Writing Trauma

In Stories Are What Save Us, Chrisinger shows - through writing exercises, memoir excerpts, and lessons he's learned from his students - the most efficient ways to uncover and effectively communicate what you've learned while fighting your life's battles, whatever they may be.

A practical and inspiring guide to transformational personal storytelling, The Story You Need to Tell is the product of Sandra Marinella’s pioneering work with veterans and cancer patients, her years of teaching writing, and her research into its profound healing properties. Riveting true stories illustrate Marinella’s methods for understanding, telling, and editing personal stories in ways that foster resilience and renewal. She also shares her own experience of using journaling and expressive writing to navigate challenges including breast cancer and postpartum depression.

One in six women is the victim of sexual assault. Using her own hard-won wisdom, author Jen Cross shows how to heal through journaling and personal writing. Writing Ourselves Whole is a collection of essays and creative writing encouragements for sexual trauma survivors who want to risk writing a different story. Each short chapter offers encouragement, experience, and exercises.

Drawing on the mind-body techniques of somatic therapy, The Healing Sexual Trauma Guided Journal offers insightful writing prompts to help you explore your emotions, overcome internalized shame, and heal your traumatized nervous system.

“In the fairy tales about father–daughter incest—‘The Girl Without Hands,’ ‘Thousand Furs,’ the original ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Donkey Skin,’ and the stories of Saint Dymphna, patron saint of incest survivors—the daughters are all as you would expect them to be: horrified by...

Unlock the Power Within: Transform Your Life and Reclaim Your Voice with Coercive Relationships: Find the Answers You Seek. Discover the truth behind abusive relationships and break free from the cycle of pain and control. Through personal anecdotes and expert advice, this book will guide you towards healing and empowerment. Gain clarity and understanding as you learn to recognize the signs of abuse Find solace in knowing that you are not alone in your struggle Take back control of your life and break free from the chains of manipulation Release feelings of guilt and shame as you connect ...

This “witty, humorous, and heartfelt“ (Cinelle Barnes) memoir navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle Tometich’s life, from growing up in Florida as the child of and a Filipino mother and a deceased white father to her adult life as a med-school-reject-turned-food-critic. When...

A neuroscientist explores how trauma impacts the brain, especially for women—and how we can learn to heal ourselves Everyone experiences trauma. Whether a specific harrowing event or a series of stressful moments that culminate over time, trauma can echo and etch itself into our brain as we...

In "Beyond Survivor" Frayne offers his own history, hoping to help other victims of abuse find the courage and strength to seek help to triumph over it, and to increase awareness and education among the general public. Author Patricia A. McKnight, in her review of the book, says, “This expertly written book shows the path of standing strong and achieving what all mankind desires; retrieving the happiness once destroyed by the wicked. This collection of outstanding poetry and prose is a must read for all as inspiration to prevail against the challenges put forth in the battle to obtain our...

Trauma and its effects can feel like a never-ending storm, and there's no safe harbor in sight from the thoughts and emotions that toss and turn so violently and unpredictably in your head. But healing is possible. Your brain can actually rewire these thoughts and emotions. And you can direct that powerful healing process through journaling.

Sharonda Moore aka Shay has spent her whole life fighting. From foster homes, to heartbreak, multiple deaths around her and the streets that helped shaped her. Just when she finally starts rebuilding her future, everything shatters: a child she loves is in danger, a boy she once cared for is lost to his own darkness with no way to come out of it, and a new love that pulls her into a world far more violent than she ever imagined. As secrets surface and enemies close in, Shay must decide how far she’s willing to go and who she’s willing to become to protect the people she loves. Raw ...

Jack’s Diary A novella by Damian Jay Clay “If I don’t write it, if I don’t say it, then it isn’t true.” Hidden behind an air vent, wrapped in plastic and shame, lies a notebook no one was ever meant to read. But Jack writes anyway. About his body, his silence, the bruises he’s told are love, and the God he’s told will never love him back. In the language of scripture, whispered desire, and unbearable confession, this raw, radiant diary traces one boy’s journey through religious guilt, abuse, awakening, and the impossible hope of being known. As Jack falls deeper into self-...

