About James R. Petersen
James R. Petersen is an author, retired educator, grief-support facilitator, and longtime volunteer whose work has centered on helping people understand some of life’s most difficult experiences.
His background includes a career in education, more than five years as an assistant facilitator with GriefShare, and service with the Trauma Intervention Program, where he responded alongside first responders to families facing sudden loss and crisis.
His writing is also shaped by personal experience. After his son Travis died by suicide in 2013, James entered the world of suicide loss from the inside. That experience deepened his commitment to helping grieving people understand the shock, confusion, unanswered questions, and lasting changes that can follow a devastating loss.
James created Journey Publications to produce compassionate, practical books about grief, suicide loss, and the long-term effects of difficult childhoods. His guiding belief is simple: knowledge cannot erase pain, but it can reduce confusion, self-blame, and isolation—and help people carry what happened with greater understanding.
About James MacArthur
A psychologist, educator, and author, he has spent decades helping individuals and families understand the hidden wounds of troubled childhoods. Raised in a home affected by alcoholism, he developed a lifelong interest in how difficult family environments shape emotional health, relationships, and personal development.
During a career spanning several decades, Dr. MacArthur served as a college professor, counseled students, maintained a private counseling practice, and presented seminars on family systems, childhood trauma, relationships, and personal growth.
His original lectures and insights became the foundation for When You Come From a Troubled Family. In collaboration with James R. Petersen, those ideas were expanded into a practical guide to recognizing childhood survival patterns, understanding where they came from, and building healthier, more fulfilling lives.
