Courage to Heal

First published in 1988, the groundbreaking The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse has been completely revised, updated, and expanded for its 20th Anniversary edition. Considered &quote;a classic&quote; and &quote;the bible of healing from child sexual abuse,&quote; this inspiring, comprehensive and compassionate guide provides a map of support of the healing journey and a lifeline for millions. Weaving together personal experience with professional knowledge, the authors provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, strategies, and support throughout the survival healing process -- as well as help, hope and reassurance for families, friends, and caregivers. Readers will feel recognized and encouraged by hundreds of moving first-person accounts drawn from interviews and the author's extensive work with survivors, both nationally and internationally. Available in translations, as well as in an enhanced audio format, its life-saving messages resonate across cultural, linguistic, racial, religious, and geographical boundaries. New elements included in this fourth edition are: • an emphasis on self-care and pacing during the healing process • contemporary research on trauma and the brain, memory , and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • an increased focus on the body's role in healing • an overview of powerful new healing tools such as imagery, meditation, spirituality, and body-centered practices • stories that reflect an even greater diversity of survivors and their experiences • in-depth guidance to help assess evolving family relationships • new prose and poetry • reassuring accounts of survivors who have been healing for more than twenty years • insights from the authors' decades of experience • and a comprehensive up-to-date resource guide. Readers have called The Courage to Heal &quote;invaluable,&quote; a &quote;beacon of hope,&quote; &quote;wise and gentle,&quote; and a &quote;lifesaver.&quote; Cherished by survivors, and recommended by therapists and institutions everywhere, The Courage to Heal has long been considered an empowering recovery tool, as well as an essential resource for victims of child sexual abuse, incest and trauma, as well as for their loved ones.