Abuse Books

This has been an invaluable tool in my weight loss. I love (and have been following the Action Plan) and tremendously enjoy the daily readings. I recommend this book with enthusiasm. (Down 40 punds to date).

This is the best book EVER for daily motivation to stick with your diet, or weight-management program, even better that the books put out by Over-Easters Anonymous. I have used this book many times, over a number of years, and continue to be motivated again EVERY TIME I read it.

The book is filled with specific, concrete suggestions of new ideas to try to keep yourself motivated, and sticking to your program. It gives new, specific things to consider and work on that are REALLY USEFUL, unlike many other books.

i recently started reading this book and it is very motivational. it makes you think. only then can you succeed in weight loss and MAINTAIN which is the bigger challenge. i can't say enough about it. buy it!

This is far and away the best book on compulsive eating I have read. Every paragraph contains a nugget of wisdom, a motiviational statement that shoots straight to the heart, or an insight that will leave you breathless if you share this affliction.

If you have a problem controlling your eating -- if you eat from stress, from boredom, from emotion, or if you just find it difficult to resist temptation, or stop when you start ... you HAVE to read this book. Rather than start ANOTHER "diet" next Monday like you always do, grab a copy of this book and start a new way of life.

In this remarkable graphic novel with a strong imagery ,I was moved and
touched by the intensity of this story of child abuse.Especially when
I sensed that I was living it through the eyes of the child,which constitutes the "tour de force" of this excellent book.
Reading "things happen" is a very intense experience .

Things Happen by Leslie Black is a powerful, frightening depiction of abuse. The beautiful drawings and comic book format make it all the more terrifying. This is a painful place to visit as much of the story is from the eyes of the abused and confused child. For those who have experienced abuse, it may feel liberating to find thier own pain so clearly spoken. For those who have not, it is a window into how that experience may feel.

"Things Happen: A Fairy Tale," is a delicate comic - book style rendition of a painful childhood. It begins with a beautiful little girl enjoying life, and proceeds with a very muddled one, and her attempts to better it. This reader at times was reminded of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist and writer whose tortured life was in many respects similar to that of the girl in this novel.

THINGS HAPPEN is a delicately-rendered nightmare of abuse and apprehension that is both terrifying and enticing, a creative response to trauma which took me on a spiritual journey from chaos to revelation. The story and imagery stay with you: dark and forboding, the stuff of buried memories and, finally, a sort of redemption. I highly recommend THINGS HAPPEN to anyone interested in examining the darkest truths, and coming out the other side.
- bobhelland@aol.com

No one book can change a persons life but some like this provides more tools for the project that may lie ahead.

Things That Work: A No-Nonsense Guide To Recovery By One Who Knows by Barry Bocchieri is an inspirational guide specifically written to assist alcoholics to effectively recover from the painful process of withdrawal. Guiding the reader through helpful and effective ways of dealing with the same troubles he personally experienced, Bocchieri deftly instructs healthy and progressive solutions applicable for all who suffer from alcoholism. Things That Work is very strongly recommended to all readers on the road to recovery for its ability to relate and guide its struggling readers through the many barriers faced with overcoming and conquering alcohol addiction.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MR. BOCCHIERI, this is a marvelous book to review again and again, not just for recovering alcoholics/drug abusers. This book touches on the BASIC idea, everyone of us has to be responsible for oneself and DECIDE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. KEEP TRYING! that should be a subtitle! NEVER GIVE UP!!!!! I feel very inspired by the author advising not just what information he has gathered but what experiences he shares of his own. AGAIN, THANK YOU!!!

What a relief! This book gave me very simple, specific tools to help fight addiction. Also, it had down-to-earth suggestions to help with panic attacks, anxiety, even conflict in the workplace. With humor and insight the author really spoke to me without any psycho-babble!

I have just finished reading "To Dance Amongst the Stars." The author Namid has written her story of her abuse and her journey of healing. It was an easy, quick read. There was nothing graphic in her book reguarding her abuse. She is very open with her feelings and allows others to understand her process of healing. This book would be very helpful to anyone who has been raped or loved ones of people that have been raped.

We are truly blessed for this author to share an experience like this with the world. It takes courage and bravery to do this, let along create a group to help victims of rape. This book will relate to any victim and it ofers a path of healing.

This is a great book, please support her and buy this book!

