The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner’s Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment

Explains trauma using a combination of the Five Elements (from Traditional Chinese Medicine) and a touch perspective; for practitioners of a variety of modalities, including acupuncturists, somatic therapists, massage therapists, and mental health providers.

Experts in Eastern and Western trauma physiology, clinician-educators Alaine Duncan and Kathy Kain combine their expertise to introduce a new map for acupuncturists, medical practitioners, mental health providers, and other body-oriented clinicians to help restore balance in their patients. Using concepts from acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, alongside Western bio-behavioral science’s description of the threat response, they describe common physical symptoms, emotional presentations, and routes for healing of five survivor types. It also includes specific information about using touch with the different survivor types. This ancient/modern integrative lens illuminates the diverse manifestations of traumatic stress in its survivors–chronic pain, autoimmune illness, insomnia, metabolic problems, and mental health disorders–and brings new hope to survivors of trauma and those who treat them.