Being Heard Healing Voices Of Trauma

This collection of deeply introspective poems reflects Vera’s inner voice in response to her unrecognized and unfelt personal traumas and shocks. She writes about loss, pain, joy, love, fear, memories, and death. The poems, written over a four-year period, emerged from moments of silence. They give voice to that which otherwise might remain lost or hidden. They reflect her previously unexpressed emotions underlying life’s traumatic experiences. The voices within compelled her to bring them forth on her healing journey “A debut collection details the the way poetry can transform pain into hope and healing. The author is particularly good at demonstrating the way in which psychic pain lodges in the body how mental strife has physical effect . She makes readers feel the shortness of her breath and the churning in her gut. But even in such struggle, there is hope, and her verse also testifies to the possibility of recovery... Her moving book is an invitation a well - one those suffering from trauma would do well to accept...Touching poems that show reader both the storm and the calm that can follow.” — Kirkus Review of Books “A soulful, well-written and sincere narrative uniting us all in our common vulnerability. The collection can be easily read in any order, each entry connected and yet able to stand alone. The writing speaks openly from one heart to another, leaving you in a better place at the end of the journey.” — Kathryn Castelli

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.

"Healing Voices" consists of 11 real-life stories of women who have experienced various forms of violence (domestic violence, rape, incest, and other violent acts), with their "common thread" being the realization they survived because of their faith in God. Some of the women have chosen to remain anonymous and others reveal their identities, but all desire their voices be heard and want their stories to inspire hope and renewal for other women who may be in abusive relationships, or who are recovering from such experiences. Each woman's story is followed by a spiritual reflection written by a female clergy person to help discern the message of hope that each story reveals.

Being Whole is Dr. Cassandra LeClair's gripping story of achieving healing and wholeness following years of abuse accompanied by heart-rending secrecy and shame. Exquisitely honest--and always breathtakingly authentic and highly relatable--Dr. LeClair's story is, ultimately, one of hope and redemption. Acknowledging that we all endure periods of stress, trauma, and crisis, Dr. LeClair urges readers to examine, acknowledge, and heal their own broken and fragmented pieces--using their voice in the way that best resonates with them. In a world that demands that our lives showcase perfection, Dr. LeClair encourages us to recognize and own all aspects of our stories--especially the messy and painful parts-- so that we can integrate all of our experiences more fully and achieve a life filled with peace and purpose.

Thriving After Trauma addresses readers who have experience trauma or loss due to a variety of experience – whether accident, abuse, or injury. Shari Botwin shows readers, through personal stories, how many who have experienced the worst kinds of trauma have managed to move on and thrive beyond their experiences. Often, those who live through trauma come away with feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and despair. These are common, even normal, responses in the immediate aftermath. Left unaddressed, though, those feelings may develop into substance abuse problems, eating disorders, depression, or anxiety. Learning how to move on, to pick up and live life again, takes effort and guidance. Botwin guides readers through the stories of others who have gone on to live fulfilling, happy lives, and provides tips and tools for healing and moving on. Letting go of the shame, guilt, anger and fear associated with tragic events is crucial to reclaiming a full life. Strategies such as, journaling, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral restructuring, and healthy relationships to aid in recovery are explored and explained, so readers can adopt those strategies that work best for them. It is not the trauma itself that results in so many people developing self-destructive tendencies and life threatening illnesses. It is the lack of having a way to digest and make sense of the trauma-related feelings that can lead one to mental illness, disconnection, and in some cases, even death. Readers will learn how to live with the trauma versus how to get over the trauma, so they can move forward healthfully and mindfully.

Written for those working to heal developmental trauma and seeking new tools for self-awareness and growth, this book focuses on conflicts surrounding the capacity for connection. Explaining that an impaired capacity for connection to self and to others and the ensuing diminished aliveness are the hidden dimensions that underlie most psychological and many physiological problems, clinicians Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre introduce the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM), a unified approach to developmental, attachment, and shock trauma that, while not ignoring a person’s past, emphasizes working in the present moment. NARM is a somatically based psychotherapy that helps bring into awareness the parts of self that are disorganized and dysfunctional without making the regressed, dysfunctional elements the primary theme of the therapy. It emphasizes a person’s strengths, capacities, resources, and resiliency and is a powerful tool for working with both nervous system regulation and distortions of identity such as low self-esteem, shame, and chronic self-judgment.