This is a book written by a truly inspirational author, Namid has captured her journey of survivorhood from sexual abuse as a child to rape as an adult and the aftermath of her rape resulting in pregnancy. Namid tells her journey in an easy to understand language that connects with the reader on a personal level.There are no graphic details of her rape that often can trigger readers, including myself. It is refreshing to see an author write with such clarity, maturity,and poigant at her age. She is wise beyond her years and this book and the R.A.P.E. Foundation she formed will help many.I will be looking forward to her other books and will keep reading for sure.

I just read Namid's book "To Dance Amongst the Stars" I must tell everyone this is a must read! Namid is a truly inspirational woman who has documented her painful journey from victim to survivor and then used it to make a real difference in the world - not only writing these books but also creating the RAPE Foundation and providing for support and awareness of what abuse and rape victims go through and how important it is to find the power within and use it to make real and positive changes for themselves.....to find their voice! It is my belief that this book should be read by victims, survivors and those who love them as well as the professionals who interact with these victims! This provides a glimpse inside the turmoil and conflict that those who have lived through abuse and sexual assaults feel and what they will find on their path to healing!

Tommie and Grope was a sad but all true story. I read it because I was having difficulty with the "system" in my town and believe pretty much that our whole system is busted! CPS cant preform the jobs because of the lack of money and support. The case workers are overloaded and can't follow up so they dismiss cases with out confirming things. Its a real eye opener if you dont know what goes on. AND just as the author says...its the innocent children that pay the price. The book was worth the read.

This book presents a very serious topic that tore at my heart. Extremely well written and a book that is hard to put down. Although funny throughout, the underlying theme points out serious flaws in our Child Protective and Juvenile Court Systems. To be blunt, the systems do not realize that Child Neglect is just as serious a crime as Child Abuse and should be treated as such. In fact they are the same, neglected kids are abused. This is a book every parent or person that loves kids should read.

This is a book that tugs at your heart strings and yet ticks you off at the same time. You feel for the author who is trying desperately to save these children from a soulless woman who unfortunately is also their mother...
You keep wondering what the so called mother will pull next in order to get her way (at the expense of her children)... Hats off to those who did their best to help these kids.... and hopefully what goes around, comes around in the end.

This book is: Dark, Cynical, Frustrating and yet it makes you laugh. You really feel for the children. How can this "mother" still have custody of her kids? how can the system not see thru her lies? see she is using manipulation, sex, brainwashing and more to fool everyone...
What the author is trying to do (along w/ some friends) to save these kids is heart wrenching.. you root for the good guys, pray for the kids and wish the mother would fall down a dark hole and never come back...
I couldnt put it down, I had to know what she (mother) would pull next, would it work... page turner !!

Dr. Robert Schwarz is a healer, a teacher, and a multi-dimensional writer. He has found the words and the techniques to guide the therapist in healing the trauma client. This invaluable text is both brilliant in content, readable, clear, and direct. I recommend it!

This book is a must have for anyone in the trauma field. It provides clear, step by step guidelines and demonstrations for some of the most powerful techniques for bringing people to healing. It integrates a multitude of techniques and provides the modern therapist with a toolbox of options to utilize dependent upon the specificaitons of the situation. Dr. Schwarz' 20 years of running conferences and training thousands of the best therapists in the country clearly shows in his careful delivery of every technique presented. Bravo! I eagerly await his next book and utilize his self help tapes with my clients on a regular basis.

Tools for Transforming Trauma is the best book I've read on understanding and treating trauma. Dr. Schwarz does a great job in both explaining and integrating the two most crucial issues in this field. The book helps the reader understand the psychological, neurological, and social nature and ramification of trauma in ways that make the many complexities completely comprehensible. It also, and most importantly, provides step-by-step blueprints of the most innovative and powerful tools for change. These include Ericksonian, Neo-Ericksonian, Energy psychology, and other strategies with careful illumination of how to choose, fine-tune, individualize, and use the strategies in each phase of the treatment process. It's clear that Dr. Schwarz is a seasoned and creative therapist who has taken his years of experience and training and put it into language that makes sense to those of us in the trenches.

There are so many books in the trauma field it is hard to know which one to invest precious time reading. I highly recommend this book, for several reasons: 1) it is clearly written in a down-to-earth style, 2) it provides an integrated framework for understanding and working with various experiences of trauma, 3) it offers specific tools for helping people overcome the effects of trauma.

