Abuse Books

My mother gave me this book after she read it. I am a high school senior and reading it gave me the chills. I could have been one of his victims! If my mother hadnt had an eye to see him for the predator that he is, I might have fallen into his grasp. Yes, I know who he is, even though the names have been changed. And I know a couple of the victims too. They are from a wealthy family in our town and did everything to hide after the news came out. This man ruined their lives forever. I want to see him punished but it will never happen unless somebody takes him to court. He thinks he is getting away with it. Someday, he is going to answer to the highest court and then what will he do???

This book is mysterious in that it puts you in the mind of Pamela, the main character/victim....yet you are shown what is going on behind her back. It is a shame that all these people were hurt by one bad man. I hope they all can get on with their lives and be happy once again.

This book helped me see how a predator gets his victims. It kept me on the edge of my seat because I could see Pamela walking around clueless about the priest's real activities. Having gone through a tortuous incident with someone I trusted, I could really relate to her story and wish her and the victims well.

I want to thank Ms. Amoia, who had the guts to finally tell the truth on the big bad church and how they are only looking out for their own pockets. I liked the "Suggested Reading" pages in the back of the book. I found many of the articles helpful to me, a former victim of sexual, mental and spiritual abuse. I really related to the poem in the front of the book. I am on my way to recovery and getting on my feet after many years of torture at the hands of someone I trusted. Finally, I am beginning to take back my power too. Thanks for writing this book Ms. Amoia and God bless you always. (...)

This book made me so angry, I could scream. How dare this priest do what he did to so many trusting persons???? I am glad the author decided to write about the victims so that something can be done about abuse in the church. It wasnt a book to be read for entertainment but for instruction and help. I would really like to know his real name. Why would the church keep him so safe and secure? I bet there are so many stories out there. To the author: keep writing!

This is a daily meditation book. I read it every morning, at the start of my day. It gets me started in the right frame of mind to handle the things that are put in front of me throughout the day. I would no more think of starting my day without it than I would skip my morning coffee.

This is one of the three daily readings books that I try to read every morning. There are some days that I get too distracted and forget to read the books and usually feel a bit off until I can read them. Many of the readings are exactly what I need to hear for that day and there are other days when it doesn't really speak to me. If you want to improve your conscious contact with God, this book can be a great help.

If you are looking for a morning meditation book, this is a great book. Readings are short, labeld by day, and can bring focus to the whole day.

If you or someone you know is in recovery it is perfect, safe and inspirational. Would make a great gift to demonstrate support.

Beautiful meditations for those in recovery...simple and direct. A welcome addition to my morning quiet time. I'm blessed to have been guided to this book.

In recovery many of us have moved from the "24 Hour a Day Book" to "Daily Meditations" and then perhaps to "A Day at a Time". In my 21 years recovery I've probably had close to a dozen different meditation books. All have had some key points and keep one moving along spiritually.

This book I've used for at least the last six years and it stays fresh and seems to grow as I do. The quotations on each daily meditation are excellent. The further meditation is well planned and cohesive. The theme of recovery is clear but without a specific addiction. For one who truly believes "the point is we are willing to grow along spiritual lines", this might be the book for you.

Read this book for the same reason you will listen to your favorite album, or root for your team, or look at a statue when on vacation...to see and admire what people are capable of. Rae is a hero, and I enjoyed reading about it. dominickolas@hotmail.com

My uncle came to my home last week. He brought me an newspaper article about Rae and Desiray in the Palmdale's Antelope Valley Press. The first thing I noticed was Rae's smile, then the picture and story of the Organization Rae and Desiray are opening here in the near future.

I am a mother of a child who must face her perp in court. I looked everywhere for this book and my uncle was able to track a used on down for me.

My daughter is now 14. She has nightmares, panic attacks and is terrified to testify. Even though their book is graghic (as I read and cried for hours) I gave it to my daughter to read.

