Trauma Trained Me

Trauma Trained Me is a deeply personal yet universally resonant memoir that explores the lifelong impact of sexual violence and complex PTSD in a world that once lacked the tools to understand it. Dani's trauma began in an era before "trauma" was a clinical category, before ACEs were measured, and before the body was known to "keep the score."

Now in her mid-50s, Dani confronts the disorienting reality of finally accessing treatment that didn't exist when she needed it most. Her story offers a critical lens on what it means to survive long enough for science and society to catch up, and what it costs to learn how to heal when hypervigilance has already become second nature, or maybe even her day-to-day functionality.

This book is for every trauma survivor who did not have a roadmap, and for every reader who believes healing is a privilege owed to all. In a world with growing impatience for trauma survivors who bear invisible scars, Dani Williams opens up the pages of her life to find how sexual violence, an unwanted pregnancy, and termination changed her forever.

What was left, after it seemed as if there was no reason to continue to live? If there were no solutions or way to fix what happened? Many endure days where it's hard to breathe and to hope again. One day, Dani woke up into a new reality when she realized she still had what was most valuable and could not be taken from her. That day, she realized she was worth fighting for. She still had her life.