Human Trafficking and Lived Experience by Laura Dryjanska

Human Trafficking and Lived Experience by Laura Dryjanska

Human Trafficking and Lived Experience draws from extensive interviews with survivors of human trafficking, offering best practices for meaning-making through storytelling.

Exploitation in human trafficking has been vastly studied and discussed across various disciplines, but this book focuses on the power of stories: how to use them wisely, without retraumatizing survivors, but instead fostering their empowerment and resilience.

This is a vital guide for students and practitioners in cultural psychology, counseling, social work, and gender studies, as well as leaders in non-profit organizations and anti-trafficking task forces.

“Human Trafficking and Lived Experience is a timely and essential contribution to the fieldDrawing on original qualitative interviews and her own research, Dr. Dryjanska bridges survivor narratives and scholarly analysis with cultural humility and ethical sensitivity. The result is a thought provoking and nuanced volume that elevates survivor voices while providing invaluable insights for clinicians, educators, graduate students, and advocates. This is an indispensable resource for those committed to human rights, trauma-informed practice, and global social justice.”

Nancy M. Sidun, PsyD, ABPP, director at large, International Council of Psychologists, and fellow of the American Psychological Association

“Recognizing the complexity of sharing a personal story of exploitation in human trafficking, Dryjanska paints a picture that includes stories of diverse persons from across the globe. Not settling for easy answers, she highlights the impact of trauma, setting, goals, one’s background, personality, and culture, as well as the limitations of memory when survivors decide if, when, and how to narrate their experiences.”

Lenore E. Walker, PhD, professor emeritus, Nova Southeastern University, director of the Domestic Violence Institute, Inc.

Laura Dryjanska is a global psychologist from Poland. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, she obtained her PhD in social psychology in 2012 from the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.