Collective Trauma, Collective Healing: Promoting Community Resilience in the Aftermath of Disaster
by Jack Saul
Collective Trauma, Collective Healing is a guide for mental health professionals working in response to large-scale political violence or natural disaster. It provides a framework that practitioners can use to develop their own community based, collective approach to treating trauma and providing clinical services that are both culturally and contextually appropriate. Clinicians will come away from the book with a solid understanding of new roles that health and mental health professionals play in disasters—roles that encourage them to recognize and enhance the resilience and coping skills in families, organizations, and the community at large.
"Collective Trauma, Collective Healing is essential reading for all clinical and community-based professionals working with survivors of mass trauma. In contrast to the individualistic, symptom-focused approach of most mental health services, this practice framework addresses the widespread impact of major disasters in families and communities and taps their strengths and resources for recovery and resilience. In this valuable guide, Dr. Saul, an internationally recognized leader at the forefront of the field, draws on his extensive experience and creative initiatives to inform and inspire our response to trauma and tragedy by bringing out the best in families and their communities." —Froma Walsh, PhD, codirector at the Chicago Center for Family Health, Firestone Professor Emerita at the University of Chicago and author of Strengthening Family Resilience
"This book is a wonderful collection of essays about the ways individuals and communities around the world, from Kosovo to Liberia, and from Tibet, and Chile, to Turkey and to New York after September 11, recover from collective trauma. It is filled with practical suggestions for how narratives, theater, and public performances can promote resilience and recovery in people and communities that have been devastated by wars, natural disasters, and interpersonal violence. It presents a solution-focused approach that emphasizes the individual’s or family’s strengths rather than their problems or pathology. It is a refreshing break from overly concrete prescriptions that ignore cultural and individual differences, and that tend neglect the healing power of community and collective action." —Bessel van der Kolk, MD, professor of psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine and medical director of the Trauma Center
"Jack Saul shows professionals how to build community programs that employ primordial human tactics to forge increased community resilience. This book has that rare ability to produce a paradigm shift in how we heal traumatized communities. It’s original and intellectually exciting. I bet it becomes a classic." —Helen Fisher, PhD, research professor in the department of anthropology at Rutgers University
Selected Publications
Bava, S. & Saul, J. (2013). Implementing collective approaches to massive trauma/loss in western contexts. In K.M. Gow & M. J. Celinski (Eds.). Mass Trauma: Impact and Recovery Issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Saul, J. (2012). Psychological and situational factors involved in the participation in torture. Expert report prepared for the Enhancing Human Rights Project. University of Sydney.
Saul, J. and Bava, S. (2009). Implementing collective approaches to massive trauma/loss: Implications for recovery, peace-building and development. International Conflict Research Institute, University of Ulster.
Saul, J. (2008) The International trauma studies program. In Stout, Chris, ed. The New Humanitarians: Inspiration, Innovations, and Blue Prints for Visionaries. Praeger.
Saul, J. (Winter, 2007). Promoting community resilience in lower Manhattan after September 11, 2001. In Systemic responses to disaster: Stories in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. American Family Academy Monograph Series, pp. 69-75.
Fullilove, M., & Saul, J. (2006) Rebuilding communities post-disaster: Lessons from 9/11. In Y. Neria, R, Gross, R. Marshall, R., E. Susser (Eds.), September 11, 2001: Treatment, research and public mental health in the wake of a terrorist attack (pp.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (pp/ 164-177).
Saul, J. (2005). Promoting community resilience in lower Manhattan after September 11, 2001. In Y. Danieli & R. Dingman (Eds.) On the Ground after September 11: Mental health responses and practical knowledge gained. Binghamton, NY: Hayworth Press (pp. 470-478).
Weine, S., Ukshini, S., Griffith, J., Agani, F., Pulleyblank-Coffey, E., Ulaj, J., Becker, C., Ajeti, L., Griffith, M., Alidemaj-Sereqi, V., Landau, J., Assllani, M., Pavkovic, I., Bunjaku, A., Rolland, J., Cala, G., Saul, J., Makolli, S., Sluzki, C., Statovci, S. (2005). A family approach to severe mental illness in post-war Kosova. Psychiatry. Vol. 68 (1).
Landau, J. & Saul, J. (2005). “Enhancing family and community resilience in the face of major disaster.” A. Roizblatt, (Ed.). Terapias de Parejas y Familias del Siglo XX para el Siglo XXI. Santiago, Chile: Editorial Mediterrénao.
Saul, J., Breindel, H., Margolies, L, Hamilton, L., Jacobs, N. (2004). Stories from the Ground: A community initiated narrative archive in lower Manhattan post 9/11. Proceeds of the International Oral History Association World Congress.
Saul, J. (2004). Promoting community recovery in lower Manhattan after September 11, 2001. Bulletin of the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies 5, no.2 Autumn/Winter: 1-16.
