ABSTRACT
The word 'trauma' is of ancient Greek origin, literally meaning to wound, damage or defeat. Prior to the nineteenth century, the word signified a bodily wound usually received during war; however with the development of empirical approaches to the mind, trauma was 'psychologized'. This chapter explores how contemporary understandings of trauma have developed, including the current conceptual debates in the field of trauma, and then discusses how trauma might best be conceptualized from a humanistic stance. Research findings on approaches to working with trauma are then examined and a selection of the literature discussing the therapist's use of self in trauma work is considered. Finally, future directions in humanistic therapy with trauma are discussed. Seven meta-analytic studies indicate that trauma-focused interventions, namely eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma-focused CBT, are effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.
