Book Club Groups to Aid Relational Connection and Trust among Addicted Trauma Survivors

ABSTRACT

This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a literacy study, which examines Book Clubs as a creative approach to engage female addicted trauma survivors in developing psychologically safe, trusting therapeutic relationships. This approach is respectful of the participants’ experiences of relational trauma and diverse cultural contexts, in part because book clubs are ‘normal’ experiences in which the client is better able to have control over the level of vulnerability she engages in within the therapeutic milieu. Themes indicating increasing levels of vulnerability and psychological safety include use of book club discussions to identify with text, plot, or characters; to discuss escape coping and aggressive coping; and to discuss self as a victim and as a survivor.

KEYWORDS:

• Addiction
• coping
• trauma informed
• relational connection
• vulnerability
• therapeutic relationship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.