Landau, J. & Saul, J. (2004) Facilitating family and community resilience in response to major disaster. In F. Walsh and M. McGoldrick (Eds.), Living beyond loss. New York: Norton.
Saul, J. (2003, Apr. 4). Ghost-painting grandfather's story to understand his own, The Forward, p. 4.
Saul, J., Ukshini, S., Blyta, A., & Statovci, S. (2003). Strengths based treatment of trauma in the aging: An Albanian Kosovar case study. In J. Ronch, & J. Goldfield (Eds.), Mental wellness in aging: Strength based approaches (299-314). London: Health Professions Press.
Saul, J. (2002, Sept. 11). 2 pillars are crucial to helping children adjust, New York Times. p. 17.
Weine, S., Danieli, Y., Silove, D., Van Ommeren, M., Fairbank, J., Saul, J. (2002). Guidelines for international training in mental health and psychosocial interventions for trauma exposed populations in clinical and community settings, Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, Volume 65 Number 2.
Saul, J. (2000). Mapping trauma: a multi-systemic approach. Psychosocial Notebook. International Organization for Migration. November.
Saul, J. (1999). Working with survivors of torture and political violence in New York City. Zeitschrift fur Politische Psychologie, 7(1-2), 221 - 232.
Keller, A., Saul, J & Eisenman, D. (1998). Caring for survivors of torture in an urban, municipal hospital, Journal of Ambulatory Care Medicine, March, 1998.
Keller, A., Eisenman, D., & Saul, J., Kim, G.,Connell, J.and Holtz, T. (1999). Assessment of torture among Tibetan refugees. Torture: Quarterly Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture . Supp. #1: 41-46.
Saul, J. (1997, Nov. 1). Forgotten in the hoopla: Tibet’s young torture victims. The New York Times.
Keller, A., Eisenman, D., & Saul, J. (1997). Evaluating and treating the physical and psychological consequences of torture. J.Gen.Intern Med 1997, 12 supp 1
Saul, J. (1997). Helping the children of war. The Lancet. Vol. 349, April.
Keller, A., Eisenman, D., & Saul, J., Kim, G.,Connell, J.and Holtz, T. (1997). “Striking hard: Torture in Tibet,” Physicians for Human Rights Report, Oct. 1997.
Perel, E., & Saul, J. (1989). A family therapy approach to Holocaust survivor families. In P. Marcus, & A. Rosenberg (Eds.), Healing their wounds: Psychotherapy with Holocaust survivors and their families. New York: Praeger.
Saul, J. (1985). Ethnic identity and psychological adjustment in old age. New York, NY:
Center on Ethnicity, Behavior and Communication, American Jewish Committee Monograph.
Saul, J. (1984). Ethnic identity and psychological adjustment in old age. The Gerontologist, 3/84.
Saul, J. (1983). Jewish ethnic identity and psychological adjustment in old age. Doctoral Dissertation, Boston University.
Video Productions
Saul, J. (Producer), and Gampel, A. (Director). (2003) Everything’s back to normal in New York City: Below Canal, a work in progress. New York: Downtown Community Resource Center, International Trauma Studies Program, New York University.
Saul, J. (Producer), and Ray, J (Director). (2002) A partnership for kids: post 9/11 coping strategies for the school community. [Video] New York: International Trauma Studies Program, New York University.
Saul, J. (Producer) and Reisner, S. (Director), (2000) Head soup: The work of Theater Arts Against Political Violence, New York: Refuge, Inc.
Saul, J. and Minuchin, S., (1991), Prisoners or jailers: working with out of control children in family therapy. New York: Family Studies, Inc.
Saul, J. (Writer and Producer), and Spiegel, P. (Producer and Director), (1985) Sources of strength: Jewish ethnicity in later life. New York, NY: American Jewish Committee.
Theater Productions
Saul, J. (Producer) and Reisner, S. (Director), (2000) Head soup: The work of Theater Arts Against Political Violence, On Chilean Refugees and Political Prisoners Living in New York, New York: Refuge, Inc.
Saul, J. (Producer), and Gampel, A. (Director). (2003) Everything’s back to normal in New York City: Below Canal, a work in progress. New York: Downtown Community Resource Center, International Trauma Studies Program, New York University.
Saul, J (Producer), and ITSP Performance Group, (2010) Checkpoints: Collaborative Theater Project with Staten Island Liberian Refugee Community. International Trauma Studies Program. New York.
Web Instillations
Saul, J. (2003) Spring and Slaughter: Kishinev Pogrom 1903 –2003. A multimedia web installation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Kishinev Pogrom. http://www.kishinevpogrom.com
Saul, J., (2004) Stories from the Ground: the Lower Manhattan Video Narrative Archive Project. htpp://www.nyu.edu/trauma.studies/archive http://itspnyc.org/archive