Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong

And Other Things You Need to Know to Take Back Your Life

By: MaryCatherine McDonald PhD

Narrated by: MaryCatherine McDonald PhD

Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A profound new approach to healing trauma, grounded in a radical reframing of how we understand this nearly universal experience

For centuries, we’ve been taught that being traumatized means we are somehow broken—and that trauma only happens to people who are too fragile or flawed to deal with hardship. But as a researcher, teacher, and survivor, Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald has learned that the only thing broken is our society’s understanding of trauma. “The body’s trauma response is designed to save our lives—and it does,” she says. “It’s not a sign of weakness, but of our function, strength, and amazing resilience.”

With Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong, Dr. McDonald overturns the misconceptions about trauma with the latest evidence from neuroscience and psychology—and shares tested practices and tools to help you work with your body’s coping mechanisms to accelerate healing. Here, you’ll explore:

• What is trauma? The latest science that undoes the stigmas of shame, blame, and humiliation

• Moral injury—having our basic sense of how the world should work overturned

• The truth about triggers—what they really are and how they can guide the healing journey

• Traumatic patterns—new findings to help break free from recurring habits and toxic dynamics

• Why we can always rewrite our inner narratives, no matter how much time has passed

• Finding a “relational home” for trauma—how we can help each other return to wholeness

Dr. McDonald’s case studies reveal the many ways trauma can manifest and persist in our lives, yet there’s one factor every case has in common: the trauma response itself reveals the path to healing. “Our traumatic experiences reveal that we can be bent, dented, or bruised,” she says, “but we cannot be broken.” For anyone who has gone through trauma or wants to help others who are struggling, here is an empowering resource for finding our way home to our bodies, rebuilding our relationships, and returning to full engagement with life.

©2023 MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD (P)2023 Sounds True

Critic reviews

“Equal parts memoir, client stories, and neuroscience, Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong will radically reframe everything you’ve ever thought about trauma and how to heal from it. No more feelings of shame. Just newfound empowerment.”—Mark Epstein, MD, author of Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Zen of Therapy

“We all experience trauma. And it leaves scars for most of us. We can learn to better handle it using Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald’s fresh, positive, and scientifically rigorous approach. Her toolbox full of practical, down-to-earth advice and methods enables us to lift the burdens of shame, guilt, and fear that we all shoulder when we suffer from trauma. Unbroken is essential to showing us how we can become empowered, moving beyond the trauma in our past.”—Allan Hamilton, MD, author of The Scalpel and the Soul and the forthcoming Cerebral Entanglements

“I call MaryCatherine the Brené Brown of trauma. She normalizes trauma and helps us get rid of shame so that we can accept our stories fully and embrace our humanness—something that we need now in the world more than ever.”—John Kim, aka The Angry Therapist

Brave, insightful, and helpful

I didn’t expect a book on trauma to trigger so much hope. "Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong" is a well-written primer on trauma that is a quicker, easier to read than "The Body Keeps the Score" with equally useful content. She distills how the brain processes trauma in a brief but understandable couple pages, explains the impacts of trauma, and provides practical tools for coping with and healing trauma. I finished the book feeling stunned and uplifted by the author’s insight and bravery. A must read for everyone.

Phenomenal Read

I now have more profound insight on what trauma is and how it affects us. I don't feel so fearful and now have hope that I can heal. The author explained everything thoroughly and the exercises were incredibly helpful. I recommend this book to anyone suffering from trauma and PTSD. It will give you a better understanding of trauma, triggers, and the hope that you can heal and that you aren't alone in your battle. Thank you so much!

Thank you

I felt profound relief after the first chapter because she reassured me that tools exist and that she was going to give them to me.

Beautifully written and spoken

Absolutely loved this book. Thank you for clarity on the trauma in my life and helping me navigate these waters, and to sit with it, and those who provide me hope 💛 truly so grateful my therapist recommended this book

Great Practices

I must confess I did not have the patients to set through all the stories, but I loved the end-of-chapter exercises.

Kindred Spirits 💕

This book came highly recommended by my therapist of 3 years❤️

She couldn't help but say I came to her mind often as she read it and recommended we use it as a guide through the next steps of my therapy!

I especially appreciated the history and evolution of mental health. It helped to open my eyes to generational perspectives on the controversial topic and shine empathy of those it related to in my heart and family.

I can't help but think how many other wonderful humans this book is going to help comfort and guide through the life changing impact of the trauma they endured . You are very much so your fathers daughter ❤️


I have finished the audio but plan to journal and move through the exercises with my therapist.

Thank you for bringing this book in the 🌎!

I never read a book twice-but this one!

I’ve been studying trauma and it’s effects on our brain, relationships, and self concept for over 10 years. This book is invaluable. The information is cutting edge relevant and easily accessible. I love the author’s narration and am still reeling with all the good good info I’m so excited to apply in my life, my business, and my healing modality (Untherapy)-this is a MUST READ for anyone who is interested in understanding themselves or others more deeply.

Best book

Brilliant book. I highly recommend this to anyone on their healing journey. I definitely will listen again and again. 

Great listen!

I loved this book. Great scientific and personal info. Inspiring on many levels! So happy the author narrated.

A Quake Book! Shakes you @ The Core!

I’ve listened to this book twice already so much great content & take aways! Fairly short by audible standards & jam packed with knowledge & exercises that are helpful. Sheds so much light & hope! Well worth the investment of time & our healing processes.