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The noise of the rotor was deafening as I held my daughter tightly on my lap, terrified that she might slip from my arms and be pulled out through the still-open door of the rescue helicopter. Below us, the Swiss Alps were breathtaking, lush green valleys carved between rugged mountains, water rushing in thin white streams. It was the tenth day of what had been meant to be a relaxed two-week summer vacation, abruptly interrupted by a major flood. Who would have imagined that such a deadly flood would occur high in the mountains? Only when we arrived at the hotel in Zurich did we learn of the larger catastrophe unfolding in the United States, Hurricane Katrina. Watching the images on television, I remember thinking that if I had to experience a flood, I was fortunate to have lived through one in Switzerland. Yet that moment also deepened my growing interest in psychological trauma and how memory shapes our resilience or vulnerability to its lingering effects.

The word “trauma” comes from the ancient Greek word " trauma, meaning “wound.” Originally, it referred solely to physical injuries, such as cuts, blows, or other bodily harm. The psychological sense of the word, as a wound to the mind, emerged in the late 19th century. The term was rarely used in much of the 20th century, with a noticeable increase beginning around the 1970s, likely linked to Vietnam veterans experiencing war-related trauma. Over time, the language of trauma has gradually expanded in everyday use, often applied to a wide range of difficult life events. Usage of the term has tripled over the subsequent........

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