Rebuilding Shattered Lives: Treating Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders

Praise for Rebuilding Shattered Lives, Second Edition

“In this new edition of Rebuilding Shattered Lives, Dr. Chu distills the wisdom he has gained from many years spent building and directing an extraordinary therapeutic community in a major teaching hospital. Both beginners and experienced clinicians will benefit from this book’s unfailing clarity, balance, and pragmatism. An invaluable resource.”—Judith L. Herman, MD, Director of Training for the Victims of Violence Program, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA

“The need for this work is immense, as is the reward. Thank you, Dr. Chu, for continuing to share your sustaining insight and wisdom in this updated edition.”— Christine A. Courtois, founder and principal, Christine A. Courtois PhD & Associates, PLC, Washington, DC; author of Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy and Recollections of Sexual Abuse

Praise for the first edition:

“Dr. James Chu charts a deliberate and thoughtful approach to the treatment of severely traumatized patients. Written in a straightforward style and richly illustrated with clinical vignettes, Rebuilding Shattered Lives is filled with practical advice on therapeutic technique and clinical management. This is a reassuring book that moves beyond the confusion and controversies to address the critical underlying issues and integrate traditional psychotherapy with more recent understanding of the effects of trauma and pathological dissociation.” —Frank W. Putnam, MD

A fully revised, proven approach to the assessment andtreatment of post-traumatic and dissociative disorders—reflecting treatment advances since 1998

Rebuilding Shattered Lives presents valuable insights into the rebuilding of adult psyches shattered in childhood, drawing on the author’s extensive research and clinical experience specializing in treating survivors of severe abuse.

The new edition includes:

• Developments in the treatment of complex PTSD

• More on neurobiology, crisis management, and psychopharmacology for trauma-related disorders

• Examination of early attachment relationships and their impact on overall development

• The impact of disorganized attachment on a child’s vulnerability to various forms of victimization

• An update on the management of special issues

This is an essential guide for every therapist working with clients who have suffered severe trauma.