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Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong Paperback – March 14, 2023

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 219 ratings
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A profound new approach to healing trauma, grounded in a radical reframing of how we understand this nearly universal experience

For centuries, we’ve been taught that being traumatized means we are somehow broken―and that trauma only happens to people who are too fragile or flawed to deal with hardship. But as a researcher, teacher, and survivor, Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald has learned that the only thing broken is our society’s understanding of trauma. “The body’s trauma response is designed to save our lives―and it does,” she says. “It’s not a sign of weakness, but of our function, strength, and amazing resilience.”

With Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong, Dr. McDonald overturns the misconceptions about trauma with the latest evidence from neuroscience and psychology―and shares tested practices and tools to help you work with your body’s coping mechanisms to accelerate healing. Here, you’ll explore:

• What is trauma? The latest science that undoes the stigmas of shame, blame, and humiliation
• Moral injury―having our basic sense of how the world should work overturned
• The truth about triggers―what they really are and how they can guide the healing journey
• Traumatic patterns―new findings to help break free from recurring habits and toxic dynamics
• Why we can always rewrite our inner narratives, no matter how much time has passed
• Finding a “relational home” for trauma―how we can help each other return to wholeness

Dr. McDonald’s case studies reveal the many ways trauma can manifest and persist in our lives, yet there’s one factor every case has in common: the trauma response itself reveals the path to healing. “Our traumatic experiences reveal that we can be bent, dented, or bruised,” she says, “but we cannot be broken.” For anyone who has gone through trauma or wants to help others who are struggling, here is an empowering resource for finding our way home to our bodies, rebuilding our relationships, and returning to full engagement with life.

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  1. Print length
    188 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sounds True Adult
  4. Publication date
    March 14, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    6.1 x 0.47 x 8.95 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1683648846
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1683648840
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Equal parts memoir, client stories, and neuroscience, Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong will radically reframe everything you’ve ever thought about trauma and how to heal from it. No more feelings of shame. Just newfound empowerment.” ―Mark Epstein, MD, author of Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Zen of Therapy

“We all experience trauma. And it leaves scars for most of us. We can learn to better handle it using Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald’s fresh, positive, and scientifically rigorous approach. Her toolbox full of practical, down-to-earth advice and methods enables us to lift the burdens of shame, guilt, and fear that we all shoulder when we suffer from trauma. Unbroken is essential to showing us how we can become empowered, moving beyond the trauma in our past.” ―Allan Hamilton, MD, author of The Scalpel and the Soul and the forthcoming Cerebral Entanglements

“I call MaryCatherine the Brené Brown of trauma. She normalizes trauma and helps us get rid of shame so that we can accept our stories fully and embrace our humanness―something that we need now in the world more than ever.” ―John Kim, aka The Angry Therapist

“Unbroken is a fascinating new book from an emerging philosophical talent.” ―Simon Critchley, former New York Times editor of The Stone column

About the Author

MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD, is a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology and philosophy of trauma. She has been researching, lecturing, and publishing on the neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience of trauma since the beginning of her PhD in 2009. She’s published two academic books and many research papers, and she is the creator of a trauma-based curriculum designed to serve previously incarcerated folks and veterans.

For more, visit alchemycoaching.life.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sounds True Adult (March 14, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 188 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1683648846
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1683648840
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.47 x 8.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 219 ratings

About the author

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MaryCatherine McDonald

MaryCatherine McDonald

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Hi, I’m MaryCatherine (MC) McDonald, PhD. I’m a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology of trauma, stress, and resilience. I have spent over a decade researching, publishing, and lecturing on the psychology, neuroscience, and lived experience of trauma. I am passionate about destigmatizing mental health issues in general, and empowering people to heal by giving them science-based tools to gain mastery over their own experience.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
219 global ratings
Best One So Far--By Far
5 Stars
Best One So Far--By Far
I never review books—which is lame since I always read *pages* of reviews before clicking that Buy button. Unbroken is an easy 5-star book. I have now read it 3x and reckon it’ll be one of those gems I reread every year. 

I’ve read and reread all the trauma biggies—Judith Herman, van der Kolk, Paul Conti’s book last year, Oprah, Gabs, you name it—and Dr. McDonald’s *Unbroken* is the best-written and most helpful of the bunch, imo. Dr. M. writes beautifully, like, “literary memoir” caliber, about personal traumas that informed her career path and is very accessible when things get more technical around neurobiology and trauma. (My eyes usually glaze over when things get too scientific.)The writer’s take on trauma is very democratic and capacious and she seems dead-set on “taking the shame out” at every step, which I found helpful and inspiring. The meta-message is just like the subtitle says: "The trauma response is never wrong". The tools are practical and free and within reach and are presented in an inclusive way that makes you actually try them out vs. just rubbing your chin and intellectualizing how the tool might work. (What I usually do.) Overall, McDonald writes with an easy expertise that is authoritative while still being accessible to someone not trained in dealing with trauma professionally or academically.I pre-ordered 5 copies for friends I’ve met in Group and/or exchanged psych books with before. Yeah, that good.
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Top reviews from the United States

