Trauma Support Workbook

8/13/2019 Trauma Support Workbook

1/27

2011 Michele Rosenthal, LLC All rights reserved. www.YouLifeAfterTrauma.com p. 1

Trauma Recovery

Support WorkbookLearn to begin conquer ing the past, connecting to the present and creating the future.

By Michele Rosenthal, Post-Trauma Coach


2/27


Michele Rosenthal, Post-Trauma Coachwww.yourlifetrauma.com [email protected]

Trauma Recovery Support Workbook

Dear Survivor:

Part of trauma recovery is a journey of self-discovery. You are not trauma. There is an enormous YOU that has

nothing to do with trauma whatsoever. In order to discover that person, you need to be simultaneously learning

to look ahead, dream and desire the future, even while you are resolving things in the present brought on by

things in the past.

This workbook complements any work you will be or are already doing. It is meant to help you not only

connect to yourself in a deep and meaningful way, but also to help you develop a physical touchstone for your

recovery; a document that will help you realign yourself when you feel off-center, reorient yourself when thingsget out of focus, and get yourself back on track toward what is most important to you.

In addition, the goal of the work you do in these pages will be to help you identify where you get tripped up inthe recovery process. The more you develop clarity the more easily you can strategize how to make change.

Everything in this workbook is part of the work I do with my private clients. They are exercises Ive seen workand continue to see the benefits of with clients every week. As in everything with trauma recovery, work on this

at your own pace.

This workbook is divided into three parts:

Part One: What do you want?Empowerment comes from awareness and clarity. Being conscious of what you

want helps you become focused on figuring out where youre headed and how youre going to get there.

Part Two: Whats in your way? Fears are natural in the recovery process. However, they can stall or even

completely block your healing efforts. Becoming aware of what frightens you immediately begins to lessen its

hold on you, and allows you to strategize what to do in order to reduce and eliminate these issues.

Part Three: Whats your attitude?Recovery requires you to engage to the utmost degree. If youre dragging

around berating yourself, or refusing to participate in your recovery, then healing will be that much moredifficult. Identifying where you need an attitude adjustment can help sharpen your trauma recovery focus.

You have enormous healing potential; the goal is learning to access it. If you work through the following

exercisesall the way to the end!you will be well on your way to unleashing a part of yourself that is

stronger, clearer, more empowered, focused and committed to achieving your trauma recovery goals.

Go for it! You can do this. I believe in you!

ichele
http://www.yourlifetrauma.com/http://www.yourlifetrauma.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.yourlifetrauma.com/


3/27


Table of Contents

Part One: What Do You Want?

What Do You Want Out Of Trauma Recovery? .4

What Qualities Do You Want In Yourself ? .6

What Do You Want Your Life To Be Like? .7

Why Do You Want Your Life To Be Like That?. 8

What is Your Healing Intention?..9

Part Two: Whats In Your Way?

Whats holding you back?..11

What are your fears? ..13

Part Three: Whats Your Attitude?

Why Is All Of This Important Now? .19

What Do You Believe? .20

How Will Your Life Change? ..21What Innate Gifts Do You Possess? .23

Are You Self-Empowered? ..25


4/27


5/27


What do you want out of trauma recovery?

There is life after trauma. In recovery its time to begin thinking about what you are moving toward.Your

commitment, excitement, diligence, strengthand courageare all vastly increased when you have a very clear

idea of what you are going through all of this for! Lets get a good look at the goals.

List 3-5 things you want to do after you complete your trauma recovery process:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, explain why you want it:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, describe how your life would be different if you did it:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list explain what would have to change for you to do that thing:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________


6/27


3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, describe the first thing you would have to do to move toward that achievement:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list describe what resources you would need, including people, to help you achievethe goal:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________


7/27


What qualities do you want in yourself?Since trauma is not the sum-total of who you are, its time to get (back) in touch with the rest of you. After your

recovery is finished you will not only have reclaimed your life, but yourself, too. Who will you be..?

List 3-5 qualities you want to have when you have completed your trauma recovery process:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, explain why you want it:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list explain what would have to change for you to acquire that thing:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

If you had those qualities today, how would they help you in your recovery process?

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________


8/27


What do you want your life to be like?

In trauma you get so mired in the moment its easy to forget that theres another moment coming, and another

after that! Knowing what youre moving toward helps fuel your recovery. In all of your answers BE SPECIFIC

USE ADJECTIVES, DETAILS AND AS MANY FULL SENTENCES AND IDEAS AS POSSIBLE.

