"A Norton professional book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-231) and index.

Part I: Foundations of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: The Ubiquity of Trauma: Visible and Invisible Forms -- Meeting the Moment: Mindfulness and Traumatic Stress -- Shaped by the Past: A Brief History of Mindfulness and Trauma -- The Brain and Body in Trauma and Mindfulness. Part II: The Five Principles of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Stay Within the Window of Tolerance: The Role of Arousal -- Shift Attention to Support Stability: Avoiding the Fear/Immobility Cycle -- Keep the Body in Mind: Working with Dissociation -- Practice in Relationship: Supporting Safety and Stability in Survivors -- Understand Social Context: Working Effectively Across Difference.

"Drawing on a decade of research and clinical experience, psychotherapist and educator David Treleaven shows that mindfulness meditation--practiced without an awareness of trauma--can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic stress. Instructed to pay close, sustained attention to their inner world, survivors can experience flashbacks, dissociation, and even retraumatization. This raises a crucial question for mindfulness teachers, trauma professionals, and survivors everywhere: How can we minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness for survivors while leveraging its powerful benefits? Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness offers answers to this question. Part I provides an insightful and concise review of the histories of mindfulness and trauma, including the way modern neuroscience is shaping our understanding of both. Through grounded scholarship and wide-ranging case examples, Treleaven illustrates the ways mindfulness can help--or hinder--trauma recovery. Part II distills these insights into five key principles for trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Covering the role of attention, arousal, relationship, dissociation, and social context within trauma-informed practice, Treleaven offers 36 specific modifications designed to support survivors' safety and stability. The result is a groundbreaking and practical approach that empowers those looking to practice mindfulness in a safe, transformative way"-- Publisher's description.