Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress: Theory, Research, and Clinical Treatment

Challenging current definitions of trauma, Kevin L. Nadal distills the latest research on the effects of microaggressions, looking at how regular exposure to subtle discrimination can, over time, elicit similar symptoms to severe trauma.

Previous research on trauma has suggested that it results from experiencing or witnessing actual or threatened death, or serious injury, but this view has been expanding in recent years. New research has focused on the relationship between persistent, often casual social discrimination and trauma. In a changing world where discrimination seems to take center stage on the news, more and more individuals are able to put a name to the daily microaggressions that may plague their lives. These stressors can act as trigger mechanisms that impact their ability to cope with life stressors, affecting self-esteem and relationships. This brief but comprehensive volume includes illustrative case studies that will help practitioners understand and treat clients with trauma resulting from persistent but otherwise subtle and difficult-to-identify microaggressions.