Reviews & Endorsements
Endorsements
“What a wondeful book! I felt that I had entered a unique landscape (of trauma) and was there to explore that landscape from innumerable angles–a rich tapestry of emotions, events, experiences and responses. It is most inspiring to read about the lives of people who come up against a huge wall of challenge and to see the various ways people deal with that challenge. Most inspiring, though, is to see how even the most difficult situations–the deepest of trauma–can lead one into a land of discovery about oneself; how it helps shape these people into beings beyond themselves–something higher, deeper, richer than they had known about themselves before.
“These are amazing people, with amazing stories, but what I find very important is the realization that these are, after all, people–human beings like you and me–and what they have done we can and have done in our own way in our own worlds.”
Bert Kaplan–Artist
“Who would think one could write so beautifully about something so terrible as trauma. Yet Karen Merriam has done so. Knowing the central topic, I approached the reading of this volume with a certain amount of dread, but quickly found myself captured by her flowing and inspired narrative. She writes about profound loss with such compelling courage, warmth, and compassion that this volume should be required reading for physicians and nurses, counselors and therapists of every stripe, social workers and clergy, and everyone else involved in helping or caregiving.”
David Van Nuys, Ph.D.–Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Sonoma State University
“Searching for Connection is extremely well written, beautiful in its style and heart-touching. I found myself examining incidents from my past with a new eye, and was able to see things for the traumatic events that they were that I denied at the time or was too young to see for what they were. I cried. It was good.
“The quotes from literature and artistic references flew together to form a clear and concise pattern to understanding the effects of traumatic events and just how affected we are; even more importantly that our psyches/selves/families/society are affected cohesively with our environment.”
Tracy Haydon–Accountant, Mother
“Searching for Connection hits the nail right on the head. Connection is what makes the world a better place during normal circumstances and it is critical during and after a traumatic experience. This is an absolute MUST READ for all emergency services personnel, from emergency medical technicians to doctors to police officers to fire fighters. . . .They are the ones at the scene of trauma and they are the ones who must remember to keep the connection between themselves and the person they are saving or treating.
“Karen Merriam’s words are not only educational and teach the layperson a lot about trauma, but it is comforting to know that I am not the only one that has these “crazy” thoughts and feelings.”
Richard Hannibal–Police Officer, Search and Rescue volunteer, and Emergency Medical Technician
“Searching for Connection offers hope, inspiration and meaning to those who have been traumatized, to family and friends of those touched by trauma, and to those who have dedicated their lives to helping the victimized and traumatized. Most important, it illustrates that one can endure with dignity and survive with meaning, even in the face of terrible experiences.”