A widow dares not utter her husband's name. A prisoner of war buries the memories of his ordeal.

A child hostage is rendered mute. What happens when trauma goes unspoken?The pioneering psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Gwen Adshead invites us to witness her work with patients struggling in the wake of a range of distressing and painful life events. Drawn from over thirty years of clinical practice, Unspeakable illuminates how language - and silence - can dramatically affect the quality of our recovery after disaster.

Sometimes the hardest words to say out loud are the very ones to set us free and with Adshead's assistance and extraordinary insight, these courageous people step out of the darkness of shame and fear to discover new possibilities. This is not a book about trauma, it is about survival. In challenging prevailing misconceptions around trauma and by charting the transformation of patient identities, hearts and minds, Unspeakable makes a powerful case for hope.

'A wise, deep, nuanced and profoundly moving book.' Siri Hustvedt

'Thoughtful, important and a reminder that hope belongs to everyone.' Christie Watson