ABSTRACT
There is a growing awareness in the world about the prevalence of trauma. The news is inundated with the tragedies of people who suffer at the hands of one another and from the unpredictable natural world. The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile left thousands dead and more homeless, injured, and psychologically wounded. In 2009, suicide among the military rose to its highest rate; two thirds of army suicides were committed by deployed soldiers, and those soldiers suffering with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were six times more likely to commit suicide (Thompson, 2009). Traumatic events are pervasive, including school violence, terrorist bombings, hurricanes, fires, and the interpersonal tragedies of child abuse and rape. In response, the literature is filled with new theories and treatment protocols for trauma, PTSD, and disaster mental health (Baranowsky, Gentry, & Schultz, 2010; Briere & Scott, 2006; Brymer et al., 2006; Chu, 1998; Courtois & Ford, 2009; Foa, Keane, & Friedman, 2000; Levine, 1997; Rothschild, 2000; Shapiro, 2001; Solomon & Siegel, 2003). This chapter provides an overview of humanistic perspectives of trauma and examples of approaches that illustrate how humanism frames all effective trauma counseling.
