We live in a changed world, a world where the enemy is no longer in uniform on the other side of a trench. There is no longer an identified ""war zone"" and the ""enemy"" may be the innocent looking person standing next to us. Clear boundaries and an assumption of safety no longer exist. Learning new skills to address the injuries incurred by sudden trauma and unpredictable lives is essential. This book is written for those persons in the ""helping professions."" It is also written for those who have a sufficient understanding of psychology and a sufficient awareness of our current world, and want to gain some knowledge about being helpful. This book offers the educator and the practitioner training methods, exercises, and intervention techniques applicable to the gamut of experiences that we currently encounter. It also will introduce readers to newer concepts and their applications such as role play, spirituality, the role of animals in healing, and the concept of forgiveness. Throughout the book, whether it is in those who represent the highly resilient or those who continue to struggle, a strengths perspective is emphasized. Finally, this book describes the ""Phoenix Phenomenon"", a concept I developed during the course of my teaching and practice, which articulates and illustrates an inherent ability to use resilience in the process of converting pain into growth.
