Learn all about trauma, triggers, trauma patterns, and much more in this well researched book. There are case studies that show how trauma manifests and persists in our lives. Learn how to rebuild relationships, connect with your body, and live a fulfilling life. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

If you or someone you love has suffered from trauma, you need to read Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong by MaryCatherine McDonald.

McDonald clearly states that her two goals for writing this book is 1.) undo what we think we know about trauma and replace it with what we know to be true and 2.) arm readers with tools for dealing with trauma. In my opinion, McDonald not only achieves these goals, she goes above and beyond. This book takes years of scientific findings and turns them into information that is easily accessible to the public.

I appreciated McDonald’s openness. She willingly shares her connection with trauma and what led her to research the topic. As a result, McDonald forms a unique connection with her audience and creates a safe environment for them to begin healing (She manages to find the balance for sharing examples of trauma without going into too much detail that could trigger her reader).

I am so glad that I read this book. I can see it being extremely impactful in not only my life, but the lives of others. I will definitely be recommending this book going forward.

Special thanks to Sounds True Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was INCREDIBLY helpful and insightful. Beautifully written, McDonald is clearly very educated and well-versed in the topics and I have gained a lot of respect for her. I recommend this to anyone struggling with trauma, or anyone who knows someone going through the depths of it. Life changing.

Wow wow wow, what a breath of fresh air in the world of trauma. All books on Trauma resonate to some extent, reading it from behind a protective shield. This book however pierced through the shield and resonated full force. We all know someone who has been through.what the people her book have experienced. Even we ourselves could have experienced it. This book will definitely reframe the discussion of trauma entirely and start correctly understanding trauma as an unbearable experience lacking a relational home. Here’s another perspective on, another way to deal with trauma. ‘ We humans are made to grasp and the world is made to slip away.’

After being diagnosed with PTSD and later C-PTSD as more things surfaced during my first foray into therapy, I started trying to learn as much as I could about a condition that I'd never expected to suffer from. I'd dealt with fairly consistent depression and anxiety throughout much of my young adult and adult life, but PTSD is what forced me to a screeching halt. It's been two years since I started my journey towards better mental health. Therapy and medication have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today, but reading books like this, written by trained professionals, has been incredibly helpful.

Self-help books never spoke to me before, because of what felt like toxic positivity and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mindsets. But this new wave of self-help books which blend scientific and practical knowledge with actual resources and tools to utilize...They've been life changing. 'Unbroken' has taken it's place among other books in this category that have really changed my perception of myself and my mental health for the better.

In particular, this book really allowed me to see how my C-PTSD ("little t trauma") and my PTSD ("big t trauma") are related, how they're similar and how they play off of each other. Dr. McDonald also wrote in a way that made me feel so seen. There were passages in here that made me stop dead in my tracks because it was like someone had finally taken That Feeling and expressed it in words for me.

If you read and liked 'Why Am I So Anxious?" by Dr. Tracey Marks, this book is very similar (though a bit less heavy on the bio-psych and explicit treatment options).

I like learning about the latest research and techniques in the field of psychology, especially as it relates to trauma and how we can grow from the wounds that have marked us. MaryCatherine McDonald has an interesting take that is both refreshing and updated to our understanding of trauma in today's world, not the world of our parents or grandparents. Information that is both relevant and
up to date with today's definitions of what trauma is, how we respond and why, the shame that is attached to this and why it shouldn't be, paths forward in how to grow in a healthy way, as well as list making and challenges to identify what we know and to help us identify maybe what we know but haven't really been able to name or explain. I personally like how she speaks frankly, honestly, and in a way that resonates truthfully. While it isn't as in depth (it's more of an introduction type) as some other materials out there, I wouldn't discount it. I think it's a great place to start someone who has trauma and is just starting to explore it, or even someone who wants to see if this could help them unlock something new (I believe it just may do that for them). I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend this to those searching.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

“The body’s trauma response is designed to save our lives—and it does,” McDonald says. “It’s not a sign of weakness, but of our function, strength, and amazing resilience.” The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong can be summed up nicely in its title, and I would recommend it as a text for anyone fairly new to the topic wanting to do some research and gain a thorough understanding of trauma. I found it a short, accessible read, full of useful information and threaded with examples. Early on in the book there is some implicit shaming of suicide, which I don't think was done intentionally but indicates that great care should be taken when phrasing 'strength' in a moral context. I also felt content warnings could have been provided regarding the composite client stories, which included war violence and child abuse. I think for what I was hoping to read, the book didn't quite meet my expectations, but it would make a great starting point for readers interested in learning more about trauma.

A fascinating look at trauma and yje trauma response in the han body. As someone who suffers from chronic nerve pain, this was a refreshing reas that validated feelings I have. For those who have trauma and for those that love people that do, a must read.

If you're anything like me, you approach books about trauma with a healthy dose of skepticism. I'm not saying that I don't believe in the existence of trauma or that I think people who have experienced it are somehow weaker than others—I absolutely don't. But as someone who has experienced trauma, I've often felt like the topic is misunderstood by society at large, and that can make it hard to trust books about it.

I am so happy to say that this is not the case with Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong by MaryCatherine McDonald. Dr. McDonald is a researcher, teacher, and survivor who has dedicated her life to understanding trauma and the ways in which it can be healed. In this book, she overturns common misconceptions about trauma and shares tools and practices to help readers work with their bodies' coping mechanisms to accelerate healing.

Dr. McDonald's passion for her subject is clear on every page of this book, and her knowledge is impeccable. She draws on the latest research from neuroscience and psychology to explain why the body's trauma response is never wrong—and in doing so, she empowers readers to trust their own instincts and intuition when it comes to healing from trauma.

This book is an important read for anyone who has experienced trauma, as well as for anyone who wants to understand more about what trauma is and how it can be healed. It's filled with compassion, wisdom, and hope, and it left me feeling inspired to continue my own journey of healing. Thank you, Dr. McDonald, for writing this essential guide to unbreaking our hearts.

Thank you NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I do wish there would have been more about the differences between cPTSD and PTSD as those are significant and the two are often lumped together as the same disorder when they are not.
I wish there would have been more ways to apply the techniques mentioned in this book and more details on exercises to do.
All in all, this book is a good resource for information and coping techniques for the after-effects of trauma.
I like that the author mentioned people using psychiatric terms incorrectly and in commonplace and how that diminishes these terms for people actually suffering from them.
I liked how the author told not only her patients stories, but also her own.
This book had a good balance of science, personal stories, and methods for application.
I liked the themes centered around letting go of shame, as trauma and shame are enmeshed.
This was a decent book about trauma, but not one of the best that I've read.