Years ago, my wife and I were mugged at gunpoint in Washington, D.C., on our way home from a late dinner. More recently, I was randomly assaulted as I walked home from work. These violent and terrifying experiences lived with me for many months afterward as my mind and body sensed dangers that weren’t there—like the time I literally was startled by my shadow from a streetlight.
My own traumatic history gave me a deeper understanding of the traumas that my therapy patients carry with them. Although our experiences are different, it's easy for me to relate to their post-traumatic reactions such as misplaced self-blame and feeling unsafe.
Over the years I’ve been struck by how many trauma therapists have said that their own difficulties made them more effective as therapists—and in many cases, were the inspiration for their work with trauma survivors. For this reason, I wasn’t surprised when I learned that trauma specialist Dr. Peter Levine had himself lived through horrific violence as a child. He recounts his trauma history in a new book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey.
I recently spoke with Levine on the Think Act Be podcast and he shared how trauma can have positive effects when we’ve worked through it.
A common reaction to trauma is self-criticism (Beck et al., 2004). You might blame yourself for what happened, thinking you “should have prevented it.” Maybe you believe there is something uniquely wrong with you that led you to be targeted. Or you might be critical of yourself for the struggles you’re having after the........