I've heard mixed reviews of it, some say it's awesome and really helped them heal; others have said it was somewhat difficult and painful but necessary to get to where they were in their healing. If you have a therapist, you may want to start off doing it with her/him before attempting it on your own. Here are some other books I've been told are helpful:

*Healing from Trauma: A Survivor's Guide to Understanding Your Symptoms and Reclaiming Your Life Jasmin Lee Cory

*The Trauma Myth: The Truth About the Sexual Abuse of Children and Its Aftermath -- Susan A. Clancy

*Healing Trauma: Guided Imagery for Posttraumatic Stress -- Belleruth Naparstek

*Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal Belleruth Naparstek

*The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Dan B Allender

Hope these are helpful, sending wishes for healing and peace.

Thank you!!!

I bought it and read it . Did not like the book. Woman Thou Art Loosed by TD Jakes is a good book.

I read The Courage to Heal and I found it helpful. My guess is you will get various opinions on this book, or any book, since we all have different tastes. I read this book about 6 months after I started to remember my abuse and I found that the stories in the book helped to validate what I was going through. If I had picked up the book earlier than I did I don't think I would have taken as much from it and may have found it wasn't helpful. But my timing was right and for that I'm very grateful.

If you decide to read the book I hope it is as helpful for you as it was for me.

Take care

Sexual Healing Journey is really good. Written by a woman who was raped and it is geared also to supporters of sexual abuse survivors. My husband read it for himself and I read it too. I went to amazon to start searching and read some reviews on others too.

I'm also going to start reading Silent No More. It is the first victim of Sandusky that spoke out. I'm starting it today.

aperfectmess17,

The Courage to Heal was written in 1988 and is considered an "evergreen" in the publishing industry--a rare accomplishment, by the way. It is updated every few years to keep up with the newest healing methods and was voted among the top ten books on healing by one of the psychological associations (sorry, I can't recall which one at this moment).

But, it's track record aside, it was the first helpful book on healing that I found back in the 80s. Prior to finding it I was reading psychological reports and studies and simply could not relate.

The Courage to Heal was an "aha" experience for me. I finally understood some of the consequences of my long-term childhood abuse because the book was written in such a way that I got it.

It remains on my top 10 list along with Matt Atkinson's book, Resurrection After Rape. Both Atkinson's and Bass/Davis books are written for understanding and healing.

Some of the few academic books I'd recommend are Father-Daughter Incest by Judith Herman, Waking the Tiger by Peter Levin and Focusing by Eugene Gendlin.

Herman was one of the first academics out there who wrote with a deep understanding of incest. Levin's work is important because it addresses body memories and how to process them. And Gendlin's work helps you get in touch with body memories.

Few choices in the 80s, many choices now. In the end, while I believe feedback is nice, the choice is ultimately up to you. You must find the books and information that resonate with your insides.

Keep an open mind and listen to your body--then you'll find what you need to heal.

xx
SuzA

The Courage To Heal was the first book I read and I could immediately relate to it. That's when I started with a therapist that only worked with incest survivors. I saw her for 10 years and felt like she tore me apart and rebuilt me. Now I recognize the baggage I carry and read some books on that.

The Grief Recovery Handbook, By John W. James and Russell Friedman. As with all self help books, they are only as good as what you put into it. You have to do the exercises and implement the recommended changes in your life in order to move forward. Honesty and discipline...

The Courage to Heal is good but you really need to get the workbook that goes along with it.

Too many books are 3/4 case histories the vast majority of which are so different than my experience it's not helpful.