My clients who have been in auto accidents ask me many questions, often those beyond my knowledge and experience as a psychologist. The Auto Accident Survivor's Guide for BC is helping them understand the complexities of the recovery process and how to deal effectively with medical, legal and insurance issues.

The Auto Accident Survivor's Guide for BC is a 'must' for anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident (including relatives, friends and co-workers) and for health-care and legal professionals. Ms Franklin is a brilliant writer and a skilled researcher. Her experiences as a severely-injured pedestrian and her arduous journey to healing convinced her that this book was important to do, and she's devoted seven years to it. The Auto Accident Survivor's Guide is not only well-researched and clearly written, it's also fascinating reading, even for someone who has never been in a traffic accident.

It's clear that the book is written from the perspective of someone who realizes the importance of psychological treatment after a motor vehicle accident. Ms Franklin writes: "In an ideal world, family doctors would be trained to recognize the emotional after-effects of an auto accident so they could refer their patients for treatment. While your doctor may prescribe anti-depressants for you if she's aware that you're having problems, what you may really need is a referral to a clinical psychologist or trauma counsellor. Discussing your auto accident and its impact on your life with a trained professional can help prevent long-term psychological problems." After noting how various types of therapy can help someone after a motor vehicle accident, Ms Franklin adds: "You may have to specifically request that your doctor refer you to a psychologist for treatment.

Of special interest to psychologists and our clients is Chapter 5: "Psychological Issues and Interpersonal Relationships". Ms Franklin's has done an excellent job of describing the many challenges that people face when dealing with an auto accident - the changes that occur and the issues that arise. Among the many topics covered are PTSD, traumatic brain injury, emotional and behavioural responses to death, and secondary wounding - the psychological damage that can be caused by the ignorance and insensitivity of an organization or individual. This chapter alone makes the Auto Accident Survivor's Guide an excellent resource. (The other chapters, on subjects ranging from how to get good medical treatment after a motor vehicle accident to how to appeal a court Judgment, are equally as good.)

The Auto Accident Survivor's Guide for BC belongs in every psychologist's office - it's a book we can recommend with confidence to our clients.

With 250,000 auto accidents in BC each year, none of us is immune to being in an accident. We all might need the information in this book. The fact that so many psychologists are self-employed puts us at particular risk with regard to lost income after an auto accident. We need to know how to protect ourselves and our families if we're in an auto accident.

Short of wearing a seatbelt and driving safely, the Auto Accident Survivor's Guide for BC is the best preparation anyone can have in case of an auto accident. It's long been needed and should be in the personal library of everyone in British Columbia.