Coping With Trauma Workbook

What is it?

Wellbeing Tools

Video

Workbook & film series for coping with trauma.
Tips for coping with overwhelming emotions & memories.
Helps while waiting for therapy & to find the right techniques.

Here's more detail

Published: 13/08/24

Many people experience something traumatic at some point in their life. A traumatic event is one where you are in danger, perhaps where there is threat to life or safety, such as an accident, assault, natural disaster, war, illness or abuse. It can also be an event where you witness something traumatic happening to others or learn about it happening to a loved one.

Good Thinking has produced several resources designed to help you cope with trauma, including the new ‘Coping with Trauma’ workbook and accompanying short film series. These have been produced in partnership with trauma expert Caroline Harrison, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

We recommend that you watch these films before using the ‘Coping with Trauma’ workbook as they may help you use it more effectively. Watch one of the videos - on ‘Trauma and Grounding’ - below.

This workbook is also available in other languages. Visit the website to access these.

About the workbook
‘Coping with Trauma’ provides a series of seven techniques that offer help and guidance if you:
experience overwhelming emotions;
have intrusive memories or flashbacks of a traumatic event;
re-experience feelings in your body from the time of the trauma;
want to develop a way of coping that doesn’t have harmful consequences, such as drinking alcohol or using drugs.
It’s important to point out that, whilst helpful, the techniques aren’t as powerful as therapy, which can help you move forward after a traumatic experience more effectively. Also, if you find that the techniques in the workbook don’t seem to help at first, don’t worry. Sometimes it helps if a trained therapist can go through them with you, until you find the right techniques for you. Some of the films show you what it’s like to talk with a therapist about this.
About the techniques
The seven techniques described in this workbook are designed specifically to help people who have experienced trauma and are out of danger now. They’re not designed for those who are currently experiencing trauma. In these situations, the techniques could potentially make you feel worse.
If the trauma is over and in the past, these techniques can help you focus on what’s happening around you, stay in the present and help to remind you that the danger is over and that you are safe now.
The seven techniques are:
Grounding statement: Positive words to remind you that you got through the trauma and are safe now
Grounding across the five senses: Using your senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to keep you in the present
Body movement: Using your body to tell you the trauma is over
Updating: Reminding yourself what you know now
Same/different: Reminding yourself what is different now to the time of the trauma
Imagery work: Giving you more control of the images in your mind
Nightmare rescripting: Creating a different script for any bad dreams you have
Find a safe space

After a traumatic experience you may be worried about anything that might ‘trigger’ you or might cause you to relive the traumatic experience.
Watch the films or use the workbook in a place where you feel peaceful and comfortable. You may want to have someone around to support you if you feel distressed.
If you would like to see a therapist, you can find specialist trauma therapists and psychologists through Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). The ‘Coping with Trauma’ workbook may support you while you are waiting to see a therapist and help you feel safe again.