Vital Links

Here’s an annotated list of materials I find useful.

Web Sites and Blogs

  • ACES Too High, which keeps up with news related to the ongoing ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) Study. A valuable resource for people interested in trauma-related research and policy curated by Jane Ellen Stevens, whose introductory article is listed under “Books and Articles.”
  • Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study web site maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Comprehensive information about the decades-long, ongoing study of childhood trauma and its effects.
  • The web site of Joan Borysenko, Ph. D., author, speaker, and pioneer of integrative medicine, and excellent resource for survivors who have made progress toward recovery but want to develop greater health and resilience, especially those on a spiritual path.
  • Center for Youth Wellness dedicated to translating the conclusions of the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) Study into policy and practice.
  • Marci A. Hamilton’s web site, dedicated to reforming statutes of limitations on child sex abuse laws that limit survivors’ ability to hold abusers accountable.
  • The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies offers information, assessment tools, links to research, and a directory of clinicians who deal with trauma and its effects. Primarily a resource for professionals but full of great information for survivors. Click here for material specific to childhood trauma.
  • The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, the body-oriented approach to healing trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine. The web site features descriptions of Dr. Levine’s excellent books on trauma, including the best-selling Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma.
  • The blog of Dr. Martin H. Teicher, containing recent publications and lectures by the distinguished Harvard neurobiologist. Written for scientists but full of useful information about childhood trauma and brain development.
  • The blog of Staci Sprout, therapist and author of Naked in Public: Recovery from Sex Addiction and Other Temporary Insanities. A diverse collection of writing, interviews, and other material related to sex and love addiction. Includes links to Staci’s own writing and to her video series “Sex Addiction in the News.”
  • The web site of the Trauma Resource Institute, dedicated to cultivating resilience in individuals and communities affected by trauma.
  • The web site of the Trauma Therapist Project, where clinicians new to treating trauma can gain knowledge, skills, and information.
  • The web site of Dr. Shelley Uram, psychiatrist and specialist in the brain’s survival wiring, which is affected by trauma and implicated in the dysfunction it creates.

Books and Articles

Trauma Treatment, Therapy, and Other Help

  • Code4 Northwest in Seattle is a volunteer organization offering free, compassionate assistance to the first responders, active and retired, who protect our community. All calls are confidential and fielded by fellow emergency services professionals.
  • The Cottonwood in Tucson, Arizona provides an integrative approach to treating co-occurring disorders, such as alcohol dependency plus PTSD as the result of childhood trauma.
  • Edgewood Treatment Centre on Vancouver Island offers trauma-informed treatment of addiction and mental health. On-site physicians and psychiatrists help patients develop the personal, family, and community resources they call “recovery capital.”
  • The Emily Program treats eating disorders and related mental health issues, taking careful account of clients’ genetic, physiological, psychological, social, and cultural influences.
  • Hazelden Betty Ford, in sixteen locations across a dozen states, including the Springbrook campus in Oregon, is now the largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment in the US. Emphasizing twelve-step principles, Hazelden Betty Ford also has cutting-edge research and education facilities.
  • Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers, in ten locations across Western Washington, specialize in community-based treatment based on James Robert Milam’s best-selling book Under the Influence. Inpatient treatment is available at one location; the other nine specialize in continuing or outpatient care.
  • The Meadows in Wickenburg, Arizona pioneered the treatment of PTSD resulting from childhood trauma as part of recovery from drug and alcohol dependence. With a staff of well-known experts, The Meadows offers individualized, comprehensive care for a broad range of problems, as well as workshops for clients and for therapists.
  • Residence XII in Kirkland, Washington offers drug and alcohol treatment specifically for women. Residence XII strives for diversity and welcomes patients using medication to treat an opioid addiction.
  • Sonja Rudie, counselor and clinical director of La Perla Counseling, specializes in treating trauma, stress, addictions, and sexual betrayal. She has essays on healing for partners of sex addicts in Clergy Sexual Misconduct and Mending a Shattered Heart.
  • Safe Call Now is a confidential crisis referral service for public safety employees, emergency services personnel, and their families. The 24-hour service is available nationwide, and the web site offers additional information about how those who protect us can protect themselves, including the workshop “Emotional Body Armor.”
  • Sierra Tucson in Tucson, Arizona combines experiential and evidence-based therapies to provide holistic treatment of addictions, mental illness, PTSD resulting from childhood trauma, and chronic pain.

Friends

  • Debra Brown, who writes as D. A. Brown, is a Seattle police detective and author of the new novel Dead Drop, first in the new mystery series A Girl’s Guide to Homicide and winning raves for its authenticity, suspense, and strong female lead.
  • Alle Hall’s About Childhood is a blog that adds up to an unconventional memoir about surviving an “epically screwy” childhood and working as a writer. It’s memoir as collage: original fiction, nonfiction essays, poetry, reviews, brief comments on culture and media, publishing advice, answers to reader queries, and more. Fearless, observant, and occasionally very funny.
  • Molly B. Kenny, one of western Washington’s top attorneys, specializes in family law, including divorce, and maintains an informative web site featuring client stories, legal articles, and lively blog posts about news related to her field.
  • Margie Ikeda practices naturopathic medicine at Natural Medicine of Seattle (see below). Dr. Ikeda specializes in environmental medicine and in seeking out the root causes of chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia and depression.
  • Natural Medicine of Seattle offers Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, and Intravenous Micronutrient Therapy (IVMT), working with mainstream physicians to discover the root causes of disease and provide comprehensive care.
  • Rick Peterson, a writer, teacher, and counselor at the Center for Biblical Recovery works to understand and communicate the relationship between the Bible and recovery from addiction.