Transforming The Living Legacy of Trauma: A Workbook for Survivors and Therapists

Reviewed by Jennifer Silverness, MSEd, LPCC, LADC – Founder, Pioneer Recovery CenterJanina Fisher has a rare gift for making complex trauma concepts both deeply compassionate and incredibly usable in real life. Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma is not just a book—it’s a guided journey for understanding how trauma shapes identity, relationships, and the nervous system, and how to gently reclaim safety and self-worth.What I love about this book is its workbook format. It offers step-by-step exercises, reflective prompts, and grounding strategies that clients at Pioneer Recovery Center have found immediately helpful. Fisher’s approach honors the survivor’s pace, combining the latest neuroscience with a profound respect for lived experience.Whether you’re a therapist seeking effective tools or a survivor ready to explore healing in a safe, structured way, this book provides a roadmap that is both hopeful and empowering. It’s one of the most accessible and actionable trauma resources available today.

Good little workbook for clients. Clients with whom I have used this workbook really like it, because it is easy to read and not loaded with academic drivel (which I can't stand- we work with people who need to be able to understand concepts without having to use a clinical glossary for every other term.) Also, it is affordable which is big deal for me so that most clients can afford to buy a copy. For those who cannot afford it, we go through it together during sessions and they can use a separate sheet of paper to work out the activities, then take their notes home.

This is one of the most important writings in present day psychotherapy. For both therapist and patient it covers every aspect of trauma and builds the staircase of understanding from childhood trauma to present day behaviors . The material is highly understandable, hits the nail on the head and helps the reader to understand and cope with the many layers of trauma that they may have experienced in their life. The book also empowers the reader to find solutions that work in changing unwanted behavior. In essence it makes the legacy of trauma manageable in a way that the individual can initiate and understand how to be successful in coping with the unseen fallout from trauma.

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Perfect for therapists and clients with trauma.

Janina Fisher offers straightforward, clear information to help trauma survivors understand the impacts on their systems, along with ways to change these impacts in present time and moving forward for actual healing. Working in groups with women who've experienced multiple violations and often turn to substances, this resource is key for supporting them in taking their power back so they can choose to understand and take care of themselves differently.Giving it 4 stars (rather than 5) for 4 reasons, and offer these suggestions:Could be formatted to include more engaging graphics. Reads a bit dry at times, but the material is still helpful.Mentioning that children masturbate to soothe themselves can be confusing and triggering for some, not sure it needed to be included to get the message across that humans self soothe. Can open up a whole discussion that takes away from the client's situation.Using the terms hyperarousal and hypoarousal can also be triggering, and some much prefer the terms hyperactivated and hypoactivated.Could place the worksheets right next to the area where they're recommended, rather than at end of the section.Overall, very grateful for this resource.

Transforming the Legacy of Trauma was a short but impactful book. I spoke about this book so much that I thought I had written the review in 2023. The author provided one of the best manuals to identify how, when, what, and who is traumatized. She then highlighted ways to alert us when we are interacting and triggered by fears or triggers.She extensively explained the human brain from birth through adolescence. Her research was a huge eye-opener and deeply intrigued me. She established through case studies and examples how our mind/brain develops, ages, grows, activates, and sometimes, parts of the brain shuts off. She revealed how even basic things can trigger a person into unhealthy behaviors and not always for the reasons we speculate.She spoke about our bodies none verbal memories. This book reconfirms that trauma does not disappear, but we can learn to mitigate our response with direct and mindful work. This pivotal work has many applications for home, school, office, prisons, private therapy, human resources, military, police, etc.The Legacy of Trauma is a terrific book that should be read, shared, treasured, and referenced often. It was one of my best reads for 2023. There is also an accompanying workbook and a list of resources to continue learning.

I haven't started this yet, but my therapist recommended it to me. From what I've started reading so far, it seems to offer a unique way of working through past traumas and understanding how it plays out in your current life. Excited to get started.

I am so glad I ordered this book. So far it is an excellent read and helping me. Thank you for the delivery.