The Courage to Heal

A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

By: Ellen Bass, Laura Davis

Narrated by: Ellen Bass, Laura Davis

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.

A must read for all survivors

I found this to be a great book for healing and processing trauma. There are great writing exercises for further processing. Also, I enjoyed hearing different personal life experiences from survivors. Very well done.

Amazing!!! ❤️❤️

Wow!! Such an amazing book. Thank you for this! With the support of my therapist and my willingness to do some deep diving, this book was a great addition. I love that so many points were addressed and so many of my issues, concerns and questions. Thank you for writing this. I love my progress. ❤️

Very Raw

This was a hard read but so Raw and true as to how people who have been abused need to speak up!

Is it worth it? … yes

It was so difficult at times to hear the things that I needed to hear. It changed how I am healing and I have shared this book with others who have struggled dealing with the trauma and pain of abuse.

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.