I started writing my first trauma healing book seven years ago. Whoo! It's been a journey! When I first started working through the sexual abuse I experienced as a child, I looked to books in hopes that someone could teach me how to feel comfortable in my own body, safe in the world, and how to start working through what felt like an insurmountable amount of hurt and mental baggage. But the only books available about sexual abuse were either psychology books that felt way too clinical or depressingly titled self-help books that made me feel like a wounded puppy.

 

   I wanted to read something that felt like I was simply having a conversation with a best friend. I imagined this best friend would wear colorful scarves and sit with her legs up on the arms of chairs in the most cool and relaxed way. She would be confident and funny with a captivating way of naturally inspiring others to laugh, and feel more comfortable with who they are. I imagined that together, we would eat cake pops and drink coffee while talking casually and openly about the abuse we experienced. We would cry when we needed to and laugh when we wanted to. She would say “Look, I experienced abuse too and I can tell you firsthand that you have everything you need inside you. I hereby bestow upon you all the tools to overcome your abuse and unlock your full potential as the true warrior goddess you are.”  

 

   Okay, maybe that’s a little much. Really, I just wanted her to say, “Look, I get how you’re feeling. Try doing this and see if it helps.”  

 

  That’s what I want this book to be for you—a real conversation with a trusted friend. I want to share what it was like to navigate the abuse I experienced, how I found the tools to step into my full power, and how I learned to use my experiences of abuse as fuel for that power, not an obstacle against it.

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   If even one story I share helps you feel less alone in yours, then this book has done what I hoped it would. Thank you for receiving my story and for allowing me to hold space for yours.