A new, revised and expanded Turkish edition, of ‘Understanding Your Reactions To Trauma’ is to be distributed, free of charge, to provide support to over 40,000 survivors of the recent earthquakes.
First ever Uk self-help trauma book is revised and updated
‘Understanding Your Reactions to Trauma’ was the first self-help trauma book ever to be published by a psychologist in the UK when Dr Claudia Herbert first wrote it in 1995. It has provided a valuable reference for countless trauma survivors in the years since through its clear and intuitive insights into the processes which are triggered following a traumatic event. It was first translated into Turkish by eminent Turkish psychiatrist, Professor Mehmet Sungur in 1999 providing help for survivors of previous earthquakes in Turkey. At that time it was also clinically evaluated and found to be helpful to survivors of earthquakes.
The book has recently been extensively revised and updated by Professor Mehmet Sungur who collaborated with Dr Claudia Herbert with the aim that it will help provide a salubrious resource for the thousands of survivors of the earthquakes which devastated Turkey and Syria in February, earlier this year.
Professor Mehmet Sungur
Dr Mehmet Sungur trained in cognitive behaviour therapy at the Institute of Psychiatry (King’s College), London. He is professor of psychiatry at Istanbul Kent University, a founding fellow member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and International Advisory Board member of the Beck Institute. He is a past president of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy and of the Europoean Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Therapy. Professor Sungur is also the president of the Turkish Association of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy and the European Federation of Sexology. He has presented workshops and keynotes in many international congresses. He has received national and international awards and published more than 100 papers and written many books and book chapters on CBT and is on the advisory and/or editorial board of many national and international journals.
Professor Mehmet Sungur’s revisions and additions to ‘Understanding Your Reactions To Trauma’ have brought it up to date to reflect the new understanding which has been gained in the field of trauma since the book was first published. The new edition is now 106 pages and includes multiple new chapters which incorporate Professor Sungur’s knowledge and expertise within the field of Trauma and the following new sections have been added to the book:
- A new chapter covering psychological first aid
- A new chapter for children and adolescents coping with trauma
- A new chapter on learning from earier experiences
- A new chapter about embracing and understanding pain
“I believe we have done something that will be very helpful for the trauma survivors and victims.”
Professor Mehmet Sungur
A Devastating Natural Disaster
On 6 February 2023, southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria were struck by one of the largest earthquakes to have ever been recorded in the region, causing tens of thousands of fatalities and huge devastation to hundreds of thousands of lives. Widespread damage reached an area of about 140,000 sq miles with an estimated 16 percent of Turkey’s population affected. Development experts from the United Nations estimated that about 1.5 million people were left homeless.
The sheer scale of such a disaster is horrific to try to comprehend. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have had to try to live through the turmoil imposed by the event and to embark on the process of trying to rebuild their lives in the face of such brutal natural forces. They will have experienced levels of shock and trauma which, until life dictated it, would have seemed uncomprehendable. Trying to assimilate such an event will be, for many, the work of a lifetime but understanding the processes involved will hopefully help to give people a framework when the moment comes for them to try to begin to find some peace and trust in life’s path again.
A Free Resource For Earthquake Survivors
Professor Sungur’s work translating, updating and improving the ‘Understanding Your Reactions To Trauma’ book are part of an initiative he has been working on to provide 40,000 copies of the book free for survivors of the earthquake to use as a resource in their healing process. In collaboration with local sponsors, helping to cover the printing and distribution costs, the 40,000 books are ready and are now being distributed to survivors of the recent earthquake trauma.
