ABSTRACT
In this chapter we set out a vision for the future with regard to the understanding of trauma and helping survivors of potentially devastating events. There is little doubt that when unexpected events happen we will be faced with challenges we had previously not considered. We need to deal with what had hitherto been the unthinkable. In this chapter we begin by outlining some of the unthinkable yet common things that happen to people, and review the evidence that suggests that the way people respond to traumatic events is often transformational in nature. Whilst we recognize the deleterious effects of trauma and the legitimate suffering many incur as a result, the struggle with trauma is also known to provide a springboard to greater psychological well-being.
