Here are some books, podcasts and other materials that we have found helpful. We will keep adding to this list. Please comment on what you have been reading and if it is helpful. (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Coping with the Emotional Maelstrom – Trauma & Stress
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Conquering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Newest Techniques for Overcoming Symptoms, Regaining Hope, and Getting Your Life Back
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Crash Course: A Self-Healing Guide to Auto Accident Trauma and Recovery
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Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life’s Ordeals
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Writing to Heal : A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval
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Overcoming Trauma and PTSD: A Workbook Integrating Skills from ACT, DBT, and CBT
- The Body Keeps the Score
- Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body
- Meditations for Healing Trauma: Mindfulness Skills to Ease Post-Traumatic Stress
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Expressive Writing: Words that Heal
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Opening Up by Writing It Down, Third Edition: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain
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The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook, Revised and Expanded Second Edition: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth
- Mindfulness Skills for Trauma and PTSD: Practices for Recover and Resilience
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The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Wrestling with Responsibility
Moral Injury
Transforming Trauma to Growth
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Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within
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Living a Life that Matters
- More Beautiful Than Before: How Suffering Transforms Us
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Thriving Through Crisis: Turn Tragedy and Trauma into Growth and Change
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The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive
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Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
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Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma
Experiences of Other CADI’s
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Fatal Moments: The Tragedy of the Accidental Killer
- What Happens to Your Life After You Accidentally Kill Someone
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Shattered: A Tragedy of Drinking and Driving: Based On A True Story
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The Blessing: A Memoir
- Podcast with Gregory Orr, author of The Blessing
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Half a Life: A Memoir
- A Podcast with Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life
- New Yorker article about accidental killers by Alice Gregory, September 18, 2017
- Harvard Divinity Bulletin by Shane Snowden, Spring/Summer 2017, No Rescue
- Radio interview for the BBC Outlook, January 2018
- Article excerpted from radio interview for BBC, January 2018
- Article about accidental killing in Glamour Magazine, March 2018
- Jonathan Izard’s radio documentary for BBC4, Meeting the Man I killed
- Television episode (Insight) for Australia’s SBS, April 2018
- Maryann’s TEDXUCLA talk, May 2019
- The Guardian, November 29, 1918: What Happens to Your Life After You Accidentally Kill Someone?
For Family & Friends
Body Therapies
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Treating Emotional Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Integrated Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies
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Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
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When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Third Edition: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures
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EMDR: The Breakthrough Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma
For Those Seeking A Christian Perspective
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Post-traumatic God: How the Church Cares for People Who Have Been to Hell and Back
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Christ Walk Crushed: A 40-day Journey Toward Reconciliation
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It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered
- The Moral Injury of a Baptist Accidental Killer
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The Ride of Your Life: Faith Will Move Your Forward
As a CADI myself, I would highly recommend the book What Happened to You? While it focuses on childhood trauma it was definitely very relevant when it comes to dealing with the trauma that comes from being involved in an intentional killing.
The novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles involves a teen who impulsively jostles a branch on which his friend is standing. The friend falls and seriously injures himself. The teen who caused the fall thereafter spends much time reflecting on this impulsive moment and its disastrous consequences.
Another book you may find helpful – Crash Course: A Self-Healing Guide to Auto Accident Trauma and Recovery – Diane Poole Heller
Looking for information to help a friend. She accidentally took a life in a car crash. Mostly I notice that she appears to be “undeserving” of happiness or enjoying a good laugh—-almost as if she is supposed to suffer through her life. The accident occured 5 or 6 years ago so I know that it will be a long process to heal. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, I am a psychologist and I have a new patient who killed two people., Accidentally. Does anyone have any thoughts to pass on to me. Thank you
I’d like to mention two relevant works. “By the Sea”, part of Martha Gellhorn’s *On the Weather in Africa*, is a narrative about Gellhorn’s accidental killing of an African child in an auto accident. *Ten Minutes from Home*, Beth Greenfield, describes the fallout after her father causes [this is not explicitly stated] a car accident that kills one of the author’s best friends, sitting next to her in the car. The author is in no way responsible–she was a girl at the time and not distracting her father–but feels some responsibility because her friend was in the car [and the… Read more »
thank you, Clifton Hawkins!
There needs to be more memoirs written. Are there more? Where can I find more writing about experiences with accidentally causing a death of a loved one?
Are you aware of any researched treatments for traumatic grief for the mentally ill who, at least in part due to their illness, have taken another’s life?