Imagination and Adolescent Trauma

The Role of Imagination in Neurophysiological, Psychological, and Spiritual Healing

Mary Caswell Walsh

Exploring the role of imagination in trauma recovery, the author shares the arresting dreams and stories of traumatized adolescents. Describing the impact of trauma on adolescent health and development, the author provides promising research into the use of breathing skills, HRV Biofeedback, and dream work to promote healthy breathing, emotion regulation, and restorative dreaming. Research suggests that these interventions can decrease post-traumatic distress and assist in the creation of meaningful posttraumatic narratives. The author explores the role of embodied imagination in adolescent spiritual development and posttraumatic growth. These interventions provide clinicians and pastoral caregivers with simple and effective ways of helping adolescents heal from trauma in holistic and dynamic ways that respect the integrated constitution of the human person.

Lexington Books

Pages: 182 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9

978-1-7936-1832-0 • Hardback • January 2020 • $100.00 • (£77.00)

978-1-7936-1833-7 • eBook • January 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Psychology / Developmental / Adolescent, Psychology / Psychopathology / Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Religion / Counseling, Religion / Spirituality

Imagination and Adolescent Trauma

The Role of Imagination in Neurophysiological, Psychological, and Spiritual Healing

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Exploring the role of imagination in trauma recovery, the author shares the arresting dreams and stories of traumatized adolescents. Describing the impact of trauma on adolescent health and development, the author provides promising research into the use of breathing skills, HRV Biofeedback, and dream work to promote healthy breathing, emotion regulation, and restorative dreaming. Research suggests that these interventions can decrease post-traumatic distress and assist in the creation of meaningful posttraumatic narratives. The author explores the role of embodied imagination in adolescent spiritual development and posttraumatic growth. These interventions provide clinicians and pastoral caregivers with simple and effective ways of helping adolescents heal from trauma in holistic and dynamic ways that respect the integrated constitution of the human person.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 182 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9

978-1-7936-1832-0 • Hardback • January 2020 • $100.00 • (£77.00)

978-1-7936-1833-7 • eBook • January 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Psychology / Developmental / Adolescent, Psychology / Psychopathology / Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Religion / Counseling, Religion / Spirituality

Author

Mary Caswell Walsh is a licensed marriage and family therapist, consultant, biofeedback trainer, dream researcher, and writer in private practice in Berkeley and Vallejo, CA. She has taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate Certificate in Traumatology and Treatment Program at Holy Names University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 The Woman Who Thought She was a Corpse: Embodied Imagination

Chapter 2 The Boy who Couldn’t Dream: the Neurophysiology of Adolescent Trauma

Chapter 3 The Woman Who Stopped Running: Embodied Imagination and Coherent Narrative

Chapter 4 Pursued by Zombies: Physiological Coherence and Adolescent Trauma

Chapter 5 Learning to Dream: Five Case Studies

Chapter 6 Sharks, Zombies, and Siblings: Dream Groups in Adolescent Recovery

Chapter 7 Beyond Survival: Posttraumatic Growth, Embodied Imagination, and Spirituality in Adolescent Trauma Recovery

Bibliography

About the Author

Reviews

Mary Caswell Walsh's book integrates well clinical expertise, adolescent trauma case studies, and research in neuroscience, dreaming, and biofeedback into a practical and compelling treatment for adolescent trauma using dream groups and breath awareness.
— Mark Graves, University of Notre Dame