Transforming Trauma through Social Change: An Empowering Guide for Meaning Making in Challenging Times

Transforming Trauma Through Social Change

Transforming Trauma through Social Change (Fielding University Press; ISBN-13: 979-8991258012), written by the Department Head of the Teaching and Learning Centre at Selkirk College and Fielding alum Theresa Southam, Ph.D., is a practical guide for educators and trainers to guide students in the understanding of trauma and working toward wellness through justice and examples of social change.

The book explores key concepts within trauma theory, such as grief, acknowledgment, forgiveness, giving, transformation, and cultures of resistance through the living histories of individuals and communities. As Cher Hill writes in the Foreword, “Theresa hooks readers with the stories of Sinixt Elder Virgil Seymour, environmental activist Briony Penn, immigrant student Gaganjeet Singh, the counterculturists of the Slocan Valley, and Lee Reid of Granny Gardening Tours. We learn about their resiliency and resistance in the face of trauma.”

Southam also writes about the oppression and the persecution of the Doukhobors, the internment of Japanese Canadians, the hostility toward asylum seekers and new immigrants, and the isolation of older adults.

The book argues that feeling empowered to change society is critical in these challenging times. Southam does so by applying theories like the sense of coherence, redemptive sequencing, and creating radical imaginaries. Ultimately, she writes, it is all about building a more trauma-resilient and sustainable society.

“’Trauma wisdom’” is a term the book explores to encapsulate the insights gained from the depths of personal experiences. This wisdom is not static; it evolves as individuals and communities engage in the ongoing process of resistance against oppressive cultures that can perpetuate these traumas,” said Maureen Wideman, Advisor, Accessibility, University of the Fraser Valley.

Transforming Trauma through Social Change is now available in print for $24.95 (or $9.95 for Kindle) on Amazon. To request a review copy of the book, please contact Kaylin R. Staten at kstaten@fielding.edu or 805.898.4076.