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Let's Talk About It: A Healing Journey Through Pain to Peace
Let’s Talk About It is a raw exploration of the complexities of Denise Stajkowski’s search for liberation. Following the verdict of a high-profile sexual assault case amid the momentum of the #MeToo movement, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that changes her life forever.
Denise shares how her chaotic, unstable, and sometimes violent childhood, fraught with constant change smeared shame across the face of her adult life, keeping her stuck in a false belief of unworthiness. After decades spent chasing the love and approval of a volatile and emotionally absent mother, she bravely unearths the generational dysfunction she tried so desperately to bury and the deep-rooted pain possessing her body.
Through remarkable tenacity and resilience, she reclaims her life and her identity, finding redemption, forgiveness, and a deep sense of peace in her soul. With the chains of trauma broken, Denise is free to love again.
Let’s Talk About It is an invitation to take back your life for anyone who has turned away from their own personal pain thinking that the nagging voice of condemnation would eventually fade away if hidden deep enough inside. Liberation begins with the acknowledgment of pain and a safe place to talk about it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Denise Stajkowski is making her debut as an author with her deeply personal memoir, Let’s Talk About It, which explores her unique experiences of generational dysfunction handed down through a childhood full of chaos, instability, and constant change. Having navigated the ingrained beliefs of unworthiness and insignificance that held her back from living her best life, she has emerged with a stronger sense of self and a desire to connect with readers through her honest and heartfelt storytelling.
Denise relishes her fascination for people, places, and experiencing all that life has to offer. Her love of numbers awarded her a successful career in finance. Now, her passion for writing, words, and helping those in need of understanding and inspiration has led her to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a published author.
She is a dedicated mother, entrepreneur, self-help enthusiast, and trauma survivor committed to living a life of joy and serving others. Denise resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“Let’s Talk About It is a brave and beautifully honest journey of transformation. Denise’s story is a powerful reminder that healing begins when we face our shame and speak our truth.”
— Kristine Carlson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women
“When I first glanced at the cover of Denise’s book, it took my breath away. Who is this woman who would write these words on her body? Who is this woman who would share the depth of such woundedness with the world? At the same time, I knew that the book I was about to read would be a story of great transformation. Only someone able to courageously face all that has been, can fully commit to releasing and forging one’s way to the beautiful life that can be. The author’s story of transformation is nothing short of miraculous, and she demonstrates beautifully how deep honesty, self-compassion, forgiveness, and unrelenting trust in the Divine does in fact create miracles. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has the courage to face the shadows of the past to create a brilliant tomorrow."
— Helen Burke, Author of Just Tell Them I Love Them
Denise shares how her chaotic, unstable, and sometimes violent childhood, fraught with constant change smeared shame across the face of her adult life, keeping her stuck in a false belief of unworthiness. After decades spent chasing the love and approval of a volatile and emotionally absent mother, she bravely unearths the generational dysfunction she tried so desperately to bury and the deep-rooted pain possessing her body.
Through remarkable tenacity and resilience, she reclaims her life and her identity, finding redemption, forgiveness, and a deep sense of peace in her soul. With the chains of trauma broken, Denise is free to love again.
Let’s Talk About It is an invitation to take back your life for anyone who has turned away from their own personal pain thinking that the nagging voice of condemnation would eventually fade away if hidden deep enough inside. Liberation begins with the acknowledgment of pain and a safe place to talk about it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Denise Stajkowski is making her debut as an author with her deeply personal memoir, Let’s Talk About It, which explores her unique experiences of generational dysfunction handed down through a childhood full of chaos, instability, and constant change. Having navigated the ingrained beliefs of unworthiness and insignificance that held her back from living her best life, she has emerged with a stronger sense of self and a desire to connect with readers through her honest and heartfelt storytelling.
Denise relishes her fascination for people, places, and experiencing all that life has to offer. Her love of numbers awarded her a successful career in finance. Now, her passion for writing, words, and helping those in need of understanding and inspiration has led her to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a published author.
She is a dedicated mother, entrepreneur, self-help enthusiast, and trauma survivor committed to living a life of joy and serving others. Denise resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“Let’s Talk About It is a brave and beautifully honest journey of transformation. Denise’s story is a powerful reminder that healing begins when we face our shame and speak our truth.”
— Kristine Carlson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women
“When I first glanced at the cover of Denise’s book, it took my breath away. Who is this woman who would write these words on her body? Who is this woman who would share the depth of such woundedness with the world? At the same time, I knew that the book I was about to read would be a story of great transformation. Only someone able to courageously face all that has been, can fully commit to releasing and forging one’s way to the beautiful life that can be. The author’s story of transformation is nothing short of miraculous, and she demonstrates beautifully how deep honesty, self-compassion, forgiveness, and unrelenting trust in the Divine does in fact create miracles. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has the courage to face the shadows of the past to create a brilliant tomorrow."