What a dynamic approach toward healing, understanding, and learning! I found Tossed Children to be a wonderful tool for my family. We learned together, as parent and children. This set of books enabled us to connect comfortably in a very uncomfortable and frightening topic. The children's portion was engaging, yet milder than its adult counterpart. And as for that counterpart, WOW! it certainly put the issue of sexual abuse in no vague terms. One immediatly identifies with the subjects of the story. This book is a breakthrough in my opinion. Get ready!

What an exciting departure from "traditional" self-help books. This tool is realistic, purposeful, and engaging. My family members, both adults and children, were comfortable, serious, and silly during our exploration of Tossed Children. I would recommend this set of books to any concerned parent or guardian.

Tossed Children is a creative tool for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about children enough to teach them about the painful subject of sexual abuse. It addresses the issue in a very constructive way, through two parts meant for adult-child interaction. The story, while not at all explicit, quietly paints a picture of what it feels like to experience sexual abuse. This introduction provides food for thought and enables adults to understand the well of emotions that abused children hold inside. The workbook, meant for children and their crayons, contains simple sentences and large spaces for drawing themselves in different situations. As the workbook progresses, it teaches the differences between good touching and bad touching, how to say NO, and how to honor one's feelings.

I highly recommend Tossed Children. It is valuable not only for anyone wanting to help children understand sexual abuse, but in explaining concepts of healthy boundaries, respecting our feelings, and other topics that are critical to growing up.

I loved this book. I can see where it could be used in so many situations. Especially as a tool in the healing of sexual abuse. It was hard to read at some parts because it is a painful subject, but the author manages to bring a horrible tragic subject to everyday real life. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with this issue within their family, it is a tool to help bring healing to you and your kids, for counseling professsionals and for parents who want to teach their children about this subject and prevent it from happening to them. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.

I have 14-month-old twins and two school-aged children and my husband was out of town when I bought this novel. Yet I read it in three days. I couldn't put it down. Though abuse at the hands of The Daddy runs thick through the novel, the story is also a coming-of-age of 13-year-old Karina, the daughter and stepdaughter of Hatian immigrants who struggles with physical pain at home and the emotional pain of middle school. It is a mystery, a thriller and a romance all in one. It is also a celebration of the joys of sisterhood. Touching Snow is M. Sindy Feline's first novel. I can't wait to read her next.

"The Daddy" is known for his violent temper in New York, just like he was before the family moved from Haiti. Karina is glad that he has to work so many hours as a taxi cab driver. Otherwise the beatings would happen more often. And the beatings were horrendous.

"The Daddy" went ballistic over things such as the children not eating all of their dinner. Karina and her siblings often hid under the table or locked themselves in the bathroom when "The Daddy" began the beatings. Karina felt like a coward, but knew that "The Daddy" would beat his kid of choice just as hard if she didn't hide. Plus, then she'd get a beating, too.

When Karina sees her sister, Enid, hurt so badly that she may be dead, Karina vomits so forcefully that she thinks she herself might die. But then she hears her younger twin cousins calling for her. Karina couldn't die and leave everyone else to deal with "The Daddy" alone.

When "The Daddy" finally gets found out and put in jail, Karina thinks that maybe they will be safe at home. That is until she has to be interviewed individually by the authorities. Does she tell the truth about the atrocities "The Daddy" has created in their home? Would she be safe if she told the truth?

You'll need to read TOUCHING SNOW to see what Karina decides.

As if Karina's life isn't complicated enough, just as in real life, many things happen in our lives at the same time. In addition to dealing with this heartbreaking home life, Karina is the victim of bullying at school, struggles with her grades and learning the English language, and her evolving development as a young woman. How many things can one person juggle at a time?

Read this book to see how yet another resilient adolescent deals with adversity and finds her voice.

Reviewed by: Dianna Geers

Karina is that part of us which feels stuck and resigned with the yet undiscovered sense of personal power. Touching Snow draws us intimately and passionately into Karina's journey of self-discovery, and through her story allows us to experience our own sense of power in situations which seem insurmountable.

the daddy hammers them. he beats them. he insists they do things his way. quiet, clean, eat everything on their plates or they will be punished. the act of revenge that throws him in jail is supposed to keep them safe. but it doesn't. he comes back.
i cried my way through this and reveled in my tears of triumph on the last pages. what a great book!

