Joseph Campbell – the great 20th Century mythologist – revolutionized our understanding of story and psychology with his exposition of the Hero’s Journey; the path of change undertaken by normal individuals that ultimately transforms their understanding of life. However, the Hero’s Journey does not work equally well for all – especially those who have already had their lives and selves irrevocably altered by early childhood trauma.

In order to understand their passage to growth, this book will introduce the Monster’s Journey – a modern archetypal path that describes recovery from early traumatic experience and its aftermath. The monster is the one shaped by adverse childhood events, suffering a severe loss of innocence, who must then heal and transform in order to come into a trusting relationship with the normal world.

This book will stand on the shoulders of Campbell, and will introduce the listener to the Monster’s Journey step-by-step. Our primary lens, like Campbell, will be the analysis of story, but of modern fiction as opposed to ancient myth. Through our analysis we will divide the Monster’s Journey into easy to follow stages that can be traversed by those in recovery from early trauma. This book is intended primarily for trauma survivors, but will be of great benefit to their loved ones as well as to therapists who treat trauma.