Shocks to the System: Psychotherapy of Traumatic Disability Syndromes

A car crashes on the freeway, a plane goes down over a cornfield; a building is bombed or burned; a woman is assaulted in a parking lot; a disgruntled employee opens fire at a jobsite; a soldier or industrial worker is sickened by a mysterious toxin; a family copes with the destruction of their home by earthquake or hurricane; a police officer or paramedic breaks down or burns out.

Why do some people seem to bounce back from trauma and tragedy, while others suffer long-lasting and crippling traumatic disability syndromes? What are the keys to triumphing over trauma?

In Shocks to the System, Laurence Miller offers a practical clinical guide for therapists who work with patients traumatized by:

• criminal assaults
• traffic accidents
• toxic exposure
• natural and man-made disasters
• terrorist attacks
• industrial injuries
• sexual harassment
• brain injury and chronic pain
• workplace violence
• law enforcement and emergency services stress

This book also addresses the legal, family, economic, and social issues surrounding traumatic disability syndromes. Shocks to the System is a unique and comprehensive resource for therapists entering what will surely become a rapidly expanding and challenging field of clinical practice in the decades ahead.

Laurence Miller, Ph.D., is in a private practice in neuropsychology, behavioral medicine, and psychotherapy in Boca Raton, Florida. He is Clinical Director of the Palm Beach County Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team, and a member of the National Brain Injury Foundation, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and the Florida Network of Victim Witness Services. He is on the adjunct faculty of Florida Atlantic University and is a frequent commentator on radio and television programs around the country.