I bought this book because I read Susan's "Obsessive Love : When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go". In that other book (and others I've read), she talks about how my parents had a big impact on how I was dealing with my relationships. I felt that if that was true, then maybe it has affected other aspects of my life and wanted to read more about it. This book opened my eyes about just how much my parents have affected my life, both good and bad.
I have been recommending this book to my entire family. Aunts and uncles as well as my siblings and in-laws and they have found that it explains so much. More than that, it helps you deal with it. I feel so much more in control of my life now that I've read this book and done most of what it has suggested to heal (I'm not done yet, but I'm optimistic for once). Beyond being in control of my own life, I am much more aware of the suffering in others afflicted by their parents and am actively helping those that will listen. I firmly believe it should be required reading even for those that have a healthy relationship with their parents so that they can help others overcome their toxic relations.

I recently realized how much my super-negative parents were affecting me. I bought this book and it made me feel a lot better. First, the author describes the different types of abusive parents. Just seeing actions that my parents did on that list validated my feelings. Also, she describes how to heal. There are various exercises you can do, so you should definitely buy this book. Some of the chapters weren't applicable, but anyone who feels they had even "just" Emotionally Toxic Parents can benefit from it.

Anyone who grew up with toxic parents will find solace in this book. In order to not continue the pattern of passing our hurt on to our children, we need to heal whatever wounds we carry. In that way, we can change the legacy passed to the next generation and find peace. This book is realistic, practical, and ultimately hopeful.

I bought this book to help me understand a sad situation a friend
of my daughter's is suffering through. My daughter suffered too
because of the toxic parents of this friend. I highly recommend
it for anyone who needs to break free from the emotional web of
toxic parents and move on to a healthy, more "self-defined" life.
It has truly helped me understand the dynamics of a very abusive
childhood (not just physical abuse)and to have empathy with those
who still suffer from one.

I have used this book in teaching a graduate course in trauma. Most students found it to be an invaluable resource. The clinical examples provide readers with critical information for consideration. It highlights in a highly readable fashion the complexities, pain and vast rewards of working with trauma survivors.

If you are working with survivors, this is a "must have" part of your library. TRAUMA AND THE THERAPIST not only has a clear and compelling theoretical basis, but it is uniquely helpful in clarifying both the universal and idiosyncratic nature of our reactions to survivor clients. I read it at a time of major crisis for myself in my work [and in my workplace] and it helped me understand what was going on in a way that was immediately useful, helped end my confusion and personal agony, and aided me in finding my way back to the joy of practice with this challenging population.

As a physician with a psychology background, working with many abused women in a general practice setting, I found the experience, wisdom, and insight presented in this book to be extremely practical and useful. It is an in depth discussion of the deeper issues of therapy and recovery related to sexually abused people. I found the early theoretical-base explanation somewhat unuseful. But the discussions with regard to transference and counter-transference were wonderful. It is marvelous to read such a well thought out collection of experience. This book is slow reading for me, given the time needed to process what is being said, but it could be read over and over again to glean deeper meaning. The focus on spirituality is somewhat shallow in my opinion. They explain it to be one of their focuses, but they never expound on it to deeply. Regardless, this book is a must read if you work with abused people. Our clients will all be better served in their recovery's if we can all better master the sensitivities and concepts presented in this book.

This is a wonderfully touching book, I could barely stand to put down. It is the finest book I have ever read on the therautic process of treating trauma victims and the effects of trauma experienced by the therapist. The depth of information regarding transference and countertransference and the exploration of what a therapist truely goes thru is simply to powerful to put into words. I have never read a book which deals with this subject from the therapists viewpoint, while not completely ignoring the client side either. But make no mistake, this is a book for understanding what therapists experience and for any therapist, graduate student, psychology instructor or interested lay person, this book is simply superb. My hats off to the authors who have truly done their profession a valuable service by making this information available - I found this book, hard and emotional to read and I am not a therapist, although I hope to be someday. I have a far greater understanding of the love and strength of character needed to specialize in treating victims of abuse so horrific, the authors made a point of deliberately leaving out extremely disturbing details of the story relayed in their book. Had they now chosen to do this, I venture to say very few people could tolerate the impact of these horrors. Even so, enough was left in to be seriously affected by the book. Should be required reading for every graduate program in the country. Heart Renching, Enlightening, Fascinating, and Painful...simply a marvelously written book - the authors should be very proud!