Therapeutic Mattering shows how focusing on the person rather than the trauma is a much-needed platform for regulation of the nervous system. Dignified healing does not require a re-living of trauma or ongoing exposure to past terror. It does require the experience of mattering and the right to exist. Dignity, tenderness and mattering soothe the nervous system and offer an opening for connection. These moments of connection are essential for healing and change.

Therapeutic Mattering is based on our experiences in providing therapy for survivors of complex trauma. We bring knowledge from the fields of psychology, neurobiology, social work, narrative therapy, and the Adaptive Internal Relational (AIR) Network paradigm. Mostly, we offer lessons from our clients who have survived complex trauma and have shared their process of healing with us.

Dawn McClelland, PhD, LP, has over three decades of experience helping people heal from the profound effects of trauma, organized violence, the human trade, war, and political violence. She provides extensive training in complex post-traumatic stress, dissociation, programing and conditioning, survival guilt, and traumatic bonding. She is the cofounder and director at Midwest Center for Trauma Healing in Minnetonka, Minnesota and the codeveloper and originator of AIR Network Trauma Therapy and Training. She had privileges at Regions Hospital Burn Center from 1997-2022, working with burn and electrical injury survivors and their families. She holds deep respect and care for the dignity, integrity, and wisdom of the people who have survived the unsurvivable.

"This book is a breath of fresh, client-centered air in a field too quick to pathologize. It challenges conventional narratives with compassion, insight, and a deep respect for the lived experiences of clients who have experienced trauma." — Julie R. Stender, MSW, LICSW