Reimagining Trauma Informed Spaces of Liberation is a groundbreaking book that interrogates the field of social work from the places of trauma, joy, and liberation. It unpacks, deconstructs, and positions trauma as something normative that impacts our social and collective consciousness, as well as an opportunity for liberation.
The book provides readers with an invaluable trauma-informed, social justice lens through which to view trauma in all its iterations: sociopolitical, cultural, systemic, and individual. It helps social workers move away from individual deficit framing and underscores the idea that trauma is influenced by environments and the history of those environments. After recognizing its complex nature, the book challenges readers to view trauma and traumatic experiences through the lens of opportunity, rather than one of deficit. It inspires readers to create spaces in the classroom, in practice, in organizations, and in our own homes that are trauma-informed and liberated. The guide features a chapter on self and positionality to help readers locate themselves, case examples, opportunities for reflections, and activities to enrich the learning experience.
A conceptual and practical book that builds upon existing knowledge on trauma-informed practice and pedagogy, Reimagining Trauma Informed Spaces of Liberation is an exemplary supplementary resource for courses and programs in social work, counseling, and psychology.
Laura Quiros, Ph.D., LMSE is an associate professor of social work and child advocacy at Montclair State University. She holds a Ph.D. in social welfare from The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York and a master's degree in social work from Hunter College School of Social Work. Dr. Quiros's research and scholarly interests focus trauma-informed care through a social justice lens and the social construction of racial and ethnic identity.
