Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences: A Self-Guided Program

Making Meaning of Difficult Experiences: A Self-Guided Program by Sheila A.M. Rauch, PhD and Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, PhD is a self-guided workbook intended to help individuals process difficult life experiences and address related psychological and functional challenges. The workbook was created within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the principles and tools covered in the manual are applicable to other difficult life experiences and potentially traumatic events. Multiple evidence-based, manualized treatments for such sequelae exist; however, inaccessibility to these treatments is a known and lasting issue that was amplified by the pandemic. In this self-help program, Rauch and Rothbaum draw from a combined 50 years of experience to deliver trauma-informed intervention techniques right to the reader’s fingertips. The workbook combines clinical examples, guided exercises and worksheets, and an associated phone app to help individuals process and recover from challenging life experiences in as little as 2–4 weeks. The workbook utilizes an evidence-based framework grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals to process difficult experiences at their own pace, in a format that works for them. Divided into 7 chapters, the workbook provides psychoeducation about the importance of and tools for approaching difficult memories and ways to increase engagement with daily activities and social support networks and teaches several self-care strategies for managing symptoms related to these experiences. …