The Wounded Healer: The Pain and Joy of Caregiving

Finding meaning in trauma work, as a traumatised healer yourself.

The act of caregiving is physically exhausting and emotionally draining, yet caregivers describe it as rewarding and gratifying. Prolonged exposure to human suffering, however, is not without risks—caregivers report high rates of burnout and poor quality of life.

Many care providers believe that their feelings do not matter; that they should ignore their pain, brush off their trauma, wipe away their tears and just “suck it up”. Here, Omar Reda—a Libyan-born psychiatrist who rushed to the aid of the opposition as an emergency physician and trauma counsellor for overwhelmed medical staff and victims—calls upon other healers to break free from cycles of secrecy, toxic stress and silent suffering so they can continue to empower and inspire those in their care.

Filled with poignant first-person stories and clinical case studies, this book is an impassioned plea for psychosocial trauma care that prioritises the health of both client and healer.