Judith L. Herman, a renowned trauma expert, was interviewed on NPR’s Here & Now program on her latest book. (Link below) In her groundbreaking book, Trauma and Recovery, she was instrumental in establishing that sexual and domestic violence are traumas that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis that had previously only been linked to veterans of war.

In Truth and Repair, she once again interviews survivors and explores the importance of justice in the healing and recovery process of trauma. From the book:

“If traumatic disorders are afflictions of the powerless, then empowerment must be a central principle of recovery. If trauma shames and isolates, then recovery must take place in community. These are the central therapeutic insights of my work, and I believe they have held up well across cultures and over time.”

“This book is about envisioning a better way of justice for all. I propose that survivors of violence, who know in their bones the truths that many others would prefer not to know, can lead the way to a new understanding of justice. The first step is simply to ask survivors what would make things right—or as right as possible—for them. This sounds like such a reasonable thing to do, but in practice, it is hardly ever done. Listening, therefore, turns out to be a radical act.”

Judith L. Herman

witnessing the ripples

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/05/16/judith-herman-abuse-survivors