— Helen Burke, Author of Just Tell Them I Love Them
196 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 25, 2025
Denise has gone through so much and has come out on the other side with grace. What a wonderful read and congratulations on her first book! 🥹
August 7, 2025
Amidst the #MeToo movement of 2018, something is awakened within Denise Stajkowski. Years of buried trauma, shame, and anger reached a boiling point, and like a volcano, she exploded with emotion. It was as if the fog had finally lifted, and she saw the truth about the state of her life. Denise Stajkowski had spent the majority of her 53 years trying to avoid making the same mistakes as her parents. Still, she had become everything she had tried so hard not to become. And that epiphany was the catalyst for writing her memoir, Let’s Talk About It: A Healing Journey Through Pain to Peace.
Throughout this honest and heartbreakingly raw memoir, the author unpacks her troubled childhood, including her molestation, the volatile relationship with her emotionally unavailable mother, and the poverty her family faced. She highlights how these things negatively impacted her in her younger years and caused great difficulty in adulthood. Stajkowski addresses how dysfunction is often generational and families, like hers, can find themselves stuck in the cycle.
Grief isn’t exclusive to death; you can grieve the things you never had, such as an innocent childhood and family security. The author explored the various ways she utilized the grieving process to aid her healing journey, bravely navigating the steps at her own pace. One of my favorite aspects of Stajkowski’s journey was her reflective nature. Despite the adversity she faced, she didn’t let it define her. She accepted her misfortune but also took ownership of the mistakes she made in her adult relationships. Stajkowski could have easily given up, but she soldiered on, determined to find the peace that her soul craved.
Let’s Talk About It: A Healing Journey Through Pain to Peace is an emotionally driven book that will appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs with a self-help component. Through Denise Stajkowski’s experience, readers are prompted to reflect on their own hardships that may have caused stagnancy in their lives. The overarching message is the importance of communication—Stajkowski urges people to talk about their feelings, rather than burying them, as she did for so many years. If healing from your past feels like an impossible feat, you will find comfort and solidarity in the author’s words.
Throughout this honest and heartbreakingly raw memoir, the author unpacks her troubled childhood, including her molestation, the volatile relationship with her emotionally unavailable mother, and the poverty her family faced. She highlights how these things negatively impacted her in her younger years and caused great difficulty in adulthood. Stajkowski addresses how dysfunction is often generational and families, like hers, can find themselves stuck in the cycle.
Grief isn’t exclusive to death; you can grieve the things you never had, such as an innocent childhood and family security. The author explored the various ways she utilized the grieving process to aid her healing journey, bravely navigating the steps at her own pace. One of my favorite aspects of Stajkowski’s journey was her reflective nature. Despite the adversity she faced, she didn’t let it define her. She accepted her misfortune but also took ownership of the mistakes she made in her adult relationships. Stajkowski could have easily given up, but she soldiered on, determined to find the peace that her soul craved.
Let’s Talk About It: A Healing Journey Through Pain to Peace is an emotionally driven book that will appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs with a self-help component. Through Denise Stajkowski’s experience, readers are prompted to reflect on their own hardships that may have caused stagnancy in their lives. The overarching message is the importance of communication—Stajkowski urges people to talk about their feelings, rather than burying them, as she did for so many years. If healing from your past feels like an impossible feat, you will find comfort and solidarity in the author’s words.
August 3, 2025
Denise is my mom’s sister, I have seen her as a second mother figure all of my life. I know my mom and aunt grew up with hardships but I didn’t know to what extent until reading this book. My heart breaks for everything Denise has gone through (and my mom as well). I have so much more admiration for Denise than I did before reading this book (which I didn’t think was possible I’ve already admired her so much) I myself am on a self-love exploration and it’s difficult; but this book has given me so much more inspiration during this difficult journey. I am so happy that Denise has finally found her inner peace and happiness.
August 2, 2025
This was a well written memoir. I felt like I was sitting next to the Author in real life, just listening to her story (often times in disbelief and pain for a lot of her childhood experiences). A vulnerable, sad and real read.
I met the Author's significant other and purchased the book not knowing what to expect. I'm glad I did and happy for her peaceful outcome and success.
I met the Author's significant other and purchased the book not knowing what to expect. I'm glad I did and happy for her peaceful outcome and success.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews