The Politics of Trauma

Praise

“Somatics is a freedom-inducing framework. The central idea is that the natural living body—with its sensations, memories and emotions, triggers and pleasures—is a complex system that carries our whole lives, including trauma and healing, boundaries and risks, patterns and transformation. Staci Haines is a central teacher weaving the somatics lineage with social justice and with being in the body in community, increasing the possibility that we can be in collective bodies of justice. This book maps the cycles of healing that shift us from being victims of systemic injustice to being shapers of constant change and liberatory systems.”
—adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy and Pleasure Activism

“If I’ve discovered anything in several decades of social-justice work, it’s that the body never lies. If we can embrace her, change can happen. Grounding in my body, not just in my words, has turned out to be a critical source of humility and courage, preconditions for any significant change. The ideas and tools in The Politics of Trauma allow us to listen to our bodies, and then make choices about what we do rather than constantly reacting to what we think are external pressures. A must-read for anyone trying to lead anything.”
—Rinku Sen, activist and author of Stir It Up

“The Politics of Trauma is an essential read for every ‘woke’ person responding to this moment in history’s calling. Movement leaders know firsthand the level of trauma we have experienced in our personal lives, our families, communities, and across generations; and we often carry out our work at great personal expense. Haines brings a political clarity desperately needed and reminds us that we must courageously embark on our own healing journey, grounded in racial, economic, and gender justice. Only then will we be able to live whole, vibrant, resilient lives and bring about the transformational change we seek in society.”
—Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center

“The Politics of Trauma is a bold and important response to a long-existing split between those who work on individual change and those working to change the institutions of society. The profound gift of Staci’s book is that rather than diagnosing what doesn’t work, it offers us a remedy: Somatics—a body-centered approach to transformation that fully integrates the healing of individuals with the creating of a more just and equitable society.”
—Robert Gass, EdD, co-founder of the Rockwood Leadership Institute and the Social Transformation Project