I had heard and seen their case years past, but had no idea they were still advocating. Although this book is shattering, shocking and at ttimes you don't want to read it, then you cannot stop reading it because of the way Rae wrote her past. She endured abuse, yes, but in her words "I wake everyday and I make sure I am not Zola." Her struggles to raise her children as a young single mom and the strength of her father, who helped not only Rae, but the family when their case became national.

I was so impressed that Rae wrote this book before someone else did and continue to write and advocate with her daughter. Desiray, my lord, what a triumph! Both traveled for years to pass bills, won awards world wide for thier work and still had to go to court and face the man who hurt this young child.

Last night my daughter finished the book. She asked me two things when she woke up this morning.

"Can I call Desiray? When is my court date and how can I work with them?"

The samething happened me me, Rae (if you read these), the night she read your book, you gave me my daughter back. With tears of joy, i say this to each and every victim, past, present and sadly the future to come, buy Inborn Justice, your life will change. This is the most powerful and moving book I have ever read. May god watch over all the sweet victims and find this book to their door-step. Please, please, please, don't pass up the oppertunity to survive and have a move on. Rae and Desiray did, my daughter and I am now.

How many woman read a book and leave their partners when they feel they have no where to go? One victim that I know of personally and could be millions if they read Inborn Justice. Our family has been trying to help my sister who was a victim of domestic violence. The children endured the sounds and watched the horror of DV just like Rae and her two sisters in the non fiction book that has brought our family peace for the holiday in twelve-years. I would leave pamphlets, numbers and mail her letters (my sister) regarding domestic violence in hopes she would leave her partner. The family was so tired of the many times she hid from us until her battered body with bruises and cuts faded to scars. Then one day while I was at work, a frantic call from my sister came in. My co-worker over heard my conversation and the next day she brought me her copy of Inbor Justice that she purchased at amazon.com Before I read the book, I read the reviews. I was overwhelmed I had not heard of this case and was eager to read it the following weekend. I began Inborn Justice that evening (could not wait until Saturday) and could not put it down. I was mesmorized by Rae's words and how she described her childhood of abuse. How Rae wrote her inner childs pain, suffering and fear was gripping and hypnotic. Poetically perfect for anyone interested in reading the true life account of a child who was not just a victim, but was a part of a deep seed cover up. From her thoughts of suicide at 9 to her attempted suicide at 11 Rae did not want to die due to depression, she could not handle he world she had to live in. Abuse. Molestation. Watching her mother allow her step-father abuse her. Her sisters torture and then turn a blinds eye when he beat and battered her mother. I related to Rae line by line as I watched my family endure the same abuse. I cried for the first time for my sister and her children. I was angry at her for allowing her children to possibly walk the path of Rae and her daughter Desiray, another review of it's own, is the product of a mothers heart. A mothers true love. A mother who did not become a statistic. A mother that embraced instead of rejected. Rae took the chance by exposing her life after Desiray, 12, went public for print and media when she was molested by her God Father. Desiray would not have been embraced if Rae had not stood strong and survived the years of abuse and a witness to the DV of her mother. I have to also praise the fact that Rae did not allow Desiray become another national headline case to use for attention. This young woman who agreed, after months of saying no to Desiray. After she contacted Attorney Gloria Allred to have her day in court and face her perpetrator, on her own, Rae finally agreed that Desiray was much stronger than she was at her age and knew Desiray had to use whatever tool she needd to fight back and not be a victim as she has, at the same age. Mother and daughter are not the typical Talk Show Tale of abuse. Inborn Justice is a must read for anyone who wants to see the real deal of abuse and DV. They held nothing back and I have read hundreds of books regarding this subject to help my sister gain the power to leave on her own. I gave her the book the next day. She went to a theater with a small light so she would not endure more abuse when she got home. She read the book through 3 movies and called the family to pick up her belongings with the police and her children at school. Thank you Rae and Desiray. You said Gloria Allred gave you your little girl back. Our family thanks you for giving us our family back. It had been almost a year since Inborn Justice came into our lives and changed what we felt was the impossible task of seeing our family together on holidays. If you do not know what to buy your friend, family or someone you know who needs inspiration and help due to abuse, buy Inborn Justice. Who cares what shape the book is in. Old or new you will walk away with the courage to stand on your own and make a difference in your life and the life of your children. Thank you Amazon for carrying this book and selling new and used copies of Inborn Justice. I would only hope that this book could be advertised better so women and families can find this book for someone they love or someone who wants to learn the truth of abuse without glazing over the depth and reality of this aweful cycle. Inborn Justice, Rae and Desiray's true life story, is truly Gods work and shines a light on a dark and evil path of wickedness that has to stop. The angels came out in numbers in a battle that often ends in grief and pain. Now that our path is lit, so will yours. No matter what your pain is, Rae and Desiray will change your life in the first few pages. I would give it 10 stars, but it is not an option. Buy one for yourself and gift a few more to those who need a kick in the head!

