The aim of this paper is to describe resilience as a psychological entity that involves a person’s ability to successfully adapt to and overcome traumatic events, to maintain mental and emotional balance in the face of adversity, and to return to a state of optimal functioning after impact. Factors that foster resilience are: the concept of repair, the telling of personal life stories, social relationships and the view of life’s difficulties as an opportunity for growth. Resilient people are characterised by: adaptability, optimism, self-confidence, ability to learn from failure, emotional self-regulation, long-term goals.