The Root of Trauma

Resolving Pain and Addiction Through the Lower Chakras

By Melissa Garbau, PhD

This book takes a dive into chakra theory, which is a framework for understanding human development that integrates the physical, energetic and spiritual domains of existence. The book focuses on the lower 3 chakras and underlines the fundamental importance of fostering a strong human foundation before you can safely and effectively evolve your spiritual consciousness. Many people attempt to escape the hard work of life and leave unprocessed traumas sitting undigested in the physical and energetic body. Healing starts with facing what has happened, how you are damaged, and recognizing the habits and relationships you repeat that reinforce the trauma. This book guides you through the lower 3 chakras and, using the examples of 3 fictional characters, provides you with practical, inspirational advice regarding where and how to begin your own healing.

“Whether you're a therapist helping others or simply seeking to understand and heal your own wounds, this book is a valuable contribution to the fields of psychology and trauma. Easy to read anecdotes illustrate psychological principles and bring them home. Lists of disorders and how to address them make this book comprehensive. The lower chakras, often overlooked and misaligned, are given the attention needed to heal from the ground up. Like having a compassionate and skilled therapist in your own hands, this book is essential reading for everyone who wants to live a life of wholeness. Should be required reading for all therapists!”
--Anodea Judith

“The Root of Trauma is a fiercely honest and luminously grounded guide to healing where it matters most – at the base of the self, where safety is first negotiated and pain quietly roots itself in the body. Melissa Grabau weaves personal reckoning, clinical insight, and chakra-based wisdom into a rare synthesis: trauma is not just remembered – it is lived, patterned into our legs, our hunger, our resistance to presence. Through this lens, addiction becomes a form of self-rescue, and healing begins with the courage to be here – in the breath, in the bones, in the stories we thought we could outrun. This book returns us to the raw, unfinished ground of life and teaches us how to stand.”
--Shai Tubali

“Melissa Grabau's The Root of Trauma offers a compelling and insightful synthesis of Chakra Theory and the Psychology of Trauma. It postulates a unique theory of healing, drawing fascinating parallels between specific energy centers and the psychological impact of traumatic experiences – a framework I believe holds immense potential for future generations. Her reference to Big T and little T is very clear and informative to understanding trauma. Grabau’s wisdom shines through as she articulates practical spiritual work that empowers individuals to actively support their well-being and embark on a path of healing, moving beyond the cycle of suffering often perpetuated by life's traumas. Her perspective feels deeply relevant to the universal human struggle for wholeness."
--Jean Grant-Sutton

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