South Africa has one of the highest rates of extreme violence cases in the world, which has created a critical need for counsellors to be trained specifically in this area. In Trauma Counselling: Principles and Practice in South Africa today, a team of academics and practitioners have compiled a hands-on, yet theoretically grounded and evidence-based South African textbook on counselling victims of trauma. 

The first part of this publication focuses on the variety of potentially traumatic events that commonly occur in South Africa. It clearly describes themes related to traumatic events and traumatic stress and introduces the basic principles of trauma counselling. This section also focuses on how traumatic stress may manifest in different client groups. 

The second part aims to familiarise students with a range of strategies suitable for trauma counselling, such as brief interventions, cognitive behaviour therapy, the narrative approach, strength-based interventions and integrated or alternative approaches. The final chapter is a personal one, in which the authors reflect on the lessons they have learnt from their own practice and the techniques they have developed to protect themselves from vicarious trauma.

The final chapter is a personal one, in which the authors reflect on the lessons they have learnt from their own practice and the techniques they have developed to protect themselves from vicarious trauma.

Other features include

• Activities at the start of each chapter to establish background knowledge

• Case studies and practical application exercises to illustrate how the strategies can be applied

• Critical thinking and individual thinking exercises that encourage students to reflect on their own experiences

• Extensive consolidation practice exercises at the end of each chapter

• Extensive support material for lecturers and students.

Chapter 1: What is traumatic stress?

Chapter 2: A basic understanding of trauma counselling

Chapter 3: The context of community trauma in South Africa

Chapter 4: Trauma counselling related to health, illness and death

Chapter 5: Traumatic incidents in the family context

Chapter 6: The phenomenology of rape in South Africa

Chapter 7: Understanding the effects of indirect trauma

Chapter 8: Brief interventions

Chapter 9: Cognitive behavioural informed trauma counselling

Chapter 10: Narrative practices in trauma care, support and counselling

Chapter 11: Strengths-based interventions in trauma counselling

Chapter 12: An integrated approach to working with trauma

Chapter 13: Care sense: the importance of self-care for counsellors

This book is suitable for undergraduate students in social work, psychology, nursing, theology and counselling, as well as for practising counsellors who need to further develop their counselling skills.