Transforming the Pain

This book was recommended to me because I was looking for ideas for self care to cope with working with the sex offender population. The book provides useful information on vicarious traumatization, how to recognize it, and ways to manage it. I am an Art Therapist and it has some creative and expressive techniques to handle feelings of vicarious traumatization that working with the abused or offender populations can bring up.

I have used this workbook for years in the field of continuing education for human service professionals. The activities are without exception always well received and truly helpful to participants. Very few books present the facilitator steps so clearly. This book is appropriate for any organization that serves people in crisis or trauma. I don't see how you could go wrong if you follow the format pesented.

Let there be no doubt that this book and it's companion text 'Trauma and the Therapist' is a book written for professionals, not for lay persons. While some laypersons who enjoy and understand heavy psychological reading may thoroughly enjoy both books, this work book is geared toward the trauma encountered by the therapist (vicarious traumatization) while treating victims of severe abuse. It is not geared toward the client. It is about time that someone write a book and workbook for the professional who can endure as much trauma, vicariously, as the victim, particularly if treating a number of abuse victims. The impact on the professional had been ignored for two long. This workbook is written for the professional mental health provider more than the client. As is it's companion text. It is a terrific workbook if viewed with that perspective.