Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

In the final stage of recovery, the survivor begins to rebuild a meaningful life. This stage marks a shift from survival to engagement with the world—a process which may feel “foreign” to some survivors. Reconnection involves reclaiming aspirations, developing trust, and actively shaping one’s life with increased confidence and power. Empowerment and renewed relationships replace helplessness and isolation.

Herman explores how survivors in the third stage of recovery confront fear and reclaim agency through deliberate, structured exposure to challenges. This includes physical self-defense training and wilderness experiences that help recondition trauma-related responses and rebuild the shattered action systems of the body. These practices allow survivors to experience fear in a controlled setting and to discover their capacity for resilience and power. Herman also describes how survivors may choose to confront oppressive family dynamics or disclose past abuse. These acts of self-definition mark an important shift from protective withdrawal toward empowered engagement with the world.

No longer defined by trauma, the survivor reconnects with their imagination, agency, and aspirations, building a self that draws from their experiences before, during, and after trauma. Therapy at this stage often centers on supporting the survivor’s renewed desires and initiatives while helping them discard patterns or identities that were shaped by victimization.