This publication looks at restoring connections: between the public and private worlds; between individuals and communities; and between men and women. The author, a psychiatrist, makes the link between the "heroic" suffering of men in war and political struggle, and the degraded suffering of women through rape, incest and domestic violence. She identifies a fresh diagnostic category for those suffering from "hidden" traumas, and proposes a recovery programme which favours a process of reintegration.;With a new afterword, Judith Lewis Herman describes the controversy ignited by her work, the new research to emerge in this field of psychology and the far-reaching implications of this text on trauma situations worldwide.

Through an intensive clinical study of forty incest victims and numerous interviews with professionals in mental health, child protection, and law enforcement, Judith Herman develops a composite picture of the incestuous family. In a new afterword, Herman offers a lucid and thorough overview of the knowledge that has developed about incest and other forms of sexual abuse since this book was first published.

Reviewing the extensive research literature that demonstrates the validity of incest survivors' sometimes repressed and recovered memories, she convincingly challenges the rhetoric and methods of the backlash movement against incest survivors, and the concerted attempt to deny the events they find the courage to describe.

Infused with clinical wisdom, this book describes a supportive group treatment approach for survivors just beginning to come to terms with the impact of interpersonal trauma. Focusing on establishing safety, stability, and self-care, the Trauma Information Group (TIG) is a Stage 1 approach within Judith Herman's influential stage model of treatment. Vivid sample transcripts illustrate ways to help group participants deepen their understanding of trauma, build new coping skills, and develop increased compassion for themselves and for one another. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the volume provides everything needed to implement the TIG, including session-by-session guidelines and extensive reproducible handouts and worksheets. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print the reproducible materials from the book, as well as an online-only set of handouts and worksheets in Spanish. See also The Trauma Recovery Group, by Michaela Mendelsohn, Judith Lewis Herman, et al., which presents a Stage 2 treatment approach for clients who are ready to work on processing and integrating traumatic memories.