Describe the type of person you would ultimately like to be. ______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the type of friends you would like to have. _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the type of relationship you would like to have. _________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the career you would like to have. ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the family you would like to have. ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________


9/27


Why do you want your life to be like that?

Its not enough to know what you want. You need to know why you want it, too. Otherwise, youve just written

out a bunch of ideas that are not deeply connected to you.

Explain why it is important to be the type of person you described.________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain why those kinds of friends are of value to you. __________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain why you want that particular type of relationship. _______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain why you want that career. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Explain why that kind of family is important to you. ____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________


10/27


What is your healing intention?

Now its time to distill all of these thoughts and ideas into a simply manageable statement. By doing this you

will have a sort of road map, something you can refer to when times get tough; something that will remind you

of the goals and why you want them so that you have concrete reasons to carry on.

What do you want? Write a description of what you want to achieve in your trauma recovery.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you want that? Explain why these goals are so important. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Put the above statements together in one place. (For example, I want ____,____ and ___ because ______.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________


11/27


Part Two:

Whats in your way?


12/27


What is holding you back?

Its easy to feel stalled and/or unable to move forward in recovery as you would like. Think about where you

are today: what inner or outer conflicts exist? Whats stopping you from making progress?

Make a list of 3-5 (or more!) things that are getting in the way of you making the progress you desire:

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, what would need to happen for it to be removed?

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - _____________________________________________________________________________________


13/27


For each item on the list, what would be the first step to making that removal happen?

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

For each item on the list, who or what could help you achieve that?

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - _____________________________________________________________________________________


14/27


What are your fears?Its only natural that youd feel fear surrounding trauma recovery. You may be delving into difficult memories,

or moving ahead toward something that feels unfamiliar. Everyone in TRAUMA recovery experiences some

fearfulness. The beginning of eliminating those fears is becoming clear on what they are.

List 3-5 fears about your past:

1 - _______________________________________________________________________________

2 - _______________________________________________________________________________

3 - _______________________________________________________________________________

4 - _______________________________________________________________________________

5 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 fears about your present:

6 - _______________________________________________________________________________

7 - _______________________________________________________________________________

8 - _______________________________________________________________________________

9 - _______________________________________________________________________________

10 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 fears about your future:

11 - _______________________________________________________________________________

12 - _______________________________________________________________________________

13 - _______________________________________________________________________________

14 - _______________________________________________________________________________

15 - _______________________________________________________________________________


15/27


List 3-5 general fears about trauma recovery:

16 - _______________________________________________________________________________

17 - _______________________________________________________________________________

18 - _______________________________________________________________________________

19 - _______________________________________________________________________________

20 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 specific fears about the trauma recovery process:

21 - _______________________________________________________________________________

22 - _______________________________________________________________________________

23 - _______________________________________________________________________________

24 - _______________________________________________________________________________

25 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 fears about who you are today:

26 - _______________________________________________________________________________

27 - _______________________________________________________________________________

28 - _______________________________________________________________________________

29 - _______________________________________________________________________________

30 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 fears about who you will become when you are well:

31 - _______________________________________________________________________________

32 - _______________________________________________________________________________

33 - _______________________________________________________________________________

34 - _______________________________________________________________________________

35 - _______________________________________________________________________________


16/27


List 3-5 fears you have about how other people will be affected by your recovery:

36 - _______________________________________________________________________________

37 - _______________________________________________________________________________

38 - _______________________________________________________________________________

39 - _______________________________________________________________________________

40 - _______________________________________________________________________________

List 3-5 bad things that will happen if you get well:

41 - _______________________________________________________________________________

42 - _______________________________________________________________________________

43 - _______________________________________________________________________________

44 - _______________________________________________________________________________

45 - _______________________________________________________________________________

Look back at all the fears you listed. For each one, write a simple sentence about how it does interfere,

can interfere, or will interfere with your recovery goals.

