Clin Soc Work J (2014) 42:323–335
DOI 10.1007/s10615-014-0496-z

ORIGINAL PAPER

Trauma Through the Life Cycle: A Review of Current Literature
Shulamith Lala Ashenberg Straussner
Alexandrea Josephine Calnan

•

Highlight every key term that refers to the following key concepts:
1) "trauma" generally
a) "large T trauma"
b) "micro-trauma"
2) "resilience"

Published online: 31 May 2014
Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Abstract This paper provides an overview of common traumatic events and responses, with a specific focus on the life cycle. It identifies selected ‘‘large T’’ and ‘‘micro’’ traumas encountered during childhood, adulthood and late life, and the concept of resilience. It also identifies the differences in traumatic events and reactions experienced by men compared to women, those related to the experience of immigration, and cross generational transmission of trauma. Descriptions of empirically-supported treatment approaches of traumatized individuals at the different stages of the life cycle are offered.
Keywords PTSD Á Large-T and micro-traumas Á
Neurobiology Á Gender differences Á Immigrants Á
Treatment approaches
The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
William Faulkner
The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.
Judith Lewis Herman

S. L. A. Straussner (&)
Silver School of Social Work, New York University,
1 Washington Sq. North, New York, NY 10003, USA e-mail: sls1@nyu.edu
A. J. Calnan
Howard Center, 1 So. Prospect Street, Burlington,
VT 05401, USA e-mail: ajcalnan@gmail.com

Introduction
As recognized by William Faulkner and Judith Herman, as well as by many other writers and mental health professionals, trauma can take a tremendous psychological toll that may not disappear even with the