TO EXIT THIS SITE QUICKLY, HIT “CTRL+W” ON YOUR KEYBOARD | IN CRISIS? CALL 1-833-456-4566, IF IT IS AN EMERGENCY CALL 911
Resource Books for Adults
This list includes books and tools that speak to the experiences of adult survivors of abuse, including childhood trauma and sexual abuse. Topics cover understanding the lasting impact of abuse, how to begin the healing process, and strategies for building self-awareness, strength, and hope.
The book list in this category was compiled by Natalia Tukhareli MLIS, PhD, the Founder and Executive Director of the Read to Connect organization
Silently Seduced: When Parents Make their Children Partners – Understanding Covert Incest
Adams, Kenneth. Revised and updated edition. Deerfield Beach, Florida: HCI Books, 2011.
In this revised and updated 20th anniversary edition of his groundbreaking book, Dr. Kenneth Adams, a leading expert on covert incest, sex addiction, and childhood trauma, offers tools for identifying and healing from covert incestuous relationships that affect adult relationships and lives. He explains how ‘feeling close’ with a parent is not always the source of comfort the phrase suggests, especially when that child is cheated out of a childhood by being a parent’s surrogate partner. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Bass, Ellen and Laura Davis. Harper Paperbacks, 2008.
This book is an inspiring, comprehensive guide that offers hope and a map of the healing journey to every woman who was sexually abused as a child and to those who care about her. Weaving together personal experience with professional knowledge, the authors provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, and support throughout the healing process. Readers will feel recognized and encouraged by hundreds of moving first-person stories drawn from interviews and the authors’ extensive work with survivors, both nationally and internationally. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects in Women
Blume, Sue E. New York: Ballantine Books, 1988.
Secret Survivors is the first book to expand the definition of incest to include any adult abuser and to focus on what incest does to survivors. E. Sue Blume shows how incest is often at the root of such problems as depression, sexual and eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and phobias and panic disorders. Using this information and the author’s guidance, survivors can identify themselves, develop alternative, non-destructive survival techniques and begin again on a new path toward a rich and empowered life. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking one image.
Daybreak: Meditations for Women Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Brady, Maureen. Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing, 1991. These 366 daily affirmations and meditations extend support and wisdom to women who have survived childhood sexual abuse. With understanding, compassion, and strength, the author addresses issues such as intimacy, fear, play, sharing secrets, and anger. She also shares her personal knowledge of sexual abuse to illustrate that we can not only survive, but thrive. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parents’ Guide to Healing and Recovery
Brohl, Kathryn and Joyce Potter. Jossey-Bass, 2004.
This is the thoroughly revised and updated edition of the best-selling guide for families of children who have been molested. First published in 1988, this new edition includes current research and information on the nature and effects of molestation on boys and girls, as well as proven techniques for therapy, healing, and recovery. Using everyday language, the authors provide information, comfort, and advice on how to put the pieces back together again after a child has been sexually molested. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Don’t Tell: The Sexual Abuse of Boys
Dorais, Michel. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2008.
The book examines the effects of sexual abuse on the emotional and sexual life of men, including their sense of self and their personal relationships. Using first-hand accounts, Dorais shows that certain reactions are specific to male victims as they attempt to preserve their physical integrity and conceptions of masculinity. He provides innovative strategies for both prevention and treatment that will be of use to those who have suffered abuse as well as to their families and all those who are trying to help them – spouses, friends, social workers, and therapists. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse
Gartner, Richard. Wiley, 2005.
“With compassion and clarity, Richard Gartner shares insights from years of working with male survivors. Among this book’s greatest strengths is the extensive use of examples from Dr. Gartner’s clinical practice to illustrate problems and solutions on the path to healing. Beyond Betrayal offers support, encouragement, and useful skills to men in recovery” (Mike Lew, M.Ed., author of Victims No Longer and Leaping upon the Mountains). Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused As Children
Gil, Eliana. Dell Publishing, 1988. This much-needed book pinpoints the typical problems abused children experience when they become adults. The information is presented in a friendly and thorough manner for victims and professionals. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
I Did Tell, I Did
Harte, Cassie. UK General Books, 2010.
Cassie Harte had a heartbreaking childhood. She was neglected by her mother and abused from an early age by her mother’s lover, who she later discovered to be her biological father. Hooked on prescribed tranquillizers from her teenage years, she battled to break free for most of her adult life, and through two difficult marriages. Today, she is a happily married woman with a loving and supportive husband and three children. She runs her own practice as a counsellor and psychiatrist. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse
Hunter, Mic. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991.
The book explodes the myth that sexual abuse of male children is rare, or that the consequences are less severe than for girls. Hunter examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse on its victims and the factors affecting recovery. With personal case histories of victims and their families, this is a powerfully written and meticulously researched book that is a landmark in the field of child sexual abuse literature. Thirteen firsthand “survival stories” offer inspiration to readers. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
A Better Yesterday: Living Life After Abuse
Kiser, Rogers D. Deerfield Beach, Florida: HCI Books, 2010.
After years of allowing the lies and abuse he suffered as a child to define his past and cloud his future, Roger Dean Kiser decided to find a way to make sense of a childhood replete with verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse before it was too late. In his new book, Kiser revisits his past and makes a conscious choice to focus on the kindness and happiness he experienced throughout his life. Sharing his heartfelt memories of kind people, loving animals, and comforting events, Kiser affirms the benevolence of the human spirit and demonstrates the healing capacity that random acts of compassion can have on a child. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Shine the Light: Sexual Abuse and Healing in the Jewish Community
Lev, Rachel. Northeastern Publishing, Inc., 2002.
Rachel Lev, a therapist and incest survivor herself, blends her own experiences with those of other survivors and reflects upon their personal relationships to the Jewish community, which can either encourage denial or be a place of healing. Shine the Light emphasizes healing, which Lev believes can come about through self-expression, creativity, and, above all, feeling connected, not isolated. The book offers the rare opportunity for the survivors to speak for themselves, through firsthand accounts, poetry, and artwork, beautifully reproduced in colour. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Leaping Upon the Mountains: Men Proclaiming Victory over Sexual Child Abuse
Hunter, Mic. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991.
The book explodes the myth that sexual abuse of male children is rare or that the consequences are less severe than for girls. Hunter examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse on its victims and the factors affecting recovery. With personal case histories of victims and their families, this is a powerfully written and meticulously researched book that is a landmark in the field of child sexual abuse literature. Thirteen firsthand “survival stories” offer inspiration to readers. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Victims No Longer (Second Edition) The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse.
Lew, Mike. Revised ed. Harper Paperbacks, 2004.
The first book written specifically for men, Victims No Longer examines the changing cultural attitudes toward male survivors of incest and other sexual trauma. Now, in this Second Edition, this invaluable resource continues to offer compassionate and practical advice, supported by personal anecdotes and statements of male survivors. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Maltz, Wendy. Harper Paperbacks, 2001.
Considered a classic in its field, this comprehensive guide will help survivors of sexual abuse improve their relationships and discover the joys of sexual intimacy. Wendy Maltz guides survivors step-