Back to Life

February 14, 2011
Popular Psychiatrist Salzer has worked with people affected by 9/11 and extensively with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) and aims with this spot-on book to help survivors of both "big-T" and "little-t" traumas. Rejecting the notion that rehashing one's trauma leads to healing, Salzer focuses on positive psychology and employs the metaphor of a vase of stones to explain her technique: the stones (positive emotions) displace the water (negative emotions resulting from trauma). She illustrates how to refute trauma-preserving assumptions and regain a full bandwidth of emotions; her resilience skills will benefit any reader, whether dealing with trauma or not. Refreshingly, she acknowledges the trauma survivor's pain without further victimizing them, is upbeat without being cloying, and is full of humanity, humor, and respect. Well paced, the book's three sections guide readers to change how they think, what they do, and how they feel. Included are the requisite exercises (helpful) and recommended reading list (useful). With a Medical Degree from Cornell and over a decade spent working in psychiatry, Salzer explains clinical concepts in a straightforward yet interesting way, which should help her first book become a primer in the increasingly important field of positive psychology.

November 15, 2010

Psychiatrist and Montel Williams show Director of Aftercare Salzer offers an instruction guide to overcoming the deleterious effects of emotionally wrenching experiences.

"How does a person live through a life-altering challenge yet emerge still self-possessed, still hopeful, still empowered," asks the author at the beginning of this practical guide to beating the often crippling aftershock of trauma—be it uppercase Trauma, such as rape or death, or lowercase trauma, as in any situation that has robbed you of self-esteem and left you fearful and helpless (a health issue, job loss, betrayal, etc.). When trauma becomes "permatrauma"—maladaptive behavior in which the lessons of the worst day become the guideposts of the everyday—then, Salzer writes, it is time to recalibrate your mindset. In addition to affirmation and cheerleading, the author tenders some serious tools. She doesn't simply ask readers to ad lib their way through various evaluative templates; she provides extensive lists of possible answers to either use or to jump-start your replies. When she suggests finding a greater meaning in the experience, she gives numerous examples, from the teachings of Viktor Frankl to tactics to reframe your boss' daily insults. If you identify with the passive-victim mode, Salzer serves up specific exercises in awareness, assertiveness and harvesting positive associations. She provides a crash course in survivorship, abetted by a positive psychology that draws from resilience theory, cognitive therapy and learned optimism, with cues taken from people who display resilient talents like flexibility, accountability, the perception of success and developing some form of social network. A few of Salzer's strategies may seem a stretch at this difficult juncture—reaching for the flow state, for example—but in her hands, something as simple as a worry stone can help find you "navigating a path through traumaville."

A sensible escort to identifying and deploying signature strengths buried by traumatic emotional paralysis.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2011

According to world-renowned neuropsychiatrist and psychologist Cyrulnick, history is not destiny. He uses his own experience and his work with orphaned and abused children to demonstrate how people can triumph over adversity. Each of the four chapters includes examples of those who have coped by using a variety of techniques--e.g., integrating their stories into the collective history of the environments in which they lived, using their memories to spur creative ventures, or reworking horrific actions, commitments, and narratives. He essentially offers hope through documenting the stories of individuals who have overcome incredible adversity. Salzer, member of the Rape Abuse Incest National Network's Speakers Bureau, takes on the same subject with more of a how-to than an explanatory approach. She asserts that one does not have to revisit the pain to work through it but instead needs to visualize oneself as a survivor instead of a victim. Some of the tools for strengthening resilience include flexibility, accountability, self-efficacy, and community. Salzer discusses each concept at length, provides case studies, and explains how to develop each attribute. Both books are written from the heart and with sound psychology to provide help to readers. Cyrulnik presents inspiring reading about those who have triumphed, and Salzer gives a road map for how to get there.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.