctor gently prodding a different part of my soul -- how about here? does this hurt?

[Krysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a reference I will use for years to come!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this book for one of my social work classes this semester. it's truly some of my favorite required reading i've ever had to do. i learned how to recognize burnout and secondary trauma, and then how to move forward through and with the trauma. the grief and stress that come with the kind of work lipsky describes likely won't ever fully go away, but there are so many simple and profound ways to make them feel less overwhelming and more manageable.

lipsky writes for people working or seeking to work in professions that come with very high stakes and a lot of trauma exposure, but i think that anyone and everyone could find some sort of meaning in her words. this book is full of wonderful and personal stories from social workers, lawyers, environmentalists, emergency responders, nurses, public officials, doctors (and SO many more) as well as guidance on how to do difficult work more sustainably. and more than anything, this book is just a reminder to be present. lipsky writes in the conclusion, "being present is a radical act". i hear the words "be present" thrown around so much they have completely lost their meaning, but this book approached the topic differently, and backed up those words with examples and action items. lipsky acknowledges that being present is far from easy, but it can be cultivated slowly and surely, and it's worth it, for it means being better able to meet every challenge and joy this chaotic world throws our way

lastly, i read this book because a professor told me to, but it became something so much bigger and more meaningful. near the start of this semester, a family member received a scary medical diagnosis, and i suddenly found myself attempting to be a caretaker and feeling so so inadequate. and that happened in the midst of a pandemic and a year that has just been so shitty for so many. i'm still trying to wrap my mind around everything that is happening on a global scale, everything that is happening to the people i love. this book helped me to hang on during some of the saddest, most overwhelming months of my life. i felt validated and seen and heard, and it reminded me to take care of myself. i'm crazy grateful for that

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to have found this book. No hippy crap. No oversharing. Just strategies to think through how and why bad moments emerge, and how to handle them with integrity.

This is a book of social justice. To quote the book, we explore how we create "change from the inside out." In bad times, we need this book. In good times we need this book.

Let's create a space for 'trauma stewardship.' Our world will transform.

[Emily Culver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this to anyone who is working in direct service, non-profits, etc. and exposed to vicarious trauma. It puts words to the feelings and frustrations many people experience in these roles and offers pathways to develop more successful self-care practices. It doesn’t address or solve everything but I found it gave me many poignant tidbits to consider.

[Sarah High · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a wonderful guide for anyone striving to live more fully while continuously helping others. i will definitely be returning to it in the future and i highly recommend this!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

To participate in trauma stewardship is to always remember the privilege and sacredness of being called to help. It means maintaining our highest ethics, integrity, and responsibility every step of the way.

This book could not have reached me at a better time. I picked it up half-heartedly, expecting some tidbits on self-care to add to my tool chest, but found so much more. I kept checking the cover to look at the author’s name – does this person know me?!

For the first half, I was madly underlining, circling words, and writing “yes!” or drawing stars in the margins. I was energized by how the book affirms the experiences of people in helping roles/professions and by its honest assessment of how these roles affect us.

I’ve started parading the book around, carrying it wherever I go, obnoxiously flashing the cover at people asking, “Have you read this?!” I was jealous that some of my social work peers read it in other classes, but at the same time, I might not have soaked it in the same way without coming to it, as Laura says, “bone-tired, soul-tired, heart-tired.”

In addition to finding me at the right time, I also recognize that my thought process is very in line with Laura’s, which made the book particularly special to me. I mean, the first quote in the book, and that is also on the cover, is from a poem by Langston Hughes, who is arguably a large reason I am a social worker/helper at all. Laura’s ideas are also strongly influenced by Buddhism, which was a focus of my undergrad studies and shaped many of my values and perspectives.

I ended up re-reading the second half of the book because I didn’t latch onto it as naturally as the first part. I felt reluctant to learn yet another visual model, but slowing down to process it the second time made me appreciate it more.

This book didn’t answer all of my questions and frustrations (it’s not meant to), but it has helped me to think about my social work and responses to the work with fresh eyes. I have started to also read Rising Strong by Brené Brown, and it has been a great companion book to this one.

[Jen Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book for anyone who has experienced trauma or loves or works with folks who have experienced trauma -- that means, most of us. Laura describes clearly and gently what it looks like when we're overloaded with caregiver's fatigue or secondary trauma response, and presents a powerful model for radical self-care (which also ends up meaning radical community care). As a sexual violence survivor who works with other trauma survivors, I recommend this book to everyone in my communities, and find myself returning to it over and over again.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so so so good! So helpful and supportive, kind and generous and lovely. Tough to read, no doubt about it--the first half hit too close to home, and the personal stories from folks in different trauma-exposing fields could be hard to read--but really worth reading. I'm just at the beginning of my career as a social worker (starting my Master's program in the fall), and I think I should make sure to read this book once every few years, to make sure I'm taking care of myself and keeping in balance.

