This is a book I need to get a physical copy of, I like all the book entails really dissects trauma and how it can be so prominent in so many ways for so many people! I need to go through and highlight basically the whole book because there is so much in it that can give anyone insight and knowledge! I really think everyone should read books like this just to either help understand something in yourself that maybe doesn't make sense, or to maybe understand someone else a little better. I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced some kind of trauma or trauma response, it just varies in the degree of trauma. Thank you NetGalley for my copy to review with my own thoughts.

Thanks #netgally for this book in exchange for an honest review. Great book. I enjoyed so much that I bought a copy to keep. As a therapist myself, this was helpful for me and will be something I recommend to others. Highly recommend.

Ana Mael gives strong voice to what happens inside the mind and body of a traumatized person. Although some passages are difficult to read, due to their emotional intensity, her overall message is positive. She writes from the heart. Once the healing begins, and the body and mind return to balance, growth can begin. She does not shy away from doing the inner work required to regain the once numbed-out self. Once a person is brave enough to see all experiences with self-compassion, a new, expansive perspective on pain emerges. Anger recedes, transforming into strength. The. wisdom of the body and its inherent internal resources are recognized as having always been there, She is a survivor and shows us, through her writing, how to thrive despite deep wounding..
I appreciate the power of her writing and the insights she shares. Others experiencing PTSD will recognize her search to calm the memories that plague her and cause her to time travel.. Her personal insights encourage us to live in the present and not stay stuck in the torments and confusion of what happened.. She inspires us to share our growth with others, by sharing our own stories as we recover. Those who feel isolated in trauma can be helped when we express solidarity with them in their suffering. Remembering that we have visited dark places helps us to do good now in this unpredictable and flawed world.

This book is a great resource for anyone who has suffered from trauma. The way Mael describes the different types of trauma and abuse as well as our bodies reactions to these events was very eye opening.

The format of the book also worked well for me. Writing through a series of essays about her lived experience, Mael made the topics of trauma and cPTSD more accessible to a wider audience.

I would recommend this to anyone looks for a better understanding of trauma and to professionals looking to expand their practice.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for the ARC!

I found this book at exactly the right time! I love non-fiction/memoir style books and also self-help, especially those related to mental health. This one was mind blowing, reaffirming many things I already know about trauma, but also adding to that knowledge with new insights. A must read for anyone in therapy or interested in studying to be a therapist/psychiatrist, peer, etc. in the mental health field!

The Trauma We Don’t Talk About by Ana Mael

Somethings are difficult to talk about. Somethings are easier to deal with when in the presence of a psychiatrist or psychologist. I found it very hard to talk about, the trauma I experienced growing up. My grandfather was a pedophile. Someone who did not seem to care who he hurt. When he told me that he did the same thing to my mother, I thought it was normal. I won’t get into my past but I will say that my future looks so much better now. This book is powerful. There are many topics it touches on and the chapters are small but handle the topics with compassion and boldness. Some things need to be said. I am not a psychologist but am in the medical field so I can say that trauma caused deep rooted anger and sadness. It can take years to learn how to cope and deal with whatever your trauma was. This book separates things such as addiction, child abuse, child neglect and other powerful changes. I realized that I was using Witt as a way to cope as well as why I was afraid to let others get close to me. Hopefully, these issues will go away and I can live a much happier life. I am still struggling with hatred towards my grandfather and that sometimes consumes me but this book talks about those issues holding you back. I wish this self help book came out 20 yrs ago. I can say that I have not read another book close to this one. It is set apart from others due to the way the author helps the reader advocate for themselves.


5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This book. Wow. When I delve into the nonfiction space, I usually want to read things that will teach me something and this book was that. I would recommend for anyone who has gone through trauma or wants to understand someone who has gone through trauma.

I am doing my PhD in trauma and fiction and this book was a great read for my research.

Definitely recommend but please note the content warnings before diving in!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really liked how this resource is applicable and relatable. Great entering point to give clients as to bring up what they relate to with EMDR therapy.

This book was gifted to me by the publisher through NetGallery and all opinions are my own.

#ptsdtraumarecovery #NetGalley

There are many many experiences where I thought was okay turned out to be a trauma response. What saddened me and made it even more personal is how most of the traumas come from the people close to us. The family who failed to provide love and safety and how those lackings affect someone far into their future.

This book explained many many types of trauma, starting from your mind, your body, how you heal and positive reminders that you're human and should be treated at one. It diverses to any form of trauma and represent lots of groups so you may find yourself in one of those situations. It covers not only personal trauma but also trauma as a group or identity, as well as intergenerational trauma.

I love how this book is informative yet flawlessly page turning. SHORT CHAPTERS with POETRY in it!!!