There are many books and motion pictures about family members. From good, bad and the ugly readers and movie buffs have seen it all. Pearl Harbor, Ali, Not Without My Daughter, Erin Brochovich and more.

Inborn Justice is the first book I have read from beginning to end and when I got to "Good Bye Debbie" I called everyone I knew and promised to pass it on.

Not everyone is a survivor, but 3-5 are. My copy of Inborn Justice (i just got back) is so worn out now that I have to purchase another one.

Our readers "Rose Readers Club" would like to invite Rae and Desiray to a private party in their honor.

Cheers, laughters, sadness, anger and then I crawled to the most spectacular ending a book about the tiumph of mother and daughter endured. Put this book on Oprah!

I know millions of woman will see abuse, domestic violence and raising their children in a whole new light after you get this book in the mail. Mothers: Pack, get your kids, walk, buse or dive as far as possible without looking back. Leave that life behind. Buy it read it and pass it on to a women's shelter.

Never in my life have I ever read such a powerful story about two very strong minded girls who suffered abuse, became a survivor and then literally changed the world! Rae's writing is purely poetic and shattering. Filled with suspence and the characters are real. This is one story that will make a motion picture in years to come. I read this book in one sitting. It had such an impact on my own life as a survivor that I am ready to face my own abuser, and transform my anger into a incredible bond with my own children beginning today! Tom Arnold did a spectacular job writing about the hero's Rae and Desiray. I could not have written it better myself. Now I am going to write the authors and thank her for taking all the darkness in my life and transforming it into a rainbow of love. A love for myself and survivors across the nation.

After coming out of an abusive marriage, I was desperate. This book was one of my saviors. It helped to make sense of so much, without feeling ashamed or guilty. I recomend it to anyone who thinks they might have been abused, physically, emotionally, financially.... It's kind of like a best friend.
In other words a great read.

This book is very informative on this subject matter. It provided the information I needed.

This book is amazing & I highly reccomend this book !!!!! Very insightful & extremely helpful !!! Also combines a workbook aspect for assesments !! Please if you have just left a Violent relationship, I highly recommend this book, it could literally save your life !

It's My Life Now fills an important gap in the literature on domestic violence. There are several great books out there that help bring the abused to the point of recognizing that they are in an abusive relationship that they must escape. These books help clarify the patterns and cycles that are common to so many abusive relationships. When searching for help and healing myself, I largely encountered books that told me how to get out, get safe, and (had I any children) get custody. But at that point, I had already fought my way out of my abuser's grasp and was searching for something to help me untangle the webs of control, humiliation, and verbal abuse I had endured. I was also struggling with difficult feelings of guilt, loss, and anger that I needed some guidance to process. That is where this book came in: the practical guide to regaining yourself after enduring abuse and/or violence.

What is so valuable and remarkable about this book, compared to many others, is that it walks the abused through the complicated (and admittedly frightening) time AFTER she gets out of the relationship.

