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The Courage to Heal

Written by: Ellen Bass,Laura Davis
Narrated by: Ellen Bass,Laura Davis
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Publisher's Summary

Come to terms with your past while moving powerfully into the future.

The Courage to Heal is an inspiring, comprehensive guide that offers hope and a map of the healing journey to every woman who was sexually abused as a child - and to those who care about her. Although the effects of child sexual abuse are long-term and severe, healing is possible.

Weaving together personal experience with professional knowledge, the authors provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, and support throughout the healing process. Readers will feel recognized and encouraged by hundreds of moving first-person stories drawn from interviews and the authors' extensive work with survivors, both nationally and internationally.

This completely revised and updated 20th anniversary edition continues to provide the compassionate wisdom the book has been famous for, as well as many new features:

  • Contemporary research on trauma and the brain
  • An overview of powerful new healing tools such as imagery, meditation, and body-centered practices
  • Additional stories that reflect an even greater diversity of survivor experiences
  • The reassuring accounts of survivors who have been healing for more than twenty years
  • The most comprehensive, up-to-date resource guide in the field
  • Insights from the authors' decades of experience

Cherished by survivors, and recommended by therapists and institutions everywhere, The Courage to Heal has often been called the bible of healing from child sexual abuse. This new edition will continue to serve as the healing beacon it has always been.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1994 Laura Davis (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about The Courage to Heal

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Tough listening. Worthwhile

Well put together. One voice difficult to listen to. Disturbing stories understandably and grateful for all the healing and understanding and acceptance. Has been vital to my healing journey. I hope more people access this when they are ready. Great job ladies. Love you all.

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  • Millican
  • 2017-03-06

Detailed and inspiring

This book had already helped me a lot in the understanding of the process of healing.
There are so many stories of women who overcame severe abuse. A word of caution, the stories are graphic, no sugar-coating, which is at times difficult to listen to.
However, I think it also goes a long way towards normalizing an open dialogue for survivors on things they have never spoken of before.
A must- read for survivors and anyone wanting to pursue counseling for survivors.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • Jayson
  • 2015-05-22

Strong information

There are some graphic discussions about sexual abuse that may be difficult for some to hear. However, I feel this book goes a long way to providing a solid foundation and guidance for those who have been or know someone who has been sexually abused.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • Kelly
  • 2020-07-12

Helpful in general, but explicit accounts of abuse

I wish there had been warnings before the book went into first person accounts of rape and molestation. I would have glossed over them right now, because its too much to hear. Its upsetting to start hearing accounts of child molestation before you can get to Audible and fast forward, or to fast forward farther along in the account to some other explicit and overwhelming detail.

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  • Jen
  • 2019-07-29

Disappointed

I was really looking forward to this book based on the other reviews. I listened to several hours waiting for some type of value and it never came. I’m honestly not sure what the point of it is? It is just a bunch of fragmented survivor stories but no tangible healing steps.

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  • Kim McM
  • 2017-05-28

Tough content

The subject of sexual abuse is very tough to read about, hear, discuss. This book takes a no nonsense approach to the topic. Many parallels between sexual, physical, and mental/emotional abuse exist, making this a good resource for anyone who has been abused in any manner. The authors take care to give clear definitions to terms and symptoms seen in abuse. Even if you have never been subjected to abuse, this book may be a good read for you, providing you with an understanding of behaviors you may have seen in other people, around you.

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  • royce
  • 2020-11-08

Be ready for whiplash with lots of narratives.

Part of this book was okay with “helping” but honestly-you will hear all kinds of Me Too re-encounters. I have whiplash from pedophilic descriptive scenes that could have been just as powerful. I’m not sure if the intent was to really drive home the fact that the reader is not the only one to have survived. I get it.

This doesn’t help me feel better. It has made me feel worse. Most of the book talks about multiple survivor stories in graphic detail. It may be worse than what you experienced as a survivor and really doesn’t help to gift you healing strategies.

Would not recommend for sensitive survivors. Unless you would like to hear over and over and over again about specific incestuous experiences with no resolve other than “now I’m an adult and still struggle.

Best advice I have been able to filter out of this book is working with a qualified therapist, mourning the loss of relationships you may never rebuild, and learning to be okay with talking opens about your experiences.

That’s it.

I don’t appreciate a lot of this book and will not be recommending to other survivors.

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  • Ruth
  • 2016-04-19

Outdated

The Research is outdated - you should read a book with better methods that actually help heal.

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  • Mariana Josan
  • 2021-01-25

Powerful healing book

This is the book it took me the longest to read because it was triggering and I needed tome to stabilize but it was worth my time.

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  • Lakeisha M
  • 2019-03-31

A gift to victims & mental health practitioners

This book was thorough and practical, with useful tools that you can employ immediately. It's a long read but worth it.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-11-30

absolutely recommend

well read, excellent material for its target audience. i was skeptical, but this book has changed my life for the better.

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2 people found this helpful