Trauma is everywhere, from relatively simple car accidents all the way through to childhood neglect and abuse, or devastating combat experiences. These events have specific emotional and behavioural effects on a person.

Accessing good quality professional support with the aftereffects of trauma can be a lottery and people are often left wondering what on earth is happening to their mind. Statutory services can be underfunded and have long waiting lists. Private services can be very costly, outside of many people's budgets. So where can you get good quality, evidence-based advice to help yourself?

This self-help book is the first of its kind: written by a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist, who has experienced significant trauma in her own life. Drawing on a range of therapeutic approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) among others, this book helps you to understand what is happening to you in the aftermath of trauma and how to cope with these impacts. The approaches used in this book enable you to respond differently to the painful thoughts and feelings you have, and to recognise when your natural responses may be preventing you from moving forward towards the life you want to live. You will gain an understanding of how trauma works, enabling you to respond to yourself more compassionately, and you will learn tried and tested skills to cope well, moving from mere surviving, to thriving.