Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for Ptsd and Substance Abuse

by Lisa M. Najavits

Book Overview

This manual presents the most widely adopted evidence-based treatment for co-occurring trauma and addiction. For clients facing one or both of these issues, the most urgent clinical need is to establish safety--to reduce addictive behavior, build healthy relationships, manage symptoms such as dissociation and self-harm, and restore ideals that have been lost. Seeking Safety focuses on coping skills in the present; it can be implemented with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1572306394
• ISBN13: 9781572306394
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 401 Pages
• Weight: 2.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.5" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Gold Standard in dual diagnosis treatment of PTSD

This manual is in use and recommended for use by the VA's National Center for PTSD at Palo Alto California.

A useful and inspiring resource

This book, intended for therapists, is a comprehensive, compassionate, and accessible guide to what Najavits establishes is the first crucial step for someone struggling with PTSD and substance abuse: learning to feel safe. It is also an excellent resource for patients who want to help themselves. What I like best is that the book is filled with checklists, stories, exercises, and quotations such that I can open to nearly any page and find ideas that are both practical and inspirational. In short, this is a great book.

A Very Powerful Book

Thank you for writing such a great book. I have suffered from addictions for years, tried many books and many methods. Working with a group or individual is one thing, but for me, nothing helps more than a book. It's on call twenty four hours a day and I can easily reference it. As far as books go...this one is by far the best. The most comprehensive and in-depth book I've read so far. It provided tremendous support and guidance on issues that often result in isolation. Most of all, it didn't talk down to me as a reader. That's something I don't need! Thank you for making this book available and writing it in such a helpful way.

Extremely useful volume for professionals

I can see why this book got such rave reviews and is such a best-seller. It's a superb book, offering both real insight into trauma and addiction, as well as hands-on clinical tools. As someone in the field, I have found both the philosophical and practical aspects of Najavits' work incomparable. On top of the impeccable professionalism, is her impressive writing. This is a must buy for anyone interested in this area.

Truly outstanding!

This is the best treatment manual I have ever read. It is inspiring, hopeful, carefully constructed, and has exceptional clinical sensitivity for clients. So many books in psychology are written in a dry, academic style, and lack real awareness of clients. This book is a rare and notable exception.