C P ALFONSO
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Loved This
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023
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First, this book is extremely well written. This is no small thing. I have started several books on this topic recently that I soon found unreadable for all manner of reasons. It has a style that is warm, humble, earthy, humorous and sophisticated all at the same time. I found the example of each chapter to be very helpful. There were many ideas I had not come across before, some of which have helped me enormously during a recent very tough time. The only idea I strongly disagree with is that there is no such thing as an evil person. If what the author meant was that there is no such thing as a person who is born evil, I would be prepared to listen to an argument. But I know there are people who, for whatever reason, become evil. Other than that, this book has affected me deeply and been a great friend. I expect to read it again in due course.
7 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Unbroken Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
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I have been in trauma recovery for 10+ years, for multiple traumas spanning years of my life, (emotional, mental, physical), sexual assault, a housefire, sudden job loss that affected every aspect of my identity and life, losses through death, marriage ending due to infidelity, just to name a little of my story. Think, CPTSD exponentially. Suffice it to say, I have been through therapies of all modalities, counseling, treatments and a lot of self-healing with an endless variety of tools, an ever-evolving quest for peace. THIS BOOK is by FAR the best I've ever read on trauma, so good, as soon as I finished it, I reread it, taking notes and highlighting, then read it a third time. It was as if she wrote this book specifically for me. It is truly amazing.
5 people found this helpful
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Scrib
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, most readable books I've read on this subject.
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
I found MaryCatherine Macdonald so delightful during a trauma conference interview that I wanted to read her book. I found that she writes with as much passion, honesty and forthrightness as she speaks. The book was a pleasure to read, despite the difficult content.
In was also happy to find that the book is physically easy to read. Not true of the many others I've read recently. The covers and pages are not stiff, so I can lay the book down as I'm reading. Though it sounds trivial, I really appreciated the fact that reading it was much less tiring for my small, aging hands.
3 people found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars I am a bright and smart woman who knows which wasy is up…and old enough to remember rota phones.
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
I ordered this book after hearing her on NPR. She spoke about her book and I got hooked and had to buy it. The book is informative and written well…almost like you are sitting in a class she teaches as college. However now that I’m reading it, I do wish I waited until it came to my library and I could have borrowed it instead. I have read other books on this subject matter. I really recommend “The Body Keeps Score” and am glad I own that book. So what f you are anxious to read a book on trauma, read and buy “The Body…” book. Wait for her book to come to your library.
12 people found this helpful
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Mark G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute page turner!
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023
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"Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong" is a transformative and powerful book that sheds light on the often misunderstood world of trauma and its effects on individuals. The author, whose expertise is evident throughout the book, takes the reader on a journey of understanding trauma and its responses, and provides an insightful and compassionate view into the minds and experiences of those who have gone through it.

The book is written in an engaging and accessible style that will appeal to both professionals and lay readers alike. The author's depth of knowledge and experience is evident on every single page, as she explores the nuances and complexities of trauma and its effects on individuals. The client stories are fascinating and easy to connect with. Each is presented in a beautiful and compelling way.

One of the most powerful aspects of the book is its emphasis on the fact that the trauma response is never wrong. This message is particularly important in a world where trauma is often stigmatized and misunderstood. The author's emphasis on the need for understanding, empathy, and support for those who have experienced trauma is a refreshing and much-needed perspective in today's society.

Overall, "Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong" is a groundbreaking book that is sure to make a significant impact in the field of trauma therapy. It is a must-read for anyone who has experienced trauma, or who works with those who have. Highly recommended.
12 people found this helpful
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Elle Chase, ACS
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, well-explained, great for the neurodivergent!
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
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MaryCatherine McDonald is the best teacher/writer about trauma to come along since Bessel Van Der Kolk, Peter Levine and Deb Dana. This book is a big sigh of relief in paper form.
I have ADHD and struggle to read books without re-reading the same sentences over and over again until I get bored and put the book down … especially nonfiction. Unbroken is the first book I’ve been able to digest without having to do that 100% of the time. It’s a quick read that packs a punch. Afterward, you’ll have a better understanding of trauma in yourself and recognizing it in others. For me, I’ve found that most of the well known books on trauma over explain - which is great if you want that, but my neurodivergence makes that challenging. I recommend this be the first book about trauma you read before going further (if you need to at all).
16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Leah
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!!
Reviewed in Canada on January 22, 2024
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What I really loved about how the author wrote the book, was a couple things....first it's very engaging, at times funny, at times deeply sad, but written in a way where I could not put it down! Second she explains what is happening in our brain with an overwhelming event ( trauma) , and then she normalizes how we respond, as the response is a normal biological response. I have recommended this book to many of my clients as a way to help them understand themselves. Beautifully written!!
One person found this helpful
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Suzie
5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best Books On Trauma
Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2023
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After attempting to read or listen to books that are completely devoid of the human touch and concentrate solely on the science of trauma, Unbroken is the healing simple knowledgeable salve I have been looking for. I learned the most about trauma from this book because of its clear, human and empathetic approach. Despite my disassociation I have retained the most from Unbroken and received such healing. I cried when it was over but it has helped me utilize techniques that actually do help. I am still searching for my emotional home and people to connect to but that’s on me. Her “no small T trauma” made me understand why my trauma lives not in the major traumas that happened to me. This was a game changer realization. She did not discuss fawning but other than that this book was extremely informative and healing. Best first book on trauma IMHO.
2 people found this helpful
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