Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Short-Term Intervention For Traumatic Stress Disorders after War, Terror, or Torture

"..is well written and provides the necessary foundation to truly impact those affected by trauma. "... delves into the heart of the trauma in order to move the patient to the next level of healing. This is a worthy addition to the field and exceeds the objectives of the authors. "Truly intended for the seasoned clinician who actively works or is involved in trauma research, this would make for an excellent supplementary text in graduate level training. The authors are quite well versed and extremely credible members of the mental health field. "The introduction is powerful in and of itself as it vividly discusses the voices of victims. The theoretical background is one of the most thoroughly written sections that a reader will come across. The therapeutic instructions for NET are detailed and foster confidence in application. The appendixes for informed consent, who is vivo, and the heart-wrenching account of a young man who experiences repeated trauma in war-torn Somalia are extraordinary. The only shortcoming is that that are not enough well-written books such as this. "This is an extraordinary compilation of work that has so many good intentions for those suffering from trauma and PTSD. Quite possibly one of the finer books available for PTSD treatment this year! Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., C.A.T.S.M.(Abbott Laboratories) in Doody's Book Review "Makes a notable contribution toward fulfilling the treatment void for civilian war victims." "At present, PTSD treatment is rarely implemented, and moreover, PTSD treatment specifically focused on this population has not been fully developed. The treatment manual for NET as presented here is coherent and describes a credible treatment." Reviewed by Seth A. Brown & Amanda L. Collins in PsycCRITIQUES - Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books (June 15, 2005, Vol. 50, No. 24, Article 9) "A very useful book, a methodological guideline, a summary of research and experience... "There are a lot of practical observations, advices, simple rules which are very useful for practice. It is a sort of postgraduate text, it presupposes trained therapists, providing them with details for work in a very special, tragic, emotionally "hot" field. "A must for trauma workers, a continuing educational experience for therapists and a sad r eminder for intellectuals who happen to read this book, about violence and vulnerability of human existence. Bela Buda, M.D., Ph.D., Psychiatrist, Budapest, Hungary in Crisis 2005 ""Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an increasing scourge in the world, particularly in developing countries where infrastructure is often overwhelmed by natural disasters and armed conflicts that routinely victimize both participants and innocent civilians. Based on principles of behavioral and cognitive psychology, the NET method has shown itself to be an effective treatment for this debilitating disorder, and importantly, one that can be learned and administred by paraprofessionals. "Thus, NET can be deployed under field conditions -- even in refugee camps with large traumatized populations -- as a first resort therapy. "As such, it is a needed, vital addtion to our treatment armamentarium and has often been the only available therapy for people living in the aftermath of chaos." Peter J. Lang, PhD, Professor and Director of the NIMH Centre for the Study of Emotion and Attention and Director of the Fear Clinic at the University of Gainesville, FL "This book fills a gaping hole in the field. It should be required for all of us who treat these groups of trauma survivors. "A scholarly synthesis of research advance combined with humanitarian sensitivity and clinical pragmatism. The ideas are very much mainstream, but they are also cutting edge. "It is splendidly written, incisive, and informative. The breadth and depth of the authors' experience in treatment and their thoughtful leading ideas combine to make this one of the basic books for therapists of survivors of man-inflicted trauma. "The book describes with great sensitivity and detail the speechlessness of trauma survivors. It shows how, if this speechlessness are to be overcome, the meaning of the trauma in the patient's life and her or his social environment has to be taken most seriously. " Andreas Maercker, MD, PhD, Professor, University of Zurich, and member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies "The training manual for Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is an extremely valuable contribution to the currently available treatment options for Traumatic Stress Disorders... "The NET method, developed from well known cognitive behavioral therapy and the testimony method, addresses the specific trauma to systematically desensitize the person, so that he or she can come to terms with what has happened and continue with life. "It is written in a clear and lucid style with many exercises and discussion of alternative situations. The manual has grown out of extensive testing and patient training of practitioners all over the world in troubled contexts. We can now be reassured that there is a workable and effective prescription on how to go about helping those suffering from horrifying experiences." Daya Somasundaram, Psychiatrist and Professor at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and author of numerous papers and books, (including Scarred Minds: The Psychological Impact of War on Sri Lankan Tamils