Journey to Heal and Naming Our Abuse

A path of hope and healing for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

A woman who was sexually abused as a child is confronted with many internal questions: Am I worthless? Will I get past the pain? Do I matter to God? These and similar questions can carve a deep hole in an already wounded soul. Too often, the lies of worthlessness are believed, the pain becomes too much to handle, and survivors find themselves making choices that lead to more heartbreak. With over 42 million survivors (both male and female) in the United States alone, the need for a clear path to healing is great.

Crystal Sutherland—herself a survivor of CSA—knows that while the recovery process is complex, healing is possible with God's help. For women who want to progress from simply coping to living abundantly, Journey to Heal guides readers through seven essential steps to recovery found in Scripture. Candid and open about her personal journey of healing, Crystal comes alongside her reader as a friend who understands. Infused with biblical truths, stories of hope from other survivors, and practical wisdom, this book leads women to discover the life of wholeness God has for them.

My thoughts: This is an excellent book for females who have been sexually abused, or even for those who are trying to help a loved one over come sexual abuse. The book is heartbreaking, due to the subject it deals with, but is also a message of hope for those who have been sexually abused. This book is a helpful mix of prayers, scripture verses, and information. I highly recommend it if you or a loved one has suffered sexual abuse. This book shows that you are not alone.



A stunningly vulnerable look at the horrific realities of sexual abuse and how to overcome them.

Male sexual abuse is increasingly in the news, from scandals in the Catholic Church to exploitations at Penn State. Yet books and programs about healing are still overwhelmingly oriented toward the female survivor of abuse. As men who experienced childhood abuse, the authors of this book are uniquely qualified to address the healing process of male survivors.

Using the metaphor of a car accident, Naming Our Abuse leads the survivor from the Wreck to the Accident Report to Rehabilitation to Driving Again. This four-step model illustrates that healing is a process to be nurtured rather than something that can be healed in a single telling. Following the authors’ examples, readers are invited to find solidarity with other male survivors and develop an understanding of their own wounding through journaling exercises.

My thoughts: This one is geared towards men and centers around the stories of three different men who suffered abuse. This one talks about the different kinds of abuse: sexual, physical, spiritual, and mental. There are questions throughout the book to help the reader find their way to hope and healing, along with places for the reader to write personal thoughts. This is a great book for those who have been abused or for those who have a loved one who was abused.
I received both of these books from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.