Untangled: A Go-To Guide for Caregivers of Traumatized Children, Families, and Communities

Trauma creates substantial pain and suffering and can inevitably create cycles of dysfunction that may span generations. We can and should break these cycles and build bridges of trust and empowerment that renew hope and help families heal, not just for this generation but for the sake of all those to follow.

The good news is that children are resilient and have innate abilities to recover from their painful past, heal the invisible wounds of trauma, and rebuild their lives. But this will not occur without the perseverance and hard work of good people who care deeply about children.

If you are a parent or caregiver whose children have been traumatized by events like war, forced displacement, disaster, abuse, neglect, or violence, this book is for you. This book will increase your understanding about your empowering role, what your children need, how they develop, how trauma interrupts their development, how to show your children healing love and attention, and how to use community resources to achieve that. It will also suggest ways to take care of yourself in the process.

If you are a mental health professional, a teacher, an advocate, or community leader, this book is also for you.

Dr. Omar Reda is a board-certified psychiatrist who currently lives with his wife and three daughters in Portland, Oregon. He graduated from Benghazi Medical School and worked as an emergency room physician before moving to the United States. He obtained a masters certificate in global mental health from Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, and then finished psychiatric residency at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Reda is the founder and director of multiple projects nationally and globally that address psychosocial healing, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconciliation. He has served as the psychosocial advisor for several international non-governmental organizations, as a World Health Organization trainer, and as Libya's deputy mental health lead during the war. Dr. Reda also is the director of the Oregon Muslim Medical Association and Project Untangled. Dr. Reda is an expert and a sought-after public speaker on issues of psychological trauma, Muslims' mental health, immigrants' mental health, the Libyan revolution, and the Arab Spring.