Review: Healing in the Hurting Places

This book is about healing from a Biblical perspective. Karen shares her story and while doing so, has presented opportunities for others to initiate the healing process as well. People deal with their pain in different ways and it wasn’t until I spoke with a counselor at my school that I realized that the anxiety I still experience on a daily basis stemmed from sexual abuse. I personally don’t know if anyone is able to fully overcome what happened, but managing is a part of our daily existence. Karen reveals her own addictions to food, her struggles with suicidal thoughts, and the guilt of unleashing her anger on the people she loved. By the grace of God, she was able to move from victim to survivor.

Some of the statistics were dated, but they did not detract from the overall message. What is the message, you ask? Someone understands. Reading this book is like attending a Speak Up, Speak Out event. The last one I attended (which was also my first), I cried like a baby because it was instant camaraderie among strangers. Once someone broke the silence by sharing their stories, the next person was empowered to speak and so it went.

If you know someone who has been abused, the guidelines in the back of the book are very useful. The biggest mistake people make is blaming the victim. There is an assumption that the victim did something to deserve what happened, which is completely false. The other mistaken assumption is that the victim should suppress what happened. Equipped with appropriate knowledge, you can empower victims to become survivors.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through Charisma Media to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.