Russ Harris is an internationally acclaimed acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) trainer, and author of the best-selling ACT-based self-help book, The Happiness Trap, which has more than one million copies and been published in thirty languages. He is widely renowned for his ability to teach ACT in a way that is simple, clear, and fun-yet extremely practical.
"Another gem from Russ Harris. Trauma work can be daunting--fraught
with anxiety and vulnerability on the part of the therapist. By the
end of the opening paragraph, you will feel your shoulders relax
and know you are in capable and compassionate hands. It's all here:
from the best, most accessible description of the polyvagal theory
you'll find, to the careful construction of exposure hierarchies.
Even as you venture into especially challenging areas such as
suicidality or moral injury, Russ Harris provides a solid framework
and proven strategies for helping clients with traumatic histories
to live the life they want and deserve. An absolute must for anyone
doing this important work."
--Chris McCurry, PhD, clinical psychologist, and author of
Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance--Chris
McCurry, PhD
"Trauma-Focused ACT is a great book. It speaks to therapists in a
really accessible way, helping them to understand trauma in a way
that will be supremely useful to their clients. The book gives a
wide range of tools and strategies that are psychologically
well-informed, compassionate, and based on solid scientific
evidence. The book integrates perspectives from neuroscience,
psychology, and a number of forms of evidence-based
psychotherapy--all from within a coherent ACT framework. This book
is an essential resource for all therapists."
--David Gillanders, head of clinical psychology at the University
of Edinburgh
--David Gillanders
"Trauma-Focused ACT is going to go down as one of the great
contributions to the field of trauma-informed care. Written in a
highly accessible, practical style, Harris provides the acceptance
and commitment therapy (ACT) therapist with a comprehensive,
step-by-step approach to working with traumatized clients. The book
is chock-full of tidbits of clinical advice that could only come
from a highly skilled therapist with loads of experience working
with trauma. If you read this book from cover to cover (and maybe
read it again), you will have a complete sense of how to roll out,
manage, and complete a high-potency treatment with a traumatized
client. There aren't many books out there that achieve this high
ground, and this is one of them! Highly recommended."
--Kirk Strosahl, PhD, cofounder of ACT, and coauthor of Brief
Interventions for Radical Change
--Kirk Strosahl, PhD
"A trademark of Russ Harris is his ability to break ACT down into
language that's clear, pragmatic, and clinically useful, and to
illustrate ideas with great practitioner-client dialogue. And
Trauma-Focused ACT is no exception. What jumped out at me with this
book was how thoroughly it explores the nuances of ACT in the
context of trauma. If you are after guidance about how to use ACT
in this domain, then this book leaves no stone unturned."
--Nic Hooper, senior lecturer of psychology at University of the
West of England, and author of The Unbreakable Student
--Nic Hooper
"Nobody writes with greater clarity and offers more concrete,
useful, and innovative suggestions and strategies than Russ Harris.
This is the definitive book for treating trauma-related
difficulties with compassion, courage, and cutting-edge scientific
tools."
--Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, professor of psychology, and author of
Curious? and The Upside of Your Dark Side
--Todd B. Kashdan, PhD
"Russ Harris has once more written a simple, practical,
comprehensive, easy-to-follow, state-of-the-art textbook that is an
essential read for both novice and experienced clinicians. Each
chapter is rich with examples, transcripts, metaphors, worksheets,
tips, and common pitfalls that enable the reader to both deliver
the intervention with confidence and gain a deeper understanding of
the ACT model and approach to trauma. Couching the whole approach
in cutting-edge research adds to the value of this book as a great
resource and an absolute must-have in any clinician's toolbox."
--Maria Karekla, PhD, associate professor at University of Cyprus,
and coauthor of Cravings and Addictions--Maria Karekla, PhD
"This beautifully written and intensely practical book offers a
rich array of clinical insights and strategies covering the many
nuances and concerns that show up when working with various forms
of trauma from an ACT point of view. I consider it the ACT book for
trauma, and a must-read for mental health practitioners who are
looking for a compassionate and transformative approach to helping
their clients heal old wounds and engage their lives now in ways
that matter to them."
--John P. Forsyth, PhD, coauthor of The Mindfulness and Acceptance
Workbook for Anxiety and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for
Anxiety Disorders
--John P. Forsyth, PhD
"This book is a major milestone in understanding how ACT can
support recovery from trauma. In this comprehensive manual, Russ
Harris provides rationales, exercises, and transcripts to give
therapists clear guidance on working effectively with the full
range of problems associated with trauma. From hypervigilance,
reexperiencing, avoidance, freezing, and dissociation to responses
of shame and guilt--Trauma-Focused ACT provides numerous sensitive,
respectful, and progressive ways to work with clients. Written with
warmth and compassion, this is the indispensable guide for using
ACT to help people with trauma."
--Eric Morris, PhD, senior lecturer and psychology clinic director
at La Trobe University, and coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy for Psychosis Recovery
--Eric Morris, PhD
"This book is full of wonderful guidance on how to help those with
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and provided me with many
new exercises and insights into this disorder. If you work in this
area, read this book."
--Michael P. Twohig, professor at Utah State University, and
coauthor of ACT in Steps
--Michael P. Twohig
"We've known for a long time that psychological flexibility skills
are very important in addressing trauma, but we've had a harder
time creating trauma-focused versions of ACT that can establish
those skills. This book helps fill that gap, from one of the
clearest writers and most creative practitioners in the ACT
community. I learned something new in every subsection. Highly
recommended."
--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Nevada Foundation Professor in the
department of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno; and
originator of ACT
--Steven C. Hayes, PhD
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