Thriving After Trauma: Stories of Living and Healing - Shari Botwin

 After hearing a portion of Shari’s story during an interview, I rushed to by her book Thriving After Trauma: Stories of Living and Healing. The stories she shares, hers as well as those of others, are tough to digest emotionally and sensitive in nature but are so important. Trauma affects everyone – the victims, the survivors, the perpetrators, and all of their families.

As someone who never really experienced trauma, but did witness it, I was able to find something relatable in each of the stories. I've been battling depression and suicidal ideation for almost 3 decades, and the takeaways Shari provides with each story are great tools.

Botwin provides her patients with a kind, gentle and safe space to open up about their experiences and does so without pressuring them. It’s repeatedly reinforced, and important to remember, that everyone heals at a different pace and there is no time limit to when someone does it.

Her own traumatic experiences, though sad to read, provide her with an ability to help others heal that goes beyond psychology and what can be found in a text book or course.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s experienced trauma or known someone who has, as it provides an opportunity to increase your understanding of how impactful trauma can be.