A Treasure Box for Creating Trauma-Informed Organizations: A Ready-to-Use Resource for Trauma, Adversity, and Culturally Informed, Infused and Responsive Systems (Therapeutic Treasures Collection)

I really wanted to like these books and was keenly anticipating their arrival. Having been on a webinar recently, and hearing developments around the NHS, I'm aware that being "trauma informed" (or perhaps trauma aware, trauma sensitive etc) is in some ways the next big thing. My hope was for a succinct summary of the importance of different kinds of trauma, and then very practica l steps to work towards a more trauma-informed service for our department.The fact that this is spread over 2 textbook-sized volumes should perhaps have alerted me, but I thought (and hoped) that maybe there'd be a lot of useful infographics, worksheets etc. making up much of that volume. I was disappointed to find that, whilst there are some pictures and illustrations, these books are really still quite text-heavy. It's hard to think that any executive or head of any department is going to have time to read through all of this material, and it doesn't lend itself well to dipping in and out.However, the biggest problem with these volumes is how each supposedly practical section simply flings the doors wide open and paralyses the reader in terms of the demands it makes. As an example I've pictured a page above; what to do in preparation for a meeting. This checklist is continued overpage! And this is just in preparation for a meeting - there's more checklists for what to do during the meeting!Take the third point - "Is there a clear and shared understanding of the purpose, focus, aims, benefits, values and limitations of the meeting" - imagine how much time it would take to feel you'd fully satisfied all of these criteria, and that's just one point in a multi-page checklist! No guidance on how to do any of those things efficiently.Much of the book is like this; long lists of "things to consider", each one of which is very difficult to achieve in a real-world setting, with no guidance on how to do these things.Moving on, many of the photos of apparent tools and interventions were really quite naff, and frankly put me off wanting to engage with the rest of the content. Pictures of painted appreciation rocks, an octopus of emotions, the rainbow of inclusion... I don't remember specifics (and have returned these books to Amazon otherwise I'd look them up for you) but you can imagine. Pictures made up of everyone's handprints, everyone takes a shiny pebble to remind them of something-or-other and puts it in the bucket of acceptance, and so on...I think being aware of psychological trauma is really important for all companies but particularly those in healthcare settings, and as I say, it's coming to an institution near you. But I retain some scepticism about the self-promoting gurus who are pushing for this field to explode into every sphere of working life, and it feels like there is an awful lot of non-evidence-based woo being wrapped up together with the important nuggets and sold in a profitable package, and these books have unfortunately done nothing to allay that scepticism.

This is as described - an absolute treasure trove of insights, activities & accessible information on becoming trauma informed. An absolute must for any organisation that says they’re trauma informed & wants to actually enact these principles in practice, policy & culture.

I can not tell you how amazing these books are! I work in a school and they are really supporting me especially the reflective questions. The content is so accessible too and the colour content breaking down each of the sections is amazing. Really gives you things and situations to think about in your organisational practice. Thank you so much Karen your work Inspires me to work even harder for our children in society

An inspirational ‘must have’ resource, containing a wealth of knowledge and practical application for organisations who want to develop a robust whole system trauma informed ethos.

I placed the order expecting 2 volumes however have only received 1 is this correct s the picture is showing 2 volumes and not one

Of course i had these on pre order because i find all of Karen's books and resources so helpful in my work (Child and family Social Work ).They do not disappoint - not 1 but 2 volumes, jam packed , thought provoking, inspiring and with the added downloads so practical too. Thankyou ❤

This resource is tremendous and has already helped our organisation develop a Trauma Informed Recruitment Framework, which has been put to good use.Our organisation specialises in suicide prevention and our volunteers and staff have lived experience of mental health and trauma experiences, so it is crucial we get every step right for everyone.This resource will support and develop what we have already put in place and we look forward to making the most use out of it. The practical worksheets and ideas are easy to put in place as long as you have the right culture within your organisation.There is also lots of pointers about how to support organisational change and discussion around how organisational trauma can impact others, which is a crucial area to read and focus on if this is your experience.You won’t regret purchasing this resource.

A Generous, accessible, and informative resource to help broaden thinking around the multiple layers in trauma-informed work. This has offered great evidence based insights and I have found it helpful in facilitating discussions within our team of Clinical Psychologist. Thank you Dr Treisman!