Trauma, Fear & Love: How the Constellation of the Intention Supports Healthy Autonomy

This is the fourth book by Professor Franz Ruppert translated into English from the German original. In it Ruppert continues his exploration of the impact of trauma on human beings that has been the topic of his previous books. This particular book looks at the structure and functioning of the psyche, and how traumas influence psychological functioning. He takes a holistic stance, understanding the psyche as part of the psychosomatic system, and shows how the separation of mind and body is impossible, illogical and unhelpful.

Traumas are always psychosomatic events, whether seemingly a physcial trauma or a psychological trauma. Using many case examples, Ruppert explores the underlying issue of relational trauma, the perpetrator/victim dynamics at play. His exploration and developed theories of perpetrator and victim look deeply into the nature, origins and rationale of perpetration as, in itself, a result of traumatisation. It is not helpful to think of perpetrators as just ‘evil’; we have to understand how the person becomes a perpetrator, the context of the perpetrator, sometimes over several generations.

This is an exciting book. Ruppert has the ability to reach beyond the conventional boundaries of psychotherapeutic thinking, questioning some of our basic assumptions and building on our accumulated knowledge. He brings a sharp, scientific eye to the complex world of consciousness and the psyche, the results of which can only enhance our understanding of trauma.