Read this book as a way to know yourself, to be heard, and to realize that we're in this together.

Whoa I definitely highlighted the heck out of this book. Mael presents trauma plainly and not like this abstract one time event. It is complex and shifts the way you see yourself, safety, situations, and while your mind might forget your body doesn't. This is an absolute must read if you're thinking about trauma informed care and somatic healing. My only critique is there were essays that I felt could have been longer.

I haven't highlighted this many lines in a book in a while.

"You lost safety and developed perfectionism. You lost softness and earned sharp edges. You lost silliness and developed wit."

"My body wants to dance with the present."

"When I was laughed at, I healed by being a cheerleader for those who were othered. When my voice was censored, I healed by writing for the voiceless."

This was so honest and raw. Ana Mael discusses all kinds of trauma and abuse, and our bodies reactions to them. However, her style is not heavily scientific and formal--in fact, it reads more like her journal entries after therapy and through her self-healing. I think that's what made this both readable and relatable; it was scary how many times I found words or experiences I've felt were unique to me reflected on these pages.

This is the kind of book I will be recommending to multiple people in my life; I think anyone who has dealt with any kind of trauma can find solace in Mael's words.

The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because it was a little too surface level since it covered a variety of topics--there's no substantial evidence or practices that you can find. The power in this book lies in its ability to make you feel seen.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and #NetGalley for this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. This is an interesting collection of writing on a range of different traumas and their aftermaths. It would be particularly useful I think for those who are new to the topic.

This is so beautifully written!!! Readers are easily able to connect and reflect on what's discussed throughout this book.

I would give this book 3.5 - 4 stars. I enjoyed reading about the unhealthy coping mechanisms that for the longest time I didn't realize 1) was a trauma response and 2) that I wasn't the only one that responded in that way. It's a common occurrence and I am not alone. The information was presented in a way that had me hearing my therapists voice saying these things to me and to be honest, she has said many of these things!

As much as I did enjoy reading this book, I am not a self-help genre reader so I'm not sure if all books are like this but something was missing and I can't pinpoint what. Maybe going from one chapter to another with no segue into the next chapter; or maybe no clearly defined segue into the next chapter? When I re-read the synopsis, it said there were 197 essays. I said there where?? I had to go back and look for the essays and yes they are there but it looked like everything else that I didn't realize it was an essay. The content was great, the presentation, in my opinion, needs some work. The content within the chapters are short, easy to read and understand. I would recommend this book to anyone whether you are a mental health advocate, struggling with your own challenges, or love someone who is struggling and need to understand what it's like in their head & body.

Thank you #netgalley and to the author #anamael for the advanced copy of this book. It's definitely one that I will purchase once it's out so I can refer back to when I'm having a bad day.

This book is such a good read for anyone who has dealt with trauma (or who is figuring out how to deal with it). It's sorted out well so you can pick it up and go to a particular chapter that matters to you most at that moment. It feels like a discussion with a friend- without feeling too vulnerable. You can read at your own pace and think on hard things without being rushed. I found myself highlighting a lot of things throughout this and nodding my head at a lot of things. Trauma can be so misunderstood - but this book made me feel understood and seen.

I am always open and looking for a good self help book. This title caught my attention and I really enjoyed it. There wasn't anything life-altering in this for me, but always a good reminder of tools and self love stories. I would recommend picking this up!

Quotes I liked:
"And some days will be okay, while others will be more difficult. That’s life. That’s healing."

"I have hope that the richness inside of you will be unveiled. It deserves to be seen. You have always deserved safety, decency, and love."

"In a safe space, you can let the hidden depths of your spirit shine, if you choose. Still, you know as well as I do, your essence is full of abundance, grace, and beauty."

This book tries to understand how different forms of trauma manifest and what living in a trauma body may look like. It's written in prose form, and each chapter tackles a different form of trauma/experience. I appreciated that this book discussed behaviors, reactions, and experiences that often don't get labeled as trauma but are still trauma responses. This is very easy to read and simplistic, which makes it very easy to understand and get through.

When you've lived through emotional abuse as a child, you normalize it and don't attribute trauma responses to your experiences. Reading this helped validate my experience and made me feel less alone. It reaffirmed the the things I've been through and witnessed was not ok and it's valid for me to feel the effects of trauma from it. It is painful and helpful at the same time, because it does mean reliving certain hard moments, but if you're already reliving those moments, this book will make you feel less alone in the struggle.

This book is different from any self-help book I have read. The author has chosen to be self-reflective and share those thoughts/feelings with an audience. There were so many chapters that felt like I had written them. I found the book both a comfort and a validation for some of my own feelings.