Seeking safety A treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse (The Guilford Substance Abuse Series)

A very good book, startling in its clearness and grasp of the situations that can result from PTSD. One aspect of the book which I found distracting was that all people who helped others were referred to as "Treaters," which sounds like someone who gives five year olds cookies, and not a term with the necessary Gravitas for what occurs.

We are implementing Seeking Safety as the backbone of our inpatient Adolescent Acute Unit. Even with only partial implementation, patients are complimentary of the materials and actively use skills on on the unit. We are excited to complete the process.

I'm using this book as a ciriculum for its target population.Overall, the flexibly structured approach is super helpful for a group in various stages of recovery and most topics we have used have produced fruitful insight for many patients.However, the book needs an update to integrate interventions from DBT into the handouts to be more relevant to the work of contemporary clinicians.I would also prefer an elimination of editorial opinions presented as facts: the section on PTSD contains several which, informed by 20 years of practice, I find untrue or potentially shaming.Needless to say,those tidbits were removed from the handouts my group received.

I rarely write reviews, but felt compelled to do so in praise of this protocol.I've spent the last year working at a community mental health site for clients with substance abuse disorders. Seeking Safety is, hands down, the BEST resource I've found to work with clients and elicit change. It's intended to be used in group settings, but I've also found the materials to be useful in individual therapy. If you're working with clients with substance abuse/PTSD, you will not regret purchasing this book.

I purchased this as a patient but I think it will be okay. No jargon so far and really helpful worksheets.If you feel lost by the distance between these two diagnoses this book will really help.It is the basis for support groups and excerpts used in my IOP, so considered top rate by professionals. A very compassionate work.