It begins with the typical identification of abuse and abusive behaviors, but as this book is written for those who have already left their abuser, this list serves a different purpose. In an incredibly reassuring and helpful chapter that addresses the feelings of love for the abuser that may still remain, we are asked to make a list of the qualities that were attractive in him in the first place. Then, we return to the initial chapter's list of abusive behaviors and make a list of what type of abuses were committed and with what frequency. The positive list serves to reassure the abused that she had compelling reasons for being attracted to the abuser, while the abuses list reminds her that the abuser (however charming) is not who he seemed. There are many more simple, journal-style exercises that I found important for gaining insight and perspective.

The book addresses key issues I encountered in the uncomfortable period that ensued within one week or two of leaving my abuser. The author also recommends that readers return to these topics and exercises one month later, for comparison. (Perspective is everything.) I have emphatically recommended this book to the women I have met in domestic violence support groups, who have returned nothing but praise for the usefulness, pertinence and clarity of It's My Life Now. I have found it invaluable in my own process and will continue to refer to it when I require strength or guidance.

I left an abusive relationship and kept wondering why me? This book really helped me see what happened and why I stayed as long as I did. I really could relate to the book well and it helped a lot with the healing process.

Title: Jump the Cracks

Author: Stacy DeKeyser

Rating: 4.5/5

Good:

This book started out in a very interesting way. Within fifteen pages, an ordinary girl with a screwy home life is forced to look a problem in the eye and make a choice whether or not she should do something about it. Of course, she decides to do something.

I finished this book in less than a day, and I was completely intrigued. From the very beginning, Stacy DeKeyser created a main character that I could easily sympathize with. Victoria could easily be just like me or any one of my friends. She is a weak teenager, but she is unbelievably strong where it counts. When it comes time for her to try to save an innocent child from something she knows is wrong, she does what she thinks is right.

This story is completely indescribable. It portrays such a strong message about love and acceptance, except it's done in a completely unexpected way.


Bad:

This is really hard for me to think of something bad about this book... The whole thing was mesmerizing and kept me interested from beginning to end. The writing was nothing spectacular, but it was definitely made up for by an amazing story line.

What a fantastic, heartfelt novel from Stacy DeKeyser that offers a wonderful commentary on human morality in a face-paced and ever changing world. The heroine goes on a page-turning adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat from page one to the end. The novel is an excellent all-around read for any young adult or grown-up alike. The journey of Victoria and Wills will make you laugh out loud while at the same time tugging at your heart strings. The book expresses beautifully, poetically and humorously what true love and promises are all about. The special love and bond that is created between the young protagonists is one that will make you want to pick up this book and read it over and over again! And your friends will want to read it too!

I couldn't put this book down! It's an exciting read. It reminds me a bit of the film Thelma and Louise, in that Victoria, the main character, never intends to do anything wrong. In fact, it all begins because she is trying to help an at-risk little boy, but each "right" decision to help the boy sends her further down the path to being a fugitive and kidnapper. What starts as a well intended action spirals out of control and leads to a crazy chain of events. It's a great ride, with a very satisfying ending. While marketed as a young adult novel, the content is also appropriate for younger readers.

It is easy to connect to the characters in this book making it hard to put down! Middle school and teen readers will relate to Victoria's dilemma and I can hear them in heated discussion about what she should do. For a 15 year old girl facing the adult world where life demands compromise, Victoria is facing a very difficult decision. What will she choose?

A wonderful YA novel, totally appropriate for mid-graders, too. Fifteen-year-old Victoria heads into NY alone on the train to meet her dad, who hasn't "been there" for her much since her parents' divorce. She gets side-tracked by a toddler in an at-risk situation and when her dad fails to meet the train, she makes a heartfelt snap decision to rescue little Wills. The reader is along for a great ride in the ensuing railway chase involving threatening characters, concerned relatives, and the police. Jump the Cracks is a page-turner until the end, as Victoria struggles to care for Wills while trying to figure out the meaning of family and home and how to get both of them there safely.

