Books

Note -most of these recommended books are not written by LDS writers. There is a real lack of good LDS books on this subject. But these books below have things in them that others have found helpful. Please know that there may be parts of some of these books that may not fully be in line with LDS perspectives on various issues. So please feel free to rip out those pages that you do not agree with (as long as it is your copy of course:)) These books are more importantly an avenue for discussion and pondering on this topic.  You ultimately decide what you believe and what works for you in your healing process. By putting these books on here we are not endorsing everything that is in the books. 

I Can't Get Over It, A Handbook for Trauma Survivors, 2nd edition. by Aphrodite Matsakis, PHD.

I Can’t Get Over It directly addresses survivors of trauma. It explains the nature of PTSD and describes the healing process. This book will help you: Find out whether you have PTSD, cope with post-traumatic anger, grief, and survivor guilt, recognize related problems such as depression, substance abuse , compulsive behavior and low self-esteem, identify “triggers” that set off flashbacks, anxiety attacks, and other symptoms, relieve wounding caused by others’ blaming and insensitivity, and gain a sense of empowerment and hope for the future.

Survivors and Partners: Healing the Relationships of Sexual Abuse Survivors by Paul A. Hansen

This book is written for couples (or individuals) who are facing healing the effects of the wounds of childhood sexual abuse on their relationships. It provides both the survivor and the partner an in-depth understanding of the factors affecting each of them and offers a clear guide to working through the necessary steps and issues for healing 

Outgrowing the Pain Together by Eliana Gil

Because love is not enough... a step-by-step plan for overcoming obstacles together. Childhood abuse has many forms, but the message is always the same: people who love you hurt you. If you are the spouse or partner of a survivor of an abusive childhood, you know what that means-a relationship that has you worried, angry, or frustrated. You may be wondering if the person you love will ever "get over" his or her past, and if you can ever have a "normal" relationship. You may even have thought about leaving out of frustration and despair. But there is real help. 


The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis 


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.

The Courage to Heal Work Book by  Laura Davis 


Companion to The Courage to Heal, Laura Davis offers an inspiring, in-depth workbook that speaks to all women and men healing from the effects of child sexual abuse. The combination of checklists, writing and art Projects, open-ended questions and activities expertly guides the survivor through the healing process. 

Trust After Trauma: A Guide to Relationships for Survivors and Those Who Love Them by Aphrodite Matsakis

Trauma survivors are often dismayed to find that traumatic events not only shatter their internal sense of well-being, but also leave them withdrawn or isolated. In this new book, psychologist Aphrodite Matsakis guides survivors through a process of strengthening existing bonds, building new ones, and ending self-perpetuating cycles of withdrawal and isolation. Step-by-step exercises help you learn how to manage emotions, handle unresolved issues, accept realistic limitations, and find ways to make your relationships a context for healing. 

Secrets by  Blaine M. Yorgason & Sunny Oak 

Powerfully and poetically written, Secrets is a story of abuse and healing, of private pain and of the power of Atonement to make us whole. A compelling novel based on true experiences, it follows Bishop Greaves as secrets of abuse are unfolded within his ward and within the walls of his own home. 

Healing from Trauma: A Survivor's Guide to Understanding Your Symptoms and Reclaiming Your life by Jasmin Lee Cori & Robert Scaer 

While there are many different approaches to healing trauma, few offer a wide range of perspectives and options. With innovative insight into trauma-related difficulties, Jasmin Lee Cori helps you: Understand trauma and its devastating impacts Identify symptoms of trauma (dissociation, numbing, etc.) and common mental health problems that stem from trauma Manage traumatic reactions and memories Create a more balanced life that supports your recovery Choose appropriate interventions (therapies, self-help groups, medications and alternatives) Recognize how far you’ve come in your healing and what you need to keep growing Complete with exercises, healing stories, points to remember, and resources, this is a perfect companion for anyone seeking to reclaim their life from the devastating impacts of trauma. 

Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Laura Davis

Based on in-depth interviews and her workshops for partners across the country, Laura Davis offers practical advice and encouragement to all partners—girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, and lovers—trying to support the survivors in their lives while tending to their own needs along the way. She shows couples how to deepen compassion, improve communication, and develop an understanding of healing as a shared activity.  

Ghosts in the Bedroom by Ken Graber

Ghosts in the Bedroom provides comfort and guidance for partners in the process of recovery. Graber draws from personal experience to show how partners can accept responsibility for their own issues, support the recovery of the incest or sexual abuse survivor and work toward solving relationship problems together.  

When You Are the Partner of a Rape or Incest Survivor: A Workbook for You by Robert Barry Levine

Levine has worked for six years with rape and incest survivors and their mates: where most titles are written for the victim, this addresses the special concerns and challenges faced by their partners. Use this workbook as a guide to therapeutic directions, with its case histories helping to increase understanding. -- Midwest Book Review 

Haunted Marriage: Overcoming the Ghosts of Your Spouse's Childhood Abuse by Clark E. Barshinger, Lojan E. LA Rowe, Andres T. Tapia, loj Larowe

Many books describe how to find healing from past sexual abuse. This book focuses on the emotional, spiritual, and practical challenges faced by the spouse of one who has been abused. 

What About Me? A Guide for Men Helping Female Partners Deal with Childhood Sexual Abuse by Grant Cameron

This is a book for the silent sufferers - the millions of men worldwide who are helping female partners recover from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. What About Me? will help men understand the issues surrounding childhood sexual abuse and prepare them for the rocky journey through the healing process with a survivor. It will help them understand why women who are healing say and do certain things. It will also give them a better understanding of their own actions and feelings. 

What to Do When You Find Out...Your Wife Was Sexually Abused with Discussion Guide by John Courtright, Sid Rogers

This book is directed to husbands who are trying to cope with the confusion, fear, and anger that result when their wives first confront and then begin to recover from past abuse. 

When a Man You Love Was Abused by Cecil Murphey

For all women who know and love a survivor of sexual assault, best-selling author Cecil Murphey has penned an honest and forthright book about helping the man in your life survive--and thrive--despite past abuses. 

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

When Survivors Give Birth is written for a mixed audience of maternity care professionals and para-professionals, mental health therapists and counselors, and women survivors and their families. The authors expertly and compassionately address the unusual and distressing challenges that arise for abuse survivors during the childbirth experience.

The first section informs the reader of the impact of early sexual abuse on children, adults, and on all aspects of childbearing. The second section teaches skills in communication, self-help skills, counseling and psychotherapy techniques. The third covers clinical challenges and solutions for doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, and others. Case histories throughout the book clarify and apply the content.

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