The courage to heal : a guide for women survivors of child sexual abuse /

Addressing women who have survived sexual abuse as children, the authors, who both work with abused women, set forth a three-part recovery program: taking stock, healing, and changing patterns. Along with counsel on how to move through the three stages, the text includes testimonials from actual survivors. Convinced that the key to recovery lies in confronting one's feelings and acknowledging the psychological damage caused by abuse, the authors stress various methods for facing memories that may have been repressed for years. Bass, who has found that many women who had been unable to talk about sexual attacks were able to write about them, details how to use writing as a therapeutic tool. The text concludes with inspirational, first-person accounts from 15 women who had the courage to confront their feelings and work through them. An excellent choice for all public library collections. Bibliography; to be indexed. MH. 616.85'83 Child molesting-U.S. / Women-U.S.-Psychology / Adult child abuse victims-U.S. [CIP] 87-45598

Based on the premise that ``everyone wants to become whole,'' this book offers help and encouragement to women who were sexually abused in childhood. Through moving firstperson narratives, it illustrates how to come to terms with the past and work constructively towards the future. Along the way it describes the effects of sexual abuse, maps the stages survivors pass through, and offers practical guidance on dealing with self-defeating behaviors and building self-esteem. Supportive strategies are recommended to families, friends, and health-care professionals. The final ``Resources for Healing'' lists services and self-help programs and a bibliography. Compassionate and supportive. Jodith Janes, Univ. Hospitals of Cleveland (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.