Managing Trauma Workbook: A Toolbox of Reproducible Assessments and Activities for Facilitators

Written for practitioners working with individuals and groups.

People who have experienced a traumatic event are likely to develop a variety of symptoms associated with that event. The assessments and activities in this workbook are designed to provide facilitators with a wide variety of tools to use in helping people manage their lives more effectively. Many choices for self-exploration are provided for facilitators to determine which tools best suit the unique needs of their clients.

The purpose of this workbook is to provide a user-friendly guide to short-term assessments and activities to help people manage their issues related to trauma, and experience a greater sense of well-being. In addition, this workbook is designed to help provide facilitators and participants with tools and information needed to overcome the stigma attached to the reactions of trauma issues.

In order to help participants successfully deal with reactions to traumatic events, facilitators need to have a variety of assessments and activities to help their participants open-up and begin to manage the symptoms of traumatic issues.

The Managing Trauma Workbook provides assessments and self-guided activities to help participants understand the intensity of their issues and how can lead a more effective life.

The Managing Trauma Workbook contains the following modules:

Module I: The Story of My Trauma
This module will help participants share all aspects of their story in a safe way and put it into a positive perspective.

Module II: Re-Experiencing My Trauma Symptoms
This module will help participants explore the various ways that they re-experience their trauma and provides tools for coping with these symptoms.

All worksheets and handouts are reproducible.

Ester A. Leutenberg has worked in the mental health field for many years as a publisher, author and advocate for those suffering from loss. She personally experienced a devastating loss when her son Mitchell, after struggling with a mental illness for eight years, died by suicide in 1986. Soon after, as a way of both healing and helping others, Ester co-founded Wellness Reproductions & Publishing with her daughter Kathy Khalsa and they developed these therapeutic products: The SEALS series for teen-agers, Life Management Skills series for adults and Meaningful Life Skills for older adults, as well as a variety of other therapeutic card games, board games and posters. With Whole Person Associates, Ester has co-written the following series of reproducible activity workbooks and card decks created for facilitators: GriefWork, Mental Health & Life Skills, Teen Mental Health & Life Skills, Mind-Body Wellness, Coping, Transitional Life Skills for Teens and Erasing the Stigma of Mental Health through Awareness. Ester has also co-written the following individual books: Creating a Healthy Balanced Life, Motivation, The Complete Caregiver Guide, Veterans Surviving and Thriving, Breaking Up is Hard to Do, and Life Skills to Help Teens Balance WAY TOO MUCH!

John J. Liptak, Ed.D, frequently conducts workshops on assessment-related topics. He has written three books on career-related topics and these books have been featured in numerous newspapers including The Washington Post, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Associated Press. His work has also been featured on MSNBC, CNN Radio and on the PAX / ION television series, Success without a College Degree. John has many years of experience in providing counseling services to individuals and groups in a variety of settings including job training programs, correctional institutions, and colleges and universities. In addition, John has about ten years of teaching experience as an assistant professor. With Kathy Khalsa and Ester Leutenberg, he has written three other comprehensive books for teachers and counselors to use with their students and clients: The Self-Esteem Program, The Social Skills Program and The Stress Management Program: Inventories, Activities & Educational Handouts.

Ester and John have co-written the Mental Health & Life Skills Workbook Series, the Teen Mental Health & Life Skills Workbook Series, Coping Workbook Series, and the new Mind-Body Wellness Series.