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

11 - ____________________________________________________________________________________


17/27


12 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

13 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

14 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

15 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

16 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

17 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

18 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

19 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

20 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

21 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

22 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

23 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

24 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

25 - ____________________________________________________________________________________

26 -____________________________________________________________________________________

27 -____________________________________________________________________________________

28 -____________________________________________________________________________________

29 -____________________________________________________________________________________

30 -____________________________________________________________________________________

31 -____________________________________________________________________________________

32 -____________________________________________________________________________________

33 -____________________________________________________________________________________

34 -____________________________________________________________________________________

35 -____________________________________________________________________________________

36 -____________________________________________________________________________________

37 -____________________________________________________________________________________


18/27


38 -____________________________________________________________________________________

39 -____________________________________________________________________________________

40 -____________________________________________________________________________________

41 - _______________________________________________________________________________

42 - _______________________________________________________________________________

43 - _______________________________________________________________________________

44 - _______________________________________________________________________________

45 - _______________________________________________________________________________


19/27


Part Three:

Whats your attitude?


20/27


Why is all of this important now?

Youve had trauma for however long youve had trauma. And yet, now youve taken a new, proactive step in

making the shift toward post- trauma freedom. Lets explore that for a moment:

Why did you decide to use this workbook?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Why does this workbook feel like the right thing for you right now?_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

How is this moment in your recovery different than the ones that have come before?_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

How are you different now, in the moment of taking this new action, than you have been in the past?_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


21/27


What do you believe?

Trauma recovery is difficult enough without your own thought systems getting in the way. Its time to get clear

on what you are thinkingand what youshouldbe thinking! For example, how strongly do you agree with the

following statements?

Rate your belief on a scale of 110:

1I believe trauma can be overcome.

2I believe I have what it takes to overcome trauma.

3I believe I deserve to live free of trauma.

If you rate anything less than a 10 on any of those questions, heres the next thing to ask yourself:

What would it take to move that belief up ONE notch?

When you identify what that thing is, go get it!

The three statements above are examples of what you should be thinking. Now, what else is rattling around in

your mind?

When it comes to trauma recovery I believe:

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

How negative are these statements? For each one, reword it to something positive. (For example, I dontthink trauma can be overcome leads to I will have to work very hard to overcome trauma.):

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________


22/27


How will your life change?When trauma recedes into your past, your life and world will drastically alter. Being clear on change helps you

move toward it. Imagine this: Tomorrow morning you wake up to find you are trauma -free.

List 3 -5 things that will be different about you:1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

List 35 things that will be different about how you relate to others:1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

List 35 things that will be different about how others relate to you:

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

List 3 - 5 ways your changes will affect your friends, family, lovers, and colleagues:

1 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________


23/27


How do all of these future changes feel to you? If any make you feel uncomfortable, do some free writing tofurther explore why. This is a great way, actually, to find clarity for any topic.

Free writing works like this:

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Give yourself a prompt like, The idea of _____ makesme feel nervous because

and then spend 10 minutes (or more if you really get going!) letting the ideas flow onto paper. The best way to

do this exercise is freehand with a pencil or pen on paperno typing. (Okay, you can type if you really needto!)

The goal is to keep your hand moving; if you get stuck just keep rewriting the prompt over and over again untila new thought occurs to you and then follow it. You may, for example, get stuck, write the prompt, and then

have a grocery list pop into mindwrite the grocery list! Your mind filters up and gives you things in illogical

ways. Respect the process. Honor it and allow it to go where and how it wants to.

Some rules:

Do notedit, censor or filter what comes to mind; right it all down!

Do notcorrect spelling, grammar or syntax; thats not important here!Do notjudge your thoughts; allow them to flow with abandon.

Dowrite everything you think of, regardless of whether it makes sense.Dogive up control to the flow of words.

Dolet your mind wander wherever it wants to go, even if the train of thought doesnt seem logical.

You now know all you need to know about free writing. Ready? Set? . Go!

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


24/27


25/27


9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

Take a look at the list above: How can you apply these useful gifts to your recovery? Name a specific

situation in which you plan to incorporate each gift.

1- _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

3 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

4 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

5 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

6 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

7 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

8 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

9 - _____________________________________________________________________________________

10 - ____________________________________________________________________________________


26/27


27/27


One day, after youve done a lot of hard work and despaired that youll never be the person you want to be. One

day, after youve moved forward and then felt like youve fallen back. One day you will surprise yourself

experience the most unexpected progress.

I hope on that day and in that moment you think of me and the work youve done here and realize that all along,

a part of you actually did know what it was doing. It just needed your time, attention, patience, commitment,

persistence, permission and determination for it to get the whole job done.

You have enormous healing potentialalways remember that. The goal is learning to access it. You can do this

Dig deep. I believe in you!

Onward toward freedom,

Trauma Support Workbook

Documents