Toward a Radical Understanding of Trauma and Trauma Work

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to help pave the way for more radical counseling with traumatized individuals, communities, and nations. The author critiques the post-traumatic stress disorder conceptualization and psychiatry fundamentally, builds on and critiques feminist and other radical contributions to trauma theory, suggests directions for feminists, theorizes trauma from a radical perspective, and draws implications for practice. Conclusions include the following: A deficit trauma model is inappropriate; institutions of the state must be seen as critical in the creation of trauma; there must be a fundamental break with psychiatry; and trauma work should move in the direction of radical adult education.

Playing the Part: Hungarian Boy Scouts and the Performance of Trauma in Interwar Hungary

“…As the feminist theorist and psychiatric practitioner Bonnie Burstow argues, tying trauma to a particular event or set of events per se is inadequate (Burstow 2003; see also Danieli 1998). In order to understand the nature and function of trauma, she argues, we have to first understand and appreciate the complicated context within which a discrete traumatic event (like Trianon) occurs.…”

Intimate Partner Violence and Lifetime Trauma

“…These conditions and coping strategies may, in turn, place them at risk for further abuse. 12,13,14,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The intersection between substance abuse and IPV is discussed in greater depth in another chapter in this textbook.…”

Trauma counselling: a comprehensive overview for undergraduate and graduate students

“…(p. 4) 17 In the same vein, radical feminist psychotherapist Burstow (2003) argues that linking trauma to a physically dangerous situation does not account for the daily "insidious" (p. 1296) traumas endured by oppressed people in our society when they face detrimental societal components such as, among others, sexism, racism and homophobic manifestations. For instance, qualifies African American life as being "trauma to genic" (p .…”

“…Additionally, because "a stressor does not require physical contact for it to be severe or traumatizing," (Bryant-Davis, 2007, p. 137) various researchers hypothesized that phenomenon such as oppression and discrimination may have the potential to negatively impact future generations Burstow, 2003;Danieli, 1985;Laub, 2002).…”