Write and Breathe: A Guide to Healing Psychological Trauma

Moral trauma and the emotional suffering it causes are among the most important yet least studied areas of psychology related to traumatic experiences. Unlike depression, anxiety, and the classical variant of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), moral trauma is based on internal conflict. It arises from the clash of moral principles and values with actions or situations perceived as immoral, unacceptable, or violating personal beliefs. At the core of moral trauma are feelings of guilt and shame, and the traumatized person experiences a wide range of emotional experiences, including feelings of loss, loneliness, despair, and meaninglessness of life.
This guide is inspired by Embodied Disclosure Therapy—a scientifically grounded, safe, and well-researched method for treating psychological trauma. Michelle DeMarco has adapted it so that you can embark on a healing journey on your own. One of the author’s developed approaches—Imaginal Writing—is a way to engage the imagination for safe and creative exploration of values, beliefs, and experiences that can both intensify and heal emotional pain. Creative writing is based on the premise that imagination is a doorway to the deepest parts of our personality, where integrity and unity reside.
The workbook is organized to accompany you in the process of writing about your experiences of moral pain. It includes 23 writing assignments distributed across six sections. The first section is dedicated to stress reduction techniques, the second to reframing the past, the third and fourth help to navigate the present and reimagine the future, and the fifth and sixth focus on strengthening the internal connection between your past experiences and a new outlook on the future, which opens the way to a renewed life. These approaches allow individuals to consciously work through their experiences and facilitate the gradual restoration of emotional balance.