From the "Brené Brown of trauma" comes a
groundbreaking, actionable guide to healing trauma through a reframing and
adaptation of Positive Psychology.
Joy can feel complicated, especially to someone who is struggling. Against the
very real darkness that life offers up, a chorus of “but do you have a
gratitude journal?” or “have you tried yoga?” can feel isolating and
dismissive. And yet, the research on resilience, joy, gratitude, hope, and
post-traumatic growth proves unequivocally that these emotions are healing.
When it comes to deploying that research and adapting it into actionable tools
for people with a history of trauma, psychology falls desperately short. To
bridge this gap, Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald has reframed these concepts and
created new interventions for anyone who struggles to feel at home with
joy.
In The Joy Reset, Dr. McDonald helps readers identify barriers that
prevent them from accessing joy—hypervigilance, emotional numbing, fear of
loss, conditioning, guilt, and shame—and then redefines positive emotions as
those tenacious, gritty, often tiny experiences that appear within the darkest
moments and form the very foundation of psychological resilience. Rooted in the
neurobiology that explains how and why trauma and suffering can impede our path
to hope and joy, Dr. McDonald shares exercises that make joy and gratitude both
bite-sized and accessible, inviting readers to welcome these emotions back
in.
By emphasizing the very real ways that joy and hope show up even in our
toughest moments, The Joy Reset empowers readers to find the
light in the dark—no matter what.
About the Author
MaryCatherine McDonald is a research professor
and life coach who specializes in the psychology and philosophy of trauma.
Her work focuses on thinking critically about how we
understand, define, and heal from traumatic experiences.
She has published several research articles and book
chapters, as well as three books on trauma.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. McDonald coaches
individuals and corporations and creates trauma-based curriculum for non-profit
organizations and schools.
