Compassion Fatigue
Coping With Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder In Those Who Treat The Traumatized (Psychosocial Stress Series)

by Charles R. Figley

Compassion Fatigue focuses on those individuals who provide therapy to victims of PTSD - crisis and trauma counselors, Red Cross workers, nurses, doctors, and other caregivers who themselves often become victim to secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) or "compassion fatigue" as a result of helping or wanting to help a traumatized person. 

Trauma Stewardship
An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, Connie Burk

A longtime trauma worker, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky offers a deep and empathetic survey of the often-unrecognized toll on those working to make the world a better place. We may feel tired, cynical, numb, or like we can never do enough. These, and other symptoms, affect us individually and collectively, sapping the energy and effectiveness we so desperately need if we are to benefit humankind, other animals, and the planet itself. Through Trauma Stewardship, we are called to meet these challenges in an intentional way—not by becoming overwhelmed but by developing a quality of mindful presence. Joining the wisdom of ancient cultural traditions with modern psychological research, Lipsky offers a variety of simple and profound practices that will allow us to remake ourselves—and ultimately the world.

Fully Involved   A Guide For Being in a Relationship with a Firefighter

fullyinvolvedlife.com

by Mynda Ohs Ph.D.

In Fully Involved, she shares her experiences of twenty-two years of marriage to a firefighter as well as her expertise as a practicing clinician who specializes in counseling both first responders and couples. From her unique point of view and through her own experiences and those of her family and others, Mynda details everything a firefighter’s significant other faces: the firefighter’s burnout, hypervigilance, compassion fatigue, and PTSD as well as the stress of long absences, the ever-present danger of a line of duty death, and the strain and loneliness of being married yet feeling single.Conceived to help significant others by assuring them that they’re not alone and helping them save their relationships through self-care and communication activities, Fully Involved is a mesmerizing book that will attract a wider audience. Everyone interested in the fire world will want to read it. Chapters that cover subjects from parenting to fire camp to talking about final wishes, while serious about the subject matter, are also entertaining, with titles like “What You Don’t See Is What You Get” and “Talk Isn’t Cheap Unless You Make It That Way.” A popular speaker with fire departments and a respected crisis therapist who has counseled first responders on the scene at tragedies including the Las Vegas Shooting and the Montecito Mudslides, Mynda has written a book offering both personal and professional insights and inspiration.

The Body Keeps the Score Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma

by Bessel Van Der Kolk M.D

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

The 5 Love Languages The Secret to Love That Lasts

by Gary Chapman

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that’s the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life? The 5 Love Languages, you’ll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today.