Allen offers a comprehensive
treatise of the traumatic experience and its impact on human psyche and
behavior. He examines the nature of
trauma in clinical terms with particular attention to the effect of traumatic
experiences at all phases of human development. He appropriately incorporates the known literature regarding the
impact of trauma and its link with the nature and surrounding circumstances of
any given traumatic incident. By
attempting to objectively define the concept of trauma and its role within the
human experience, Allen cites scions of the posttraumatic literature, such as
McFarlane and Yehuda. His exploration
of this arena appears well-founded and carefully referenced. His reference to other established experts
in the field of trauma, such as van der Kolk, appears judiciously done with
clear conclusions drawn for the less experienced reader. His own conclusions,
while true, are less than demanding positions for the critical reader
well-versed in this area of study.

Yet, whether one is a die-hard behaviorist or a
longstanding analyst, Allen’s work presents a nice summation of trauma as an
entity and uniquely emphasizes the concept of trauma as a relational
concept. He identifies the relationship
of trauma as an experience both within and between humans across the
lifespan. In doing so, he addresses the
concept of trauma ranging from traumatic developmental experiences to abusive
relationships. He provides nodding
attention to more global experiences of trauma such as natural disasters and
terrorism. In addition, and perhaps
most significantly, he provides a detailed review of psychopathology in
relationship to trauma with attention to both assessment and intervention. This aspect of Allen’s book is both detailed
and highly representative of the existent literature in this field. By far the strongest aspect of Allen’s text,
his approach to diagnostics, treatment and management is extremely
well-organized for any seeking clinician. 
His attention to the diverse clinical presentations which are associated
with traumatic exposure, however, provides a powerful resource for any reader.
His equally careful examination of comorbid presentations and techniques for
treating trauma-related disorders yields an equally useful reservoir of known and
burgeoning knowledge about this area of study. 
Overall, this text provides the budding researcher and the seasoned
clinician with a carefully constructed vision of existent trauma literature and
those areas that invite further examination. 

© 2002 Corinne Secrest Goodwin

Corinne Secrest Goodwin, MSW, MA
is a graduate with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
the University of Alabama, and The Fielding Institute. She is a psychotherapist with ten years
experience and has worked outpatient mental health, private psychiatric
hospitals, state psychiatric facilities, psychiatric emergency, substance abuse
service and residential care for the dually diagnosed. Her clinical emphasis primarily lies in the
area of comorbid medical presentations, posttraumatic stress, and clinical
supervision. She is currently in the
last year of completing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an internship
in Neuropsychology.

Categories: MentalHealth