Book Review – Working With Traumatic Memories To Heal Adults With Unresolved Childhood Trauma

Review by Omewha Beaton, PhD

By Petra Winnette , PhD and Jonathan Baylin, PhD

2017

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Working with traumatic memories to heal adults with unresolved childhood trauma: Neuroscience, attachment theory and Pesso Boyden system psychomotor psychotherapy is a collaborative effort by Petra Winnette, PhD, a psychotherapist, and Jonathan Baylin, PhD, a clinical psychologist. The book offers a comprehensive exploration of the Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor Psychotherapy (PBSP) framework and its potential to address unresolved childhood traumas in adults. By seamlessly integrating insights from neuroscience and attachment theory, the authors explore how childhood trauma shapes brain development, disrupts secure attachment bonds, and leads to lasting negative effects in adulthood. This book fills a critical gap in the literature on evidence-based trauma therapies for adults with unresolved childhood traumas.

Structured into 10 chapters across four sections, the book thoroughly examines the complexities of unresolved childhood trauma. The first section lays the foundation by offering a detailed overview of childhood trauma’s development and enduring effects. Following this, the PBSP therapeutic model is introduced, laying a theoretical foundation. Section 3 demonstrates PBSP in action through compelling case studies, bridging theory with real-world application. The final section features an insightful interview with Albert Pesso, co-creator of PBSP, offering insights into its development and evolution.

In Chapters 1 through 3, Winnette and Baylin integrate insights from neuroscience and attachment theory to explain how childhood trauma can shape brain development and disrupt secure attachment bonds. Winnette, the primary author, emphasizes the profound influence of early caregiver relationships on a child’s coping skills and emotional well-being, stressing the importance of safe and nurturing interactions. Conversely, neglect or abuse can cause developmental trauma, impeding a child’s ability to form secure attachments. Building on Winnette’s ideas, Baylin incorporates a neurobiological perspective explaining how traumatic experiences can physically alter the brain’s structure and function, leading to symptoms such as hypervigilance and intrusive memories. Both authors underscore a key insight: memories are not fixed, suggesting that even entrenched developmental traumas can be reworked to facilitate healing.

Chapter 4 introduces PBSP, a mind-body interactive therapeutic approach pioneered by Albert Pesso and Diane Boyden-Pesso. Within a safe therapeutic environment, PBSP allows individuals to re-enact and re-script past experiences, aiming to facilitate healing. Winnette provides a comprehensive overview of PBSP, focusing on its history, core principles, and techniques. Baylin explores the neurobiological underpinnings of PBSP, explaining why PBSP has the potential to resolve traumatic memories by altering maladaptive neural circuits and fostering the rewiring of neural circuits associated with trauma.

Chapters 5 through 9 vividly portray PBSP theoretical concepts in action through compelling case studies. For instance, one case study explores the journey of a client named Silvester, who grappled with depression and felt disheartened by his life stemming from childhood neglect and abuse. During one of his PBSP structures (therapy sessions), Silvester reenacted pivotal scenes from his childhood, expressing his unmet needs for love and safety to his therapist within a small group setting. Two group members assumed the roles of stand-ins for his parents, directed to provide the ideal parental responses he had never received. After this session, Silvester reported feeling a shift. He noted a reduction in his distress and preoccupation with his family and even described improvements in his ability to connect with others in his life. These case studies illustrate the power of PBSP to help adults navigate deep-seated trauma and reclaim autonomy in their lives.

The final chapter features an engaging interview between Winnette and Albert Pesso, the co-founder of the PBSP. This insightful dialogue provides a chronology of the historical development, evolution, and therapeutic underpinnings of PBSP. Drawing from his personal experiences and reflections, Pesso offers concrete examples and expert perspectives on applying PBSP in clinical settings.

This compelling text presents a robust framework for addressing unresolved childhood trauma in adults, emphasizing the importance of relational connection, emotional regulation, and self-compassion. The book effectively outlines PBSP’s core principles and techniques, showcasing its potential through compelling case studies. For instance, the case of Silvester powerfully demonstrates how PBSP can help individuals reprocess and release emotional pain from past experiences. However, further research is needed to validate PBSP’s efficacy on a larger scale. Additionally, PBSP’s emphasis on group work and emotional expression may not be suitable for everyone and may require a longer time commitment. Nonetheless, this text is an invaluable resource for trauma psychology professionals and those interested in trauma treatment through an integrative framework.

Review by Omewha Beaton, PhD

Dr. Beaton specializes in trauma psychology and holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She serves as the Director of the O’Neth Group Psychotrauma & Crisis Center and is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Trauma Psychology program at St. James the Elder University.