This one-of-a-kind guide serves as a rich and essential resource for mental health professionals working with women whose lives have been shattered by the trauma of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. The principles set forth are based on Maxine Harris's groundbreaking work with some of the most symptomatic trauma survivors, including women who have been incarcerated or institutionalized, and those with histories of drug addiction, serious mental illness, and/or homelessness.

The detailed treatment presented in Trauma Recovery and Empowerment is based on the author's conviction that symptomatic behavior often begins as a survivor's response to overwhelming trauma. Part One of the intervention focuses on empowerment and wellness issues designed to help women overcome feelings of victimization. Women are then better able to tackle the topics in parts Two and Three of the manual on emotional, sexual, and physical abuse and the far-reaching impact such trauma has on their relationships, emotional stability, and careers. Leaders are guided through the intervention with specific discussion questions, a sampling of typical responses, and experimental exercise for each topic. The manual concludes with step-by-step procedures for tailoring the intervention to specific populations.

Lessons for Non-Profit and Start-Up Leaders: Tales from a Reluctant CEO uses the experiences of a real company, Community Connections, to bring to life the practical dilemmas that an organization founded on a mission and guided by a set of ideals must confront and solve if it is to thrive. With no business or financial background, Maxine Harris and her partner Helen Bergman grew a tiny startup into a $35 million business. Through trial and error, they learned how to manage finances, hire staff, overcome barriers, and adapt to changing business models. In Lessons for Non-Profit and Start-Up Leaders, Harris shares her insights, struggles, and mistakes with the goal of helping others who may be starting and running non-profit organizations. She spells out the ways in which creativity, tenacity, and the power of relationships helped her and her partner overcome barriers that often cause start-ups to flounder in their first years of operation. In a humorous and novel twist, the book engages the reader with a series of original fables, each tailored to introduce a business dilemma in the language of "make-believe." Michael O'Leary provides commentary that places the stories and case studies from Community Connections into a broader context, making the lessons accessible to anyone working in the non-profit or startup sector.

Trauma can turn your world upside down; afterward, nothing may look safe or familiar. And, if you are a woman, studies show that you are twice as likely than your male counterparts to suffer from the effects of a traumatic event sometime during your life. Whether the trauma is physical, sexual, or emotional, these events can overwhelm you, destroying your sense of being in control and altering your attachments to others. If left unaddressed, the resulting psychological trauma can lead you to a wide range of destructive symptoms like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, phobias, personality disorders, flashbacks, emotional numbing, and nightmares. This book offers proven-effective, step-by-step exercises you can use to work through and minimize the consequences of a traumatic event.

"Beautifully written and informative. Harris' eloquence is exceeded only by the compassion and insight she brings to this perplexing and formative experience."—Vamik D. Volkan, Univ. of Virginia.