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With what what research has taught us, the complex layers of trauma and its impact on learning is crucial in creating a supportive and nurturing environment for all students. Professional development in this area not only enriches our toolkit but also transforms our classrooms into safe havens where every child can thrive. To aid in this journey, here’s a curated list of 10 essential books on trauma, resilience, and healing. These reads offer valuable perspectives, strategies, and reflections to help educators navigate the challenges and opportunities in supporting trauma-affected learners.
1. “What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing” by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
This groundbreaking book shifts the conversation from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey combine personal stories and scientific insight to explore how early trauma affects our behavior, relationships, and self-image. It’s newer, but has already become one of the essential books on trauma for educators looking to adopt a trauma-informed approach in their interactions with students. I listened to this book on audio, and it’s really special to hear as an audiobook! It’s ready by Dr. Perry & by Oprah in a way that feels more like a podcast or conversation. I highly recommend!
2. “Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom” by Kristin Souers and Pete Hall
Kristin Souers, with co-author Pete Hall, provides a comprehensive guide to developing trauma-sensitive learning environments. This book is filled with practical strategies, activities, and tips to help educators build strong relationships with students, create safe spaces, and empower learners to overcome their challenges. It’s a must-read for fostering resilience and hope in the classroom.
3. “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk offers a profound look at trauma’s effects on the body and mind and the pathways to recovery. This book delves into innovative treatments and methods for addressing traumatic stress, making it invaluable for educators seeking to understand and support students’ healing processes. Note that this is a LONG book – over 400 pages! While it’s very digestible, it’s simultaneously a really heavy read, as can be expected with this tough topic. Regardless, I find this to be one of the many essential books on trauma if it’s a topic you really would like to learn more about.
4. “Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence, and Chronic Stress” by Debbie Zacarian, Lourdes Alvarez-Ortiz, and Judie Haynes
This book addresses the critical reality that half of U.S. students have been affected by trauma, violence, or chronic stress, focusing on a strengths-based approach to education rather than therapeutic solutions. Through real-world examples and research principles, it guides educators on recognizing students’ inherent assets, connecting learning to their experiences, enhancing strengths through structured routines and group activities, and building family and community partnerships. It’s a valuable resource for teaching a vulnerable student population with positivity and resilience at its core.
5. “Trauma-Sensitive Schools: Learning Communities Transforming Children’s Lives, K–5” by Susan E. Craig
Susan E. Craig emphasizes the importance of creating trauma-sensitive schools for young learners. This book offers a roadmap for transforming schools into places where traumatized children can learn and grow, providing educators with the knowledge and tools to make a lasting impact on their students’ lives. I love how Craig criticizes the “zero tolerance” policy trend and flips these often commonplace policies on their heads in the best way.
6. “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” by Dr. Monique Couvson
This is one of the first books I read when I began working in a residential therapeutic day school. Pushout is always the book I recommend to other teachers, and is one of the few reads I consider ESSENTIAL books on trauma for educators. Dr. Couvson provides an essential analysis of the challenges Black girls face within educational and judicial systems. It highlights how these young women’s lives are often misunderstood and negatively judged by the very structures meant to support them. She uncovers the harsh realities and confined potential faced by Black girls, drawing attention to the critical need for policy reforms and cultural understanding to prevent these students from being marginalized. It’s hard to read, but in almost every covered story, the struggles the girls face really gain traction AT school. It’s an eye opener as the reader uncovers that school trauma is more prevalent than we’d like to think.
7. “Equity Centered Trauma Informed Education” by Alex Shevrin Venet
Venet’s book introduces six foundational principles guiding teachers toward practical, actionable steps for integrating equity and trauma sensitivity into teaching, leadership, and policy-making. She does this by highlighting the gradual process of dismantling inequitable systems. I love how this book inspires the reader to leverage their resources and influence for systemic change, regardless of their position. This is one of the few essential books on trauma that champions and encourages the notion that significant progress can begin within the confines of individual classrooms.
8. “Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners” by Kristin Souers and Pete Hall
n their impactful sequel to “Fostering Resilient Learners,” Kristin Van Marter Souers and Pete Hall dive deeper into trauma-informed education with a guide to advancing practices in the classroom. They introduce the concept of building a “nest,” a positive learning environment founded on the new three Rs: relationship, responsibility, and regulation. Through their experiences, the authors offer insights on creating a culture of safety, addressing students’ core needs with tailored interventions, and and showing these interventions through real-world scenarios. This book challenges educators to rethink their roles and provides them with the tools to positively influence their students’ lives and learning experiences.
9. “Trauma-Informed Teaching and IEPs: Strategies for Building Student Resilience” by Melissa Sadin
This text delves into the critical intersection of trauma, disability, and education, highlighting the urgent need for a trauma-informed approach in schools. With a staggering number of children experiencing trauma—80% of those in special education—this guide underscores the disproportionate impact on Black children and the challenges in crafting effective IEPs. This book offers practical strategies across all grade levels and subjects to understand trauma’s impact on the brain and learning, integrate compassion into teaching, and tailor IEPs through a trauma-informed lens.
10. “Spark:
This book is, in my humble opinion, one of the essential books on trauma for teachers. Actually, it’s for anyone interested in the impact of physical activity on the brain! This long-lived book offers insights into how exercise can be a key component in achieving optimal performance both in and out of the classroom, and highlights an enormous study done in a Chicago suburb that shows the irrefutable evidence that exercise really does tremendously impact how we function. I don’t love his definitions of “misbehavior”, however his findings on how movement and aerobic exercise dramatically effects student behavior is pretty incredible.
Essential Books on Trauma for Educators
Investing in professional development books about trauma can significantly impact your practice as an educator. Each book on this list offers unique insights into creating a trauma-informed classroom, fostering resilience, and supporting students through their healing journey.