What do you become when the noise fades and the mirror finally speaks back? The Self That Remains is a 1000-page immersive journey into your truth — designed for seekers, journaler’s, and anyone ready to explore who they are beneath the stories, scars, and survival modes. Inside, you'll find: • Over 900 soul-stirring prompts • Gentle shadow work & emotional excavation • Poetic narrative pages and letters to the self • A nonlinear layout that meets you wherever you are Whether you flip randomly or move page by page, this book gives back what you’re ready to face. You don’t ...

Metamorphosis is the true tale of how a bitter, traumatized woman transformed herself and her life to fulfill all her wildest dreams. No matter how you slice it, everyone has had adverse experiences in life, experiences they wish they could take back and do differently or even banish altogether. After a duo of traumatic events at age twenty-nine, combined with a chip on my shoulder from growing up as a black child in a small, very white town, I found myself years later living in the past and unable to move forward. Miserable and hating how my life was playing out at age thirty-four, I made ...

Some secrets are too dangerous to tell and too dark to keep... When young Corianne Dempsey and her best friend, Rebecca, are approached by a stranger on their way to school, only one girl makes it home. When Rebecca turns up dead, Corianne's childhood ends abruptly. Growing up in the long shadow of this event, Corianne is now a conflicted young woman seeking solace in dangerous places. Her hauntingly-dark dreams begin crossing into waking life, hinting that the past she remembers may be a lie. Driven to make sense of what is happening, she returns to the only place she feels solid, the farm...

The discovery of his father Raymond's mysterious "treasure box" forces an award-winning writer to reexamine their contentious relationship. As he opens the box and begins taking items out one by one—taking you on a treasure hunt—he is overwhelmed by memories, many funny, some poignant or sad, and a few that may send shivers up your spine. It is in those curiosities that Raymond will be revealed, piece by piece, memory by memory. Hopes, dreams, warts and all. In the end, a different unexpected father emerges. By the time the treasures are all laid out, Raymond will have earned some ...

Tackle the challenges of memoir writing and share your story. 'Cathy is the person who first told me to write about my mental health when I was nervous to do so. She is a great writer herself and this is brilliant.' - Matt Haig, author of Reasons to Stay Alive Why do we want to write and what...

Words Heal uses self-guided imagery, expressive writing therapy, and journaling to work with those recovering from or living with a range of tough personal challenges, or who struggle with discouraging health issues, chronic illness, traumas, distress, poor quality of life, negativity and adverse situations, and would like to have a better attitude, a better quality of life, a more joyful life, and develop a positive attitude all in the privacy of their own space at their own pace.

Twelve powerful, deeply human stories capturing the heart, struggle, and resilience of Black life. Afro Bougie Blues invites readers into intimate, unfiltered moments where ordinary men and women confront heartbreak, trauma, identity, generational wounds, and the decisions that shape their destinies. Meet Alexis, who longs for motherhood but must wrestle with a painful past before embracing her future. Walk with Rodney, a Gulf War veteran trying to silence memories that refuse to release him. Witness BeBe transform her life and her sense of worth, one courageous step at a time. Listen as ...

"Five sexy, disturbing stars!" (Amazon Reviewer) "Hands down the best book I've ever read!" (Amazon Reviewer) I didn't expect this. I didn't ask for this. I never wanted to confront anything close to this feeling. Falling in love terrified me. I wasn't prepared for the ultimate "fall" from grace. I had plans to leave New York City and never look back. Growing up in a dysfunctional household with Mom and Rob had scarred my psyche. I needed to break my mother's generational curse. I didn't want to marry an abusive jerk and financially struggle while he broke all his promises. Little did I ...