Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Brilliant & Very reassuring
Review: During counselling, my counsellor introduced me to this book, and to be honest for the first while it terrified me. It kept me awake nights with visions of my abuser. But, through making me face all my fears and through making me deal with all my confused emotions, this book made me a better and stronger person. It didn't make the abuse go away, and it didn't make me stop thinking about it from time to time. But it doesn't hurt anymore.
Rating:
Summary: The bible for incest recovery.
Review: This book was my bible to get thru an horrendous period of time. When something else came up for me, I'd frantically peruse the pages for a hint of what I needed to get thru this. I got the answers I needed to guide me thru. If you are in pain regarding these issues, this is the first book you need. And hang in there cuz it won't feel like this forever and life can get so much better. END
Rating:
Summary: More than one path exists
Review: I have read Courage to Heal and I found that many of the exercises were helpful in getting me in touch with my feelings. The personal accounts shared in the book helped me to feel connected to a larger group of individuals who had been sexually abused. This connection was especially critical at a time when my own shame was still so strong that I couldn't bring myself to join a group or talk about the abuse in more than vague terms. It was one step on the path and a very important step at that - the authors provide a list of resources which are also helpful. The one thing that I find off-putting is that the book seemed to stall on the issue of anger (feeling the anger related to the abuse) and didn't offer enough to guide one to a place of resolution. And, there are, afterall other sources for dealing with anger.
Rating: 
Summary: Approach With Caution
Review: This series has helped literally thousands - which is both its grace, and its liability. Too many survivors reach for this book as their first step in self healing - and are quite literally overwhelmed. Though the authors use cautions responsibly, frightened and/or desparate people may ignore them and "read on". For a person who is stable enough to provide basic self care, has a support system, and for the severely injured a therapist as well, it is helpful. For others, it can injure. I firmly believe that such cautions should be listed in this review section.
Rating:
Summary: Courage to review Courage to Heal
Review: Working with a therapist I was introduced to the Courage to Heal. There was one minor problem, I am a man. But in the end that doesn't matter. The Courage to Heal and its Workbook helped me work through a lot of problems. I was molested by an older child, and I was emotionally abused by my father. The stages in this text helped me work a lot of stuff out in my mind. If you have been abbused, read this... and follow the suggestions. You will learn to feal again
Rating:
Summary: All survivors should have the reassurance in these pages.
Review: It took me a long time to even approach the shelf where this book was, and even longer to work up the nerve to take it down and read it. For survivors, this can be a very hard read, but Bass and Davis left no stone unturned...and it's validating to know that YES, I'm not the only one, and YES, there are things I can do to help myself undo the damage. Not completely, there are no quick fixes and magic cures from the crimes perpetrated against us, but we all need some relief from the monsters, and we all need to know that we're not alone. This book helped me find some of the peace that I've been missing for so many years, and aided me in starting to piece together the fragments of my psyche. May it help everyone who is brave enough to look for validation within its pages. May there be a day when no one needs this book and it can gather dust in bookstores, but until then, I cannot reccommend it enough for survivors, their family members, partners, and therapists. We all have the strength within us, and we can all find our own courage to heal. Thank you, Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Available on This Subject!
Review: Whether you have been sexually abused as a child or adult,
by a family member, an acquaintance, or a stranger -- this
book is a validation of the realness of the pain and
emotional trauma you must face and deal with in order to
heal. It doesn't matter if your assault/abuse happened
yesterday or over 20 years ago -- this book will help you as
you begin to work through one of the most horrible experiences
a person can have.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to discover that I wasn't as crazy as I thought.
Review: Bass and Davis have a wonderful way of making you feel that you are not alone in all this crap. A lot of the things that are discussed in the book are so "real" to me that I thought I was the only one experiencing them. This is a wonderful thing to have for anyone who is suffering from the long term effects of child sexual abuse. If you are interested in the long, long road of recovery, cling on to it
Rating:
Summary: HOPEFUL - HELPFUL - HONEST - WONDERFUL
Review: I read "The Courage to Heal" four years ago as I began my painful healing journey. I have read many books since. These authors offer hope - they show a true understanding of the suffering we have endured and must own if we are to heal. So many books attempt to put the healing process into a "package" with time frames, stages, etc. This is especially true with textbooks by physicians - and it doesn't work and only frustrates those of us who are not progressing "according to schedule". Ellen Bass and Laura Davis speak to the lay person as lay people themselves. I was reassured that my time frame is just fine- as it is mine - I would progress in as much time as it takes. I have learned ways to comfort myself so I don't have to "feel the pain" 24 hours a day. I recommend "The Courage to Heal" highly to anyone progressing through the healing journey. The book offers the courage to "keep on keepin on". Judy Parliman
Rating:
Summary: total agreement
Review: I am in total agreement with the prior reviewers. If you want healing to occur, then you must read "Courage To Heal", "Courage To Heal,The Workbook" and "Nightmares Echo". These are some of the best books I have come across for healing and understanding the pain of sexual/child abuse. I also agree with : "Beauty For Ashes",it is a spiritual look at healing.
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