Transformed by Trauma...Stories of Post Traumatic Growth, Richard G. Tedesci, PhD, and Bret A. Moore, PsyD, with Ken Falke and Josh Goldberg. Boulder Crest; 2020. ISBN 9798600226357. Soft Cover. 280 pages. On Amazon: Kindle $9.99 or paperback $14.99.

If you were to only remember one thing after reading this book, we hope it's thatfrom struggle comes strength.When we are broken, we are not less than or diminished. We have taken a different form. And just like the ancient art Kintsurgi, the beauty, grandeur, and strength come when we put our lives back together and reveal our new selves to the world. - -Tedesci and Moore (p. 270)

The cover of this book features a beautiful bowl, once broken, but put back together. The bowl is an illustration of Kintsurgi, the ancient 15th-century Japanese practice of restoring broken pottery into objects that are oftentimes seen as more beautiful and pleasing than the original form. The authors draw parallels between the philosophy of Kintsurgi and those suffering from psychological distress. This book draws the reader in from the title and book cover through to the final thoughts at the end of each chapter. You will find yourself underlining something on every page, reflecting on what you have read, and then reading on to learn more about this phenomenon of transformation.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) was defined in professional psychology literature in the 1990s by Richard Tedeschi and his colleague, Lawrence Calhoun. "The concept of posttraumatic growth describes the positive personal transformations that can occur in the aftermath of trauma" (p. 3). The transformation can involve developing new organizations such as Clara Barton and The American Red Cross or Ken Falke, a Navy veteran, who founded Boulder Crest Retreat to help war veterans (p. 54).

PTG can also be manifested in those who develop personal strengths that inspire others, something embedded in professional nursing. While the book focuses on veterans of war, the book can be for anyone who carries physical and emotional scars from motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, or the death of a child, parent, spouse, sibling, or friend. The authors share rich insights that could help many of us coming out of a pandemic or those still in one.

This is not a self-help book, but the authors lay out a process that gives hope for your own transformation or for those you are helping. This is not a 10 steps to PTG. While the primary authors are psychologists, they do not insist you have one. They do, however, recommend an "expert companion." An expert companion is someone who is knowledgeable about trauma response and syndromes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (p. 168). More importantly, these companions need to be good listeners and someone who has been traumatized can trust. The authors are clear that PTG is not PTSD. They explain the difference and how PTSD fits in the broader journey of PTG. This is not a textbook but includes significant theory and knowledge explained through moving stories from real people. The growth these people achieved is amazing, holding promise for something better. It is in the struggle following trauma that people achieve the growth, not the trauma itself.

PTG has 5 domains:

* New Possibilities;

* Personal Strength;

* Relationship with Others;

* Appreciation for Life; and

* Spiritual and Existential Change.

Each of these domains is explored in its own dedicated chapter. The authors also identify 5 distinct Processes of Growth:

* Learning from Trauma

* Managing Distress;

* Disclosure;

* Putting the Story Together; and

* The Mission.

The stories told throughout the book are woven into the chapters to help the reader understand PTG in its fullness. The book's layout is reader friendly, with inspiring quotes at the beginning of each chapter and Final Thoughts at the end. The book includes 2 reading lists, one for survivors and expert companions and one for professionals. It does not include an index, which I think might have been helpful.

I recommend this book for nurses caring for patients or loved ones on a journey of growth or perhaps for their own growth. If you are a nurse leader struggling to help your staff after waves of pandemic, you may also gain some good insights within. Of course, mental health nurses and nurse coaches would find this book particularly helpful in their practice. One of my favorite quotes in the book is at the beginning of chapter 8:

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along." (Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady 1933-1945, p. 97)

We are in a vastly changing world, be it climate, pandemics, or growing socioeconomic gaps. Trauma and the inevitable struggle that follows will probably increase. This book is a timely addition to our professional development as nurse leaders.

-Elizabeth (Betty) Falter, MS, BSN, RN,

NEA-BC