Walser, R. D., & Hayes, S. C. (1998). Acceptance and trauma survivors: Applied issues and problems. In V. Follette, J. Ruzak, & F. Abueg (Eds.), Trauma in context: A cognitive behavioral approach to trauma (pp. 256-277). New York: Guilford Press.
There is a tendency to equate trauma with extremely painful events, but the two are quite different. Not all painful events are traumatic. The death of a loved one may be extremely painful, yet going through such an experience may be meaningful, valued, or even sacred. When and how does psychological pain transform into trauma? This chapter is about a possible answer to that question and the treatment of trauma based on that answer.
The etymology of the words involved give us a clue about how to approach the issue. "Trauma" comes from a Latin root meaning "wound." Unlike mere pain, woulds involve injury and bodily harm. They produce scars. They take time - perhaps a long time - to heal. The words .........