Trauma and PTSD

Disorders and difficulties Therapies and practical advice Perspectives and controversies

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Therapeutic relationships

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Psychodynamic therapy helped me overcome trauma when CBT couldn’t

The toxic memories of trauma governed my life for years. But psychodynamic therapy made me feel seen and set me free

by Lucia Osborne-Crowley

Black and white photo of a snowy landscape viewed through bare tree branches, with scattered trees and distant houses visible.

Nature and the environment

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Trees don’t rush to heal from trauma and neither should we

Trees teach us that healing from trauma involves balancing short-term protection with the slower process of adaptation

by Beronda Montgomery

Black-and-white photograph of a solitary tree bent by strong wind in an empty field with a foggy, overcast sky and faint fence posts.

Resilience and flexibility

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How to be resilient

Life is unpredictable. Brace yourself with a suite of coping mechanisms, internal and external, then deploy them flexibly

by Selda Koydemir

Abstract art of nude figures with long hair floating around a large, twisted pink shape on a dark background.

Parenting and families

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Past trauma bleeds into the bond between one mother and her daughter

A film by Danski Tang

Three teenage girls in winter coats stand outdoors in a snowy landscape, with trees and snow-covered ground in the background.

Resilience and flexibility

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What the distinctive brains of resilient people can teach us

Resilient people have brains that are distinct in their structure and function, providing clues for how to build resilience

by Laura Moreno-López

A hand tattooed with the number 98288, covered by another hand, both showing signs of ageing, against a dark background.

Trauma and PTSD

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Trauma unmakes the world of the self. Can stories repair it?

Trauma needn’t be medicalised or replaced with reckless optimism. It can be a catalyst for better stories about ourselves

by Anna Gotlib

Watercolour painting of a girl writing at a table with a teacup, a blue vase, and an inkpot, in a softly lit room.

Memoir

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How to heal through life writing

Learning to write about trauma helps you to process the painful experience, and gives you the life skills to overcome it

by Uddipana Goswami

Painting of Black people in bright clothing picking cotton in a field, surrounded by white cotton plants with green leaves.

Artists and art history

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Should art heal the centuries of racial violence and injustice in the US?

Directed by Taylor Rees

Kim Kardashian in a sparkling dress walks down an aisle, waving, as people on either side clap and cheer.

Trauma and PTSD

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Maladaptive daydreaming made me feel trapped in my own mind

Extended daydreams were a much-needed escape, but turned into a compulsion that crowded out my waking activities

by Zainab Al-Hassani

Person with hair in a bun sits by an open window, exhaling smoke, with a cup, lighter, and potted plant on the sill.

Trauma and PTSD

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A broad definition of trauma is useful; an open-ended one isn’t

Trauma encompasses a variety of experiences and manifests in many ways. But there are risks to stretching the concept too far

by Ahona Guha

Person in a red jacket looking out at the sea with white chalk cliffs in the background under a cloudy sky.

Violence and aggression

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How to deal with bullying from your past

The effects of being bullied can linger for decades, but it’s never too late to heal and reclaim your place in the world

by Stacee Reicherzer

A man wearing an eye mask lies on a bed while another person observes; a monitor and lamp are on the nearby table.

Emerging therapies

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What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like? Inside one firefighter’s journey

Directed by Brandon Kapelow