In the midst of collective trauma, it helps us to know how our body is built to respond to stress and what we might do to shift those reflexes. The Modern Trauma Toolkit directly addresses that need. Having studied brain-based and body-based approaches to wellbeing, Dr. Christy Gibson (@tiktoktraumadoc, 150k followers) is adept at sharing what she's learned about stress and coping with others, to embrace our innate power and to catalyze community wisdom.

The Modern Trauma Toolkit shares with readers how challenges can change the body. Written in an accessible and trauma-informed way, Christy goes over new theories in brain biology like the polyvagal theory and epigenetics, and how the brain can be remodeled to achieve post-traumatic growth. Noting the inequitable stressors of modern times and faced by particular communities, she describes how their strengths can be harnessed. Dr. Gibson shares a variety of activities that can be self-taught so you can begin your healing journey, including:

• Iffirmations: Reimagine affirmations to plant seeds of possibility

• The Container: Create your box of shame and leave it behind

• Havening: Discover the body's three areas that are best suited to self-soothing

• Solutions Studio: Catalyze change at the systems level using design thinking