Table of ContentsForeword 9Part 1:The Impact of Trauma 141.1. The Tiger in Carlo 20Theory: Trauma - Flight, Fight, Freeze 22Theory: Trauma and Loneliness 27Theory: Processing, Reliving and Re-Experiencing the Trauma 30Exercise: A Different Scenario 32It is like this 351.2. Lena: I Am Afraid I Am Getting Too Fat 36Theory: Attachment 37Theory: Parentification 41Theory: Intergenerational Trauma 44Exercise: Finding the Proper DistanceBetween You and Your Parents 46I Am Welcome 491.3. Camilla’s Mirror 50Theory: Self-Worth and Shame 51Theory: Self-Worth, Self-Care and Boundaries 54Theory: The Blind Spot of Trauma 56Exercise: I Love You 58Softer Self 611.4. Elsie’s Cramp 62Theory: Chronic Trauma 64Theory: Dissociation 66Theory: Resilience 70Exercise: A Me Without Trauma 72Part 2:Trauma Mechanisms 76When You Carry a Secret 792.1. Ramzi: I Have Lost Everything 80Theory: Trauma Energy and Trauma Time 81Theory: Mechanism 1 - Reacting On Instinct 84Theory: Trauma and Human Kindness 86Exercise: Thinking of a Fellow Human Being 88Anger and Sadness 912.2. Isabel: I Want To Get Rid Of My Anger 92Theory: Triggers and Flashbacks 93Theory: Mechanism 2 - Being Allergic to One’s Own Feelings 96Theory: Avoidance 98Exercise: The Continuous Letter 99Wasteland 1022.3. Ruud: Big lies 104Theory: Your Worldview Under Pressure 105Theory: Mechanism 3 - Thinking You Are Going Crazy 107Theory: Being Out of Touch With Who You Are 109Exercise: Sitting on Your Own Chair 111Come Over 1142.4. Anna: The Emptiness Inside Me 116Theory: Taboos Reinforce Our Trauma 117Theory: Mechanism 4 - The Compulsion to Repeat the Trauma 119Theory: Defusing Trauma 121Exercise: I Have Become Who I am Because . . . 122Warm-blooded 124Part 3: Healing Our Trauma 126Not the Daylight 1283.1. And How About You? 130Exercise: Finding Your Own Key Scenarios 134Exercise: Making a Still of your Key Scenario 135Free 1393.2. Healing 140Exercise: A New Key Scenario 145Exercise: Letting Go Of The Traumatic Pain 147Exercise: How Well Have You Processed Your Trauma? 149Chalk Lines 1533.3. You And Your Boundaries 154Exercise: Talking To Your Inner Child 155Exercise: Letting Go Of Roles 158Exercise: Your Ideal “Self” As A Guideline 160If We Can Live With It 1643.4. Your Rhythm, Your Zest For Life 166Exercise: Walking Meditation 166Exercise: Breathing In, Breathing Out 169Exercise: From Myself To The Other And Back 172Annex 177Acknowledgements 179About us 180The Healing Power of Pain. Stories of Trauma and Recovery is an easy-to-read guide for the heavy-hearted, a book that helps us understand the underlying causes of why we seem to be plagued by negative emotions, fears and a lack of self-esteem.Trauma, Pain and What YOU Can Do About It - How to transform pain and achieve inner growth.The Healing Power of Pain. Stories of Trauma and Recovery is an easy-to-read guide for the heavy-hearted, a book that helps us understand the underlying causes of why we seem to be plagued by negative emotions, fears and a lack of self-esteem. Not all of us turn straight to a therapist when we experience emotional pain. We may want to read about it first and see how we can come to grips with it ourselves.This book uses the power of real-life stories, stories that most of us can relate to. Moreover, the unique use of practical exercises, poems and songs allow readers to anchor what they have learned to create a life that is not only more bearable but in many cases truly transformed.˃˃˃ The psychotherapeutic insights illustrate how the various forms of trauma can impact us and how we can make great strides in alleviating our own pain following times of trauma, loss and grief.This highly accessible guide is written by Ybe Casteleyn, the internationally-respected psycho-traumatologist whose trauma bus can regularly be found in Europe’s refugee zones. It is her strong belief that a 'trauma-informed' society creates a better world in which we can more easily talk about and overcome our pain.Trauma, Pain and What YOU Can Do About It - How to transform pain and achieve inner growth.The Healing Power of Pain. Stories of Trauma and Recovery is an easy-to-read guide for the heavy-hearted, a book that helps us understand the underlying causes of why we seem to be plagued by negative emotions, fears and a lack of self-esteem. Not all of us turn straight to a therapist when we experience emotional pain. We may want to read about it first and see how we can come to grips with it ourselves.This book uses the power of real-life stories, stories that most of us can relate to. Moreover, the unique use of practical exercises, poems and songs allow readers to anchor what they have learned to create a life that is not only more bearable but in many cases truly transformed.˃˃˃ The psychotherapeutic insights illustrate how the various forms of trauma can impact us and how we can make great strides in alleviating our own pain following times of trauma, loss and grief.This highly accessible guide is written by Ybe Casteleyn, the internationally-respected psycho-traumatologist whose trauma bus can regularly be found in Europe’s refugee zones. It is her strong belief that a 'trauma-informed' society creates a better world in which we can more easily talk about and overcome our pain.