[drea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with some of the examples from traditional helping professions like social work and police because so much within those institutions do not align with my political values. But overall there's lots of good practical information in here for people involved in social transformation who can develop more capacity to care for oneself in the midst of this intense work. 3.5 stars

[Cat Elise · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 20%: barely made any progress and I have to return it in three days. Didn't really vibe with this but I want to give it another shot. Probably when I start my swk career. I did feel that it read very much academically. Not a big fan of that style.

[Kaylee Wasco · Rating 1 out of 5]

My clinical supervisor recommended this to me. They said they got a lot out of it. I personally found it difficult to stay with, it bored me. Took me over a year to complete until I got the audio book and powered through it

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for the entire nursing profession!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably ~4.5. I found the discussion around trauma exposure to be super valuable, as well as rather validating and sobering, and appreciated the way Lipsky emphasizes that finding a healthy space in terms of confronting and dealing with trauma of any sort-- whether yours or that of others-- comes from building strength and resilience, making sure to rest and recharge, and ultimately from being able to open up and handle the vast complexities of life's joys and pains without getting crushed rather than numbing oneself to survive. I appreciated how the author incorporated many perspectives, such as those of conservationists, that are commonly not recognized as traumatic in the same way as something like emergency response.

The personal accounts did feel like they often broke up the flow of the book for me, and overall it could have been... slightly more grounded or cohesive in a way I can't really articulate right now, both in the problem-stating and the solutions-offering sections of the book (I also haven't worked through the exercises, but they seem like they would offer a lot of practical benefits), but overall very much worth a read if you haven't dived deeply into the topic before.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read this a few years ago knowing I needed to engage with what Laura had to share given how anxiety-ridden and urgency-focused the climate movement can be. I was already beginning to experience more than one of the trauma exposure effects she describes, but I had a hard time seriously putting into practice most of her suggestions until I was dealing with actual physical pain on a much more intense and routine basis as a result of my work, and had multiple health professionals telling me I needed to dial it back. (And I was one of the core folks at my job trying to help slow down our pace of work!) Re-reading it now, I have a lot of sadness thinking about the real psychological and spiritual changes I let take place, and how I let that seep into my relationships and broader worldview. If you're someone who's had this book recommended to you and you kind of get it but aren't feeling much motivation to engage with it deeply, know there are plenty of us out there who wish we had the chance to really learn from it much earlier than we did. It's worth it.

[kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘It matters that we try to do no harm. It matters that we try to keep our energy moving and healthy. It matters that we appreciate life’s strength and delicacy.‘
…
‘Being present is a radical act. It allows us to soften the impact of trauma, interrupt the forces of oppression, and set the stage for healing and transformation. Best of all, our quality of presence is something we can cultivate, moment by moment. It permits us to greet what arises in our lives with our most enlightened selves, thereby allowing us to have the best chance of truly repairing the world.’ (p. 245)

[Ruby Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I’ve read that explicitly explores trauma. With limited theoretical background in the subject, I found myself taking notes and reflecting on daily practices I could bring into my own life. While no book can offer a truly comprehensive perspective, I found this one both insightful and compelling.

[Ashly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this book! I read most of it as a new grad nurse and found it to be really influential and helpful but for some reason never finished it. After hearing her speak, and getting my copy signed, I went back and reread it and finished it this time. Laura is an incredible author and speaker. A must read for anyone who is in a helping profession

[Laura Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t even begin to explain how much I wish everyone would read this book. It really really changed my life. I can’t even write more cause I’ll start crying LOL BUT seriously. Thank you Laura for helping my practice in health care but also for helping to aid me in coping through the chaos that is covid and how it has changed my job. This book was a life saver in so many ways.

[Jessica Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone working/volunteering in a role where you bear witness to suffering, this is a MUST read. You’ll want to highlight and tab sections to return back to it from time to time to ensure you utilize these tools to take care of yourself while you take care of others.

[Ashlie Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a summer book study through my district. I've been struggling with feelings of burnout and a jaded outlook. This book did something I did not think possible- it helped me stop feeling so sorry for myself without invalidating my feelings. It is actionable and not dense.