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Surviving Domestic Violence: A Guide to Healing Your Soul and Building Your Future
Overcome violation and build the life you deserve.
You're free, strong, and capable. You made the choice to be a survivor and not a victim. But your life from here on out should be about more than just getting by. Written by women who have taken a similar journey, Surviving Domestic Violence helps you find your path toward healing, change, and the future you've always wanted.
Authors Danielle F. Wozniak and Karen N. Allen have used their vast experience and years of teaching and researching to create a clinically tested program that not only helps you understand the devastating effects of domestic violence, but also leads you through the four stages of recovery. Through a series of meditations, activities, and pieces of inspiration, you will learn to reclaim your personal power, restore your life trajectory, reconnect with your community, and re-envision what lies ahead. With the guidance of this book, you can finally conquer your past and step into a brighter future.
Simple, straightforward, and practical, Surviving Domestic Violence helps you heal from the violation you have experienced and thrive once again.
You're free, strong, and capable. You made the choice to be a survivor and not a victim. But your life from here on out should be about more than just getting by. Written by women who have taken a similar journey, Surviving Domestic Violence helps you find your path toward healing, change, and the future you've always wanted.
Authors Danielle F. Wozniak and Karen N. Allen have used their vast experience and years of teaching and researching to create a clinically tested program that not only helps you understand the devastating effects of domestic violence, but also leads you through the four stages of recovery. Through a series of meditations, activities, and pieces of inspiration, you will learn to reclaim your personal power, restore your life trajectory, reconnect with your community, and re-envision what lies ahead. With the guidance of this book, you can finally conquer your past and step into a brighter future.
Simple, straightforward, and practical, Surviving Domestic Violence helps you heal from the violation you have experienced and thrive once again.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 29, 2019
The book had a couple strong moments but much of it didn’t resonate with my particular upbringing and eventual demise of my first marriage due to domestic abuse. The book closes with a strong finish though:
“You are here for a reason and the world needs you to be fully who you are, unbound by events out of your control. Even though it took great courage to leave, leaving the abuse is not and will not be your greatest accomplishment in life. Your greatest accomplishment in life is having the courage to be you.”
Update: I reread this book one year after my initial read. Perhaps the passage of time helped me better frame my thinking. Also therapy has helped me distinguish the various forms of abuse, gaslighting and financial manipulations can take. Now that I’ve had this journey, this book took on a whole new level of profundity for me. I especially appreciate the moments where the author speaks to how when one feels negative inside, he or she usually tends to tear other people down. This is why it is so important for everyone to work on themselves so that we don’t continue a cycle of violence and negative behavior.
“You are here for a reason and the world needs you to be fully who you are, unbound by events out of your control. Even though it took great courage to leave, leaving the abuse is not and will not be your greatest accomplishment in life. Your greatest accomplishment in life is having the courage to be you.”
Update: I reread this book one year after my initial read. Perhaps the passage of time helped me better frame my thinking. Also therapy has helped me distinguish the various forms of abuse, gaslighting and financial manipulations can take. Now that I’ve had this journey, this book took on a whole new level of profundity for me. I especially appreciate the moments where the author speaks to how when one feels negative inside, he or she usually tends to tear other people down. This is why it is so important for everyone to work on themselves so that we don’t continue a cycle of violence and negative behavior.
October 23, 2014
As someone who works with women who have experienced domestic violence, I got this book because always looking for ways to help women. And quite frankly giving them a list of books to look into for themselves sometimes is better than listening to me preach!
It is funny that it has many of the same exercises that are done in domestic violence support groups. So on a good note women that do not attend those can do these on their own.
The one thing I struggle with is the part about "You cannot control other people. Not really, Not ever. You cannot nor could you ever, control the person that violated you, but you can control yourself and the choices you make now". UHMMM---women in these situations have learned they cant control their abuser but they can control circumstances and or people around them. I find these women learn to be good at manipulation because it is their survival skill.
I personally struggle with some other issues in the book but I will put it on my list for people interested in reading books on domestic violence but not the top of my list!
It is funny that it has many of the same exercises that are done in domestic violence support groups. So on a good note women that do not attend those can do these on their own.
The one thing I struggle with is the part about "You cannot control other people. Not really, Not ever. You cannot nor could you ever, control the person that violated you, but you can control yourself and the choices you make now". UHMMM---women in these situations have learned they cant control their abuser but they can control circumstances and or people around them. I find these women learn to be good at manipulation because it is their survival skill.
I personally struggle with some other issues in the book but I will put it on my list for people interested in reading books on domestic violence but not the top of my list!
December 7, 2017
This is a great book, full of excellent activities that focus on healing and moving forward, and rebuilding your life. It gives readers an excellent starting place and really has a lot of CBT principles built into it, on how to retrain your brain to expect positive things and to value yourself enough to have high standards for your life. My review doesn't do it justice, please read for yourself.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews