Books:
The most important book any survivor could ever read (it is also a work book) is Sandy Riggin´s book, Breaking the Cycle. Sandy´s web page is www.sandyriggin.com Reading Sandy´s book really helped me come to terms with the fact that I am really just a text book example of someone who was abused physically, emotionally and sexually as a child. And, furthermore, that there is nothing wrong with me, I am not crazy, stupid nor have I lost my mind. What a huge relief!! Sandy also puts forward some very important but simple exercises in her book that build on each other, slowly take you through what we need to go through to heal. I highly recommend it. You can use it on your own or take it to your therapist and ask them to help you work with it.
SEPARATED FROM THE LIGHT written by Dr. William Tollefson. It has been a while since I read his book about recovery from child abuse. It was hard to read but it was a breakthrough for me because of the feelings that it brought about. It helped me get in touch with pain that I had been sitting on for a very long time. I believe the only way out is trough and this book not only helped with that, but gave me a better understanding of my struggles through life after the abuse. More about Dr. Tollefson and Incorporation therapy http://www.wiit.com/
GROWING UP AGAIN: Parenting Ourselves, Parenting Our Children By Jean Illsley Clarke, Connie Dawson. I first learned about this book and the work of Jean Illsley Clarke in Iceland a few years ago. I read it and felt so greatful ! As a survivor of childhood abuse, I found this an incredible tool to help me become a better parent and to provide myself the things that were not provided for me as a child. Having 3 kids today, I am faced with many feelings of not knowing how to deal or face all kinds of situations that parents are confronted with. This book gave me much hope and inspiration. It is not too late for me to parent my older kids or is it too late to parent myself. If you are a parent you must read this book, if you are a survivor of any type of abuse, you must read this book. Parenting my kids better than the way I was parented and healing myself is breaking the cycle of unhealthy relationships in my family today and for generations to come.
THOSE ARE MY PRIVATE PARTS by Diane Hansen. I met Diane at a conference in San Diego and we hit it of. She is very passioned about child sexual abuse prevention and with this great book she provides parents and other adults with a great tool to talk to children about appropriate touch and safety. Diane gave our organization in Iceland permission to translate the book into Icelandic and this last month we started selling it and with funding from a great sponsor we sent a copy of the book to every pre-school in Iceland. http://www.thosearemyprivateparts.com/<a href=”http://www.thosearemyprivateparts.com
TRUTH HEALS – Important book for all people. From Dr. Kings web site “Her revelatory new book, Truth Heals – What You Hide Can Hurt You , explores the powerful relationship between the suppression of painful emotions and its impact on health and the human body. Through case histories of clients, celebrity profiles, and the telling of her own remarkable story in spiritual healing from sexual abuse, cancer, addictions and an eating disorder, Truth Heals illustrates how each of us can lift the layers of internalized emotional and physical pain to heal illness and disease.” I encourage you to read this book and if you have a chance to attend her workshops, you should! http://www.truthheals.com
Becoming Attached. First Relationships and How they Shape Our Capacity to Love. by Robert Karen
Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss
The Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness by Gary Zukav
Web sites:
www.taalk.org TAALK’s mission is to shift public consciousness from passive acceptance to the belief that THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE. Our efforts will raise awareness of the existing epidemic and educate the public to take action to protect children. I serve as a Program Director and board member for this organization. Please visit for information on child sexual abuse and prevention.
“The ACE Study reveals a powerful relationship between our emotional experiences as children and our physical and mental health as adults, as well as the major causes of adult mortality in the United States. It documents the conversion of traumatic emotional experiences in childhood into organic disease later in life.” from the Ace-Study Web Site. www.acestudy.org
www.blattafram.is The organization I co-founded in Iceland. Straight translation would be – straight talk – A national non-profit focused on creating awareness and educating adults about child sexual abuse prevention.
I learned about Darkness to Light in 2004. Darkness to Light is a national non-profit. Their mission is: To shift the responsibility for preventing child sexual abuse from children to adults. To reduce child sexual abuse nationally through education and public awareness aimed at adults. To provide adults with information to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
I have been a trained facilitator for D2L since 2004. I provide the Stewards of Children sexual abuse prevention program in Iceland and in CA. This training is great for staff, volunteers, and parents! I can not say enough about how powerful this training is. In just 3 hours you learn how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The Stewards of Children program is designed for organizations and corporations that serve children and youth. If you would like to learn more about Darkness to Light Stewards of Children and how it could help your organization, please send me a note svavabb@gmail.com or visit www.darkness2light.org
These two following web sites below belong to powerful women. They are survivors that have taken back their power and lead the way to break the silence around child sexual abuse. www.opheliaslove.org
Ophelia and her husband Chris also run another fabulous resource called ttp://www.menspeakoutnow.com (Wo)Men Speak Out is an organization dedicated to eradicating male/female violence against both genders.
I love Angelas work! I first saw Angela on Oprah in 2004. She was on the Oprah show with her movie Searching for Angela Shelton. I was so amazed by this strong woman. Seeing her on Oprah, made me think, if she can do it, so can I. So I can say that Angela Shelton was my inspiration to find a way to break that silence and educate people about child sexual abuse and prevention.
www.searchingforangelashelton.com
Robert E. Longo www.roblongo.com
Shirley Paceley www.illinoisvoices.com
John Patterson www.nonprofitrisk.org
Hope, Healing, & Help for Trauma, Abuse, & Mental Health through music, resources, and advocacy. www.mskinnermusic.com
