The After-Trauma Notebook

The After Trauma Notebook is based on Written Exposure Therapy—a 5-week program with one journaling session per week. We encourage you to choose a consistent space and time for you to write. Journaling about a traumatic memory can be difficult, and it'll be important to feel secure and safe where you are. You can schedule this on your calendar, set an alarm or reminder for it, and even brew a cup of tea ahead of time.

This step will give you the accountability and safe structure to complete an emotionally difficult (but rewarding) program of Written Exposure Therapy. If it's helpful, you can think of scheduling this time as a “weekly therapy session” on your calendar, and mentally designate a private and emotionally safe place to complete it each week.

Written Exposure Therapy is designed for you to intentionally re-expose yourself to a traumatic memory. Because of that, we guide you in choosing a single traumatic memory to work through week over week. If you want to work on a different memory, we encourage you to use another The After-Trauma Notebook (or continue with the notes pages in the back).

Many of us have had multiple traumatic experiences, and it can be overwhelming to figure out how and where to start. Trying to process multiple moments and memories at once impedes the depth of processing required to move through the traumatic response. By choosing a single memory to focus on, you'll be able to experience Written Exposure Therapy's effectiveness over time.

Each week's writing prompt begins with a check-in. You'll take stock of how distressed you feel (if at all), and have access to Distress Tolerance Techniques in the Appendix to regulate your emotions and ground yourself in the moment. Then, you'll write for 30 minutes according to the prompt.

When we're in a rush, it can be easy to skip over how we're really feeling. This step gives you a moment to pause, check in, and recognize where you're emotionally starting from before the journaling exposure prompt. We hope this step helps you get more out of this journaling experience.

After each 30-minute journaling session, you'll have an opportunity to check-in with your body and how you're feeling. Then, we'll guide you through a reflection exercise on how the writing experience was for you. This is an opportunity to create some distance from processing a difficult memory.

This step will help you reflect on and consolidate realizations or breakthroughs during writing, and also help transition from the intensity of a journaling session back to day-to-day life. You can think of this reflection step as the “cool down” part of your emotional workout.