This book is not a light read. It deeply explores trauma—its origins and the profound impact it has on one’s life. The strategies offered provided valuable insights, helping me reflect on and become more aware of the wounds affecting my well-being. There were moments when I needed to set the book down due to the heavy subject matter, but it is one that I will cherish, recommend, and return to. Beverly Engel’s expertise on trauma shines through, and she has written other works filled with a wealth of information and practical strategies.

This book is about identifying Trauma in your past and how to work through it moving forward. It covers ACE's (adverse Childhood experiences), and how these can lead to things like Complex PTSD and repeated Trauma. Furthermore the book discussed how we are trying to rewrite our past by unconsciously repeating it.

The book goes into a deep dive of discovery about why we do the things we do any offers strategies to help heal the past. I feel the book is good for people who are discovering their trauma/traumatic patterns but haven't been able had therapy or discovered tools to work on this. For people who are in the Mental health field or have had years of therapy this might not be as deep of a dive into the trauma.

This is an excellent book about a topic that many people need to put into action, including me. This information this author gives will chance your life and give you a better life.

Absolutely phenomenal book. I am a counselling student and work with young people who have experienced complex trauma in their lives so I have read a fair few books but this is hands down the best, most informatie interactive book on trauma I have read. Already pre ordered for work and looking forward to working through some of the prompts myself. Could not recommend more !

This book effectively explores the impact of trauma. I'm drawn to books that examine trauma's effects and offer paths to healing, and this one delivers. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of exercises throughout, designed to address the trauma itself, reactions to it, and alternative coping mechanisms. The resource section at the end is a valuable addition. This is an excellent book that I will certainly read again.

This is the first book I’ve read by Beverly Engel. This is a great book about how trauma affects us. I love reading books focused on trauma and how it affects up but also offers ways to overcome. This book focuses on just that. I love how the author includes exercises throughout the book which focus on the trauma, the response to the trauma, and what other options are available. I love that the book includes resources at the end of the book. Great book and a definite reread.

Stop repeating your past, and find lasting healing for the future.

Beverly Engel is a well-known psychotherapist who writes a great book about the affects of trauma on us. The beginning of the book will discuss not just some types of traumas a person may experience, but also what a person may be doing that is not helping heal them. The next section gives strategies to deal with the original trauma and using self-compassion as a way to heal. There are exercises throughout the book that can help you remember traumas, see what your responses have been, and some better options. The end of the book discusses different types of therapies, as well as a list of books to read to learn more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Broadleaf Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is excellent for anyone who experiences PTSD, but is hitting a roadblock in recovery. It explores the ways we cope with Trauma, and what can be done to cope in more helpful ways.

Put Your Past in the Past by Beverly Engel is an empowering guide to breaking free from the cycles of trauma that silently shape our lives. Engel skillfully unpacks the hidden forces behind self-destructive patterns, offering readers the tools to uncover, confront, and heal their unprocessed wounds. Through practical exercises and deeply compassionate insights, the book shines a light on how past experiences influence present behaviors, often without our awareness. Engel provides a pathway for readers to gain clarity, rebuild their self-worth, and create healthier relationships by embracing self-compassion and understanding. With its blend of psychological depth and accessible strategies, this book serves as both a comforting companion and an actionable workbook for anyone stuck in repetitive, painful cycles. It’s a transformative resource for individuals seeking true and lasting healing from trauma. I highly recommend this insightful and supportive book to anyone ready to reclaim their life and step into a brighter, more empowered future.

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

Beverly Engel has a gift for straight talk. This book is a revelation about the neglected and misunderstood topic of trauma reenactments. It offers explanations for inexplicable trauma reactions we are blind to due to the unconscious ways we handle, in her words, our “unfinished business”. She explores the impulses and compulsions we are doomed to repeat unless we take a brave look at why we are stuck in repetitive, self-destructive patterns. Her book makes that scary first step toward self-knowledge possible. She identifies and also provides guidance on how to heal unhelpful thought patterns through workbook-style questions at the end of chapters. She reminds us often to be kind to ourselves and how, in doing so, we free up space to be kind to others. She offers a plan to help ourselves stop living between our ears, either in a less than (not worthy) or more than (grandiose) persona that we think protects us, but in reality hurts us. Engel’s reminds us that our responses to trauma are not our fault anymore than the original trauma was. Shame causes us to numb out, sometimes leads to substance abuse, eating disorders, hypersexuality, and other unhelpful, recurrent coping mechanisms that echo the initial trauma. Self-destructive thought patterns keep us stuck and sinking in quicksand, an apt metaphor used by the author. She offers client’s stories, and her own, and guides us through exercises to help us work through what happened to us. She offers us the possibility to regain our true selves by first identifying and then putting a pause on chronic hurtful behaviors. Engel’s book is readable and she shows comprehensive knowledge about a myriad of unexpected reactions to trauma. She is expert at explaining these difficult concepts in an understandable way. This book is immensely helpful to all those who wonder where their incomprehensible repetitious behaviors come from or are unaware of them. Some readers will recognize them here for the first time. I am so glad to have found out how to identify where these sub-conscious impulses come from, in myself and in others. The understanding this book encourages opens up empathy toward those who suffer, even when their behavior seems to show an inability to care. It’s offers a new way out of self-judgement and judgement of others. It offers hope that we all have a path toward becoming more self-aware. She helps us to name the blocks that keep us stuck so we can get out of our own way. This book is a must-read for trauma survivors.

An important book about how to move past trauma without it defining one's thoughts or actions forever

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This was a very intense look at abuse and trauma. Well researched and written but really intense in regards to trauma. Anyone in the psychology field or education should read.