Marci Hamilton is so knowledgeable and experienced in the field of child abuse. She identifies two of the culprits who constantly fight against child rights legisation: the catholic church and the insurance industry. She has surveyed state laws regarding statute of limitation on bringing suits against pedofiles. It is also interesting how she has identified states that have taken a proactive position on children's rights and how legislators in a certain state have deemed dog health care issues more important than those of children. It is also distressing that our nation appears to be more concerned about adult protection rather than protecting our children. How sad. Hopefully this book will make an impact on legislators in our nation, both state and federal.

Want to protect children? Hamilton gives simple, concrete actions adults can do today to help. Many like to demonize child predators for hurting innocent kids. Few, however, really know how to catch, expose, remove and jail them, so that kids will be protected. This is a terrific, solutions-oriented book written in a no-nonsense, compelling style. I recommend it highly!

This book is amazing. Amazing, first, because I,(a person with very little knowledge of the legal system), can actually understand it! Anyone who has experienced child abuse and come to the realization of its impact on his or her life, can quickly recognize someone who "gets it". Marcy Hamilton gets it. This book has inspired me to take braver steps in my role as a child advocate, the first of which is going to be a letter to my State Senator to push for reform in our statute of limitation laws for child abuse!!

Children had almost no personal rights through the middle ages. They were often punished as adults but had less perceived value than chattel. In our era we pride ourselves on our enlightened approach to childens' rights and welfare. If you believe we are truly enlightened this book will shatter that belief. Professor Hamilton describes the legal quirk whereby victims of child abuse are denied their day in court and perpetrating abusers are enabled by the law. The concept of the Statute of Limitations is designed to prevent miscarriages of justice yet in the case of child abuse it promotes them. Child abuse abvocates and victims have struggled for changes in State legislation to promote laws that are far more protective of children and their rights. The shocker is that the two institutions that have done the most to prevent enlightened legislation are the institutional Catholic Church, mostly the bishops, and the insurance industry. The Church is afraid to bare its secrets and lose its power (and money too) and the insurance industry blatantly puts its money way before the welfare of children. This book is solid. It is not a polemic. It is a painful and at times shocking revelation of well documented facts by a leading constitutional legal scholar and fearless advocate for the rights of children. Get the book. You'll be shocked, scandalized, angry and hopefully motivated to insist that your lawmakers do the right thing.

Marci Hamilton shows that state legislatures could, with a veritable stoke of the pen, do more much to protect children. What stops the legislatures are special interests, but "Justice Denied" has the potential to launch a civil rights campaign that puts children first.

This is a wonderful meditation book for recovering Christian alcoholics/addicts in 12-step programs. It gives a person a helpful connection between the Program and the Bible and church. It is a powerful tool for use on the road to recovery.

I have been reading "Letting God" for 5 years as a daily meditation reader and it is as fresh today as it was 5 years ago. It has memorable short tales that stick to your life and will give you a great outlook on life. One daily reader that you shouldn't be without.

Several years ago, I began the practice of reading and reflecting every morning, using "day" books. This is one of the best books I have used. The New Testament of the Bible is one of the two greatest books on recovery ever written (the Big Book is the other), so the Bible verse and related reflection by the author are a perfect combination, and it works well with the "24 Hour Book" and "Daily Reflections", and probably any other daily reflection book you care to use. Pick it up!

This inspiring daily devotional strenthens and encourages the reader. The author provides practical insights into scripture and makes the Bible come alive for living in today's world.

Also included are prayers for recovery and a handy Index of Steps and Slogans. Letting God is a "must have" for anyone who is recovering from addictions of drugs, alcohol, gambling, porn, sexual addictions etc.

This is an excellent book for daily reading. It's spiritually uplifting and an encouragement for addiction recovery. It gives moral lessons and does it without a preaching attitude. It's written from the heart and I recommend it for any one that is seeking a more spiritual life.

I've read this book twice. It is the most informative book on the subject, giving insight to anyone with A.D.D., especially if addictions are creating havoc in your life. A "must read" if you have A.D.D. and want to change the direction in which your life is heading. Bravo to Wendy for putting her information into a comprehensive book!

Wendy has written a clear explanation of what ADD is and how it impacts a person's life. She explains how many people with ADD also have problems with a variety of addictions, and what they can do about it. Wendy has personal insight into both problem areas, as well as extensive professional training, so her writing on these topics has both depth and breadth. The book is written for the lay person, is not over-whelming, and is clear and concise. Anyone who thinks they have both ADD and addictions would greatly benefit from reading this book.

This is very well written book that connects AD/HD and ADDiction. Not only does it explain both of them it offerrs suggestions on how to deal with AD/HD and ADDiction. The chapter "Feeling your Feelings" is very helpful.

If you suspect that you -or someone you'd like to help- suffers from ADD or an addiction problem, this straight-forward guide will unravel the mystery and then show you practical ways to greatly improve life. The author -a highly respected practitioner in California - writes in a no-nonsense style that makes you feel that you are learning from the best. She clearly knows the subject so well that she can distill material into reader-friendly nuggets of useful bullet points, checklists, tools, and quick assessments. Read this book and you'll be better able to help yourself or someone else.

The Link Between ADD and Addiction is a one of a kind book and should be at the top of the list for all people with Attention Deficit Disorder whether or not they believe they have addictions. Its important information helps the ADD adult or parent of ADD children understand how attention deficit disorder may be affecting their lives. It is well written, in a friendly, easy to read style.

Thanks Wendy Richardson for writing it!

A remarkably brave book that doesn't hold back in plumbing the depths of a range of feelings that few have the courage to tune into. I picked this book up fully expecting to put it down within minutes. I read it in one go, drawn in by the author's poignant, and at times unbearably painful story. A woman determined not to quit till she'd figured it out. She takes us on that journey and cuts us no slack by pussyfooting around the edges of her chaos, desperation and heartbreaking loneliness. The ending is as good a page turner as any book you'll find out there.

Dawn's book is a compelling and honest look into the process of psychotherapy. As a survivor of therapy abuse and of childhood sexual abuse, I felt a connection with Dawn from the beginning. This is a must read for anyone interested in healing the child within. Thank You Dawn, you have truly given me a wonderful gift.

This is definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in personal and spiritual growth. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and therapy abuse, I was relieved to have read that healing is possible. This book has truly changed my life and how I look at myself.

Wonderfully written, Ms. Kohler uses her voice and vision to express in words what many of us feel but can not say. The reader is drawn into Dawn's journey as she allows herself to feel and to hear what has been numb and repressed for so long. It is an empowering story that leaves one with desires to make changes in their own life. To look within, and learn to see and hear in ways we may have disregarded before. It is a reminder to breathe.

Dawn Kohler takes us on riveting, emotional journey. She tells her story--a story of love, abuse, and spiritual transformation--with a great deal of integrity and honesty. Her writing appears to be transparent, as if there is no book between me and the intimate telling of her story. I felt I was right there with her. Despite the horror Dawn Kohler experienced as a child, there is a noticeable lack of a victim script in her story. She is a modern day heroine whose experience alone gives us courage and inspires us to heal our own emotional wounds.

I had heard before that a person's family of origin had an impact, sometimes a big impact, on how long it took and how difficult it could be to recover from abuse. This book does a great job at explaining why and how this is true. It was written for professionals but wasn't too difficult to read and follow. If this is an idea you hadn't considered before or just wanted more information about it, this book will probably be very helpful. It was for me.

This book is really for professionals; I wouldn't recommend my clients read it. I appreciate the perspective it brings to an often too politicized field. In addition, Dr. Gold does an excellent job of *not* blaming but rather using the available literature and the experience at his clinic to endorse ways to help our clients *move on* from their traumatic situations & contexts into a healthier and happier life.

I think there is an unfortunate tendency among some therapists even today to focus primarily on child sexual abuse (and perhaps to a lesser extent, child physical abuse) as the source of the client's problems. The treatment approach that ensues all too often involves one of two things: focusing exclusively on the damaging effects of the traumas, which in the 80's and early 90's often promoted deterioration rather than increased functioning, or, in reaction to this, avoiding the subject altogether and focusing on the biological basis of mental illness and an often superficial examination of present-day problems.

This book provides another approach. As other reviewers have stated, it emphasizes the essential fact that many child abuse survivors grow up alone. If not physically alone, then emotionally abandoned in many cases. This points out the difficulties of living with insecure attachment, a subject that is getting more attention among therapists these days.

However, Dr. Gold does not stop with a conclusion that adding attachment theory to trauma theory will relieve the client's problems. He also says that many clients are missing essential life skills (and I mean basic skills, such as regulating emotions to avoid suicidal crises and be able to function; paying bills; keeping the house clean; maintaining a healthy weight, and establishing a stable attendance record at a job, among others). These skills are so obvious to many people that some therapists (along with the general public) expect child abuse survivors to know them. However, they all too often don't and are blamed when they can't function well (or even at all) in life. This book shows how to remedy these problems.

Another benefit of this book is the inclusion of experiences of male survivors, who were until recently often neglected in the child abuse literature.

I am using the word "survivor" in this view for lack of a better term, but Dr. Gold points out the limitation of this term; that it does not account for the non-abuse related aspects of the person.

Dr. Gold points out that clients usually don't enter therapy with the goal of talking about child abuse experiences. They want to know why they can't make their lives work. In his approach, some processing of the trauma may be necessary, but it is put in context of the overall life of the person.

This book makes the reader conceptualize child abuse and its sequelae in a totally different way and I strongly recommend it. As another reviewer pointed out, it is well-written and free from the jargon and highly technical language of most professional mental health books. My only caveat is that no one book, including this one, can be viewed as the Bible for explaining an individual's life. In therapy, the individual's experience is more important than any book. But I think the author would agree with this. His approach is highly instructive and compassionate.

I had the pleasure to meet Dr. Gold at a conference in New York City for male survivors of CSA and was blown away by the presentation he gave. I was even more impressed by the brief discussions we had after his presentation. Dr. Gold is a therapist of rare insight, patience, dedication, and intellect (all essential traits in anyone who works with suriviors).

Not Trauma Alone is a standout work in the field of working with clients who have experience prolonged periods of childhood abuse. (And it's a tragically rare book in this area as well).

His work shows the limitations of viewing us through the lens of trauma alone. Though it's easy to grasp onto the horror of the experience of sexual abuse and see that as the lynchpin of the problems that adult survivors face, the truth is that these attacks often happen in a much broader context of a childhood marked by neglect, abandonment, fear, and powerlessness. This experience can often leave a child marked and vulnerable to the manipulations of abusers, but more importantly this kind of upbringing leaves the adult who survives struggling to adapt and feel comfortable living in a complex world.

This book is essential reading for any therapist who has clients who have suffered from significant childhood abuse, and for any survivor who is looking to gain a greater understanding of why they feel the way they do.

Excellent viewpoints from different angles. I read it from a 'victim in recovery' view. I identified with the entire book. It does not cover the more unusual aspect of the victim living in fear of losing his life at the hands of his mother as in my case; but does cover very fully the more usual traumas in the family context of PCB (Prolonged Child Abuse). I read it all through, then started all over again - slowly - with my yellow highlighter. It gave me confirmation and great respect of Steven Gold's immense research and practical experience in this area. One can see 'Dissociation' in action from the social family viewpoint. Definitely a good study/read for those dealing with trauma victims as survivors or those in recovery. This is reality. (We are not alone!)