When trauma enters the lives of the unsuspecting, it steals from their very soul. It not only robs them of peace and joy, it can take years and decades from their lives while they desperately try to fill the hole in their heart, pretending that their soul isn't leaking out of it.  No one is ever prepared for trauma and no one is ever left unchanged by traumatic events.

In the face of such adversity, what allows one person to find the gift in their wound and another to suffer endlessly? Enter Tanya Lauer and Kathleen Parrish, professional counselors at the internationally renowned residential treatment center, Cottonwood Tucson.

 With over 40 years combined experience helping people survive trauma and find the "gift in their wound," Lauer and Parrish offer The Essence of Resilience—an urgent and vital answer to this all-too-common marauder. Topical tools for healing include: Story, Relationships, Trust, Compassion, Gratitude, Animals and Pets, Nature, Humor, and Spirituality. Through stories, compassion and understanding, they guide readers straight to the heart of resilience—that place where we learn to heal and thrive.

Tanya Lauer has a master's degree in counseling and psychotherapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She has over 20 years' experience working in trauma healing in psychiatric hospitals, in-home therapy services, and outpatient trauma centers. She currently works at Cottonwood Tucson as a trauma specialist and also has a private practice. Tanya has presented at professional conferences in the United States and in Europe. Tanya believes in the importance of healing through the mind body connection. Kathleen Parrish is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona and the Clinical Director of Cottonwood Tucson, an internationally renowned, residential treatment program for co-occurring disorders in Tucson, Arizona. She has a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, has worked in private practice, and has been involved in providing counseling and trauma intervention services for trauma survivors for over 20 years. She has written for Counselor, Addiction Professional, Addiction Today and Arizona Together magazines. She has presented seminars on trauma and eating disorders in the United States and Europe.