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This beloved bestseller—over 180,000 copies sold—has helped caregivers worldwide keep themselves emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and physically healthy in the face of the sometimes overwhelming traumas they confront every day.

A longtime trauma worker, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky offers a deep and empathetic survey of the often-unrecognized toll taken on those working to make the world a better place. We may feel tired, cynical, or numb or like we can never do enough. These, and other symptoms, affect us individually and collectively, sapping the energy and effectiveness we so desperately need if we are to benefit humankind, other living things, and the planet itself.

In Trauma Stewardship, we are called to meet these challenges in an intentional way. Lipsky offers a variety of simple and profound practices, drawn from modern psychology and a range of spiritual traditions, that enable us to look carefully at our reactions and motivations and discover new sources of energy and renewal. She includes interviews with successful trauma stewards from different walks of life and even uses New Yorker cartoons to illustrate her points.

“We can do meaningful work in a way that works for us and for those we serve,” Lipsky writes. “Taking care of ourselves while taking care of others allows us to contribute to our societies with such impact that we will leave a legacy informed by our deepest wisdom and greatest gifts instead of burdened by our struggles and despair.”

5 reviews for Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

  1. graduation gift
    July 6, 2023
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gift for me.
    I’ve been in higher education for some time now. It is not always easy to care for self when providing support for hundreds of student. Very helpful
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    Tara Louise
    June 4, 2023
    5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you think regardless of profession
    I do not work in a field where trauma and stewardship is a big issue but it still hit home. It was a like unconventional at times but I still learned...More
    I do not work in a field where trauma and stewardship is a big issue but it still hit home. It was a like unconventional at times but I still learned a lot about how to address trauma and the life sometimes just beats you down. I even ordered a couple copies to distribute to those in my community who this may help
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    B
    May 15, 2023
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    This book was exactly what I hoped it would be. It validated my experience, it helped put words to what I was experiencing while working in the trauma...More
    This book was exactly what I hoped it would be. It validated my experience, it helped put words to what I was experiencing while working in the trauma field, it posed excellent questions for me to think about and provided practical guidance.
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    Miara Rianin
    July 16, 2022
    5.0 out of 5 stars Preventive medicine for the mind. I recommend this to everyone in a caring profession!
    Social workers, nurses, counselors, teachers, people in emergency services or law enforcement...anyone who faces secondary trauma in their everyday li...More
    Social workers, nurses, counselors, teachers, people in emergency services or law enforcement...anyone who faces secondary trauma in their everyday life. One of my professors named this book as basically required reading for a social worker, along with Daring Greatly, The Body Keeps the Score, and It Didn't Start With You. I ended up dog-earing about a dozen different pages because I kept finding pages that I knew I'd have to come back to!
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    Trish W
    February 6, 2010
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening!
    I thought I was doing a good job managing my exposure to others' trauma, until I read this book. What I discovered is that I'm responding in a multit...More
    I thought I was doing a good job managing my exposure to others' trauma, until I read this book. What I discovered is that I'm responding in a multitude of subtle ways that have, over time, altered who I am and how I live. Yet, the message I took from the book, is that I chose this path and therefore, as a trauma steward, have a responsibility to manage my trauma exposure response. Instead of feeling hopeless about who I've become, I decided to embrace my responsibility and take back control. I started with simple changes, such as answering my phone when it rings instead of letting it go to voice mail. I noticed an internal shift almost immediately. I had not realized how much I had been avoiding connection and keeping myself isolated as a way to cope with my trauma exposure.

    The author's approach to trauma stewardship is systemic and encompasses a variety of domains and ecologies. As a clinical supervisor, I am able to use this material to help my staff recognize and manage their trauma exposure response. We are all using this knowledge to help our clients' caregivers and the external systems that work with our clients recognize and manage their exposure to our clients' trauma. The result of our increased awareness has had a direct and significantly positive effect on our work.

    Reading this book was a privilege and a gift. It is original, profound, and eye-opening!
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