People tend to think of "trauma" as something exclusively topical to war veterans and abuse victims, for example. It isn't. Trauma is subjective, and it can distress individuals for days, months and years if they do not possess the proper tools to work through, reconcile and integrate it. When something unexpected happens-something unforeseen and deeply disturbing-the mind can remain in a chronic state of shock. So it is not what happens that necessarily induces a traumatic response, but the degree to which the experience was unknown and unexpected. What is traumatising for someone may be laughable for someone else.

Tom Ahern works as a counsellor, and is often met with shame on the part of clients who feel as though they should simply "grow up" and "move on" from their troublesome past. They make excuses, stating that what they went through was nowhere near what friends of theirs have experienced, or what they've read about or seen on the news. Yet the irony of this is that by not accepting their pain, their pain remains. Trauma is subjective.

Echoes From The Past seeks to break down the stigma surrounding traumatic response with an inclusive approach, not only validating seemingly "trivial" experiences but also giving people the tools to move on with their lives, integrating their painful experiences into a more fulfilling life narrative. One of the worst things people do in this day and age is disregard the way they feel. They tell themselves they shouldn't be feeling certain ways or that it's wrong to do so. This is like telling rabbits they shouldn't have fluffy tales or telling politicians not to lie! As a consequence, they learn not to trust themselves because they have disregarded perhaps the greatest and most intelligent source of truth: their emotions.

Echoes From The Past is a journey back to the Self. This book will show people how to listen to themselves; teach them how the brain and body respond to the unknown as well as what they can do to heal their past and move on with their lives-owning their experiences-thereby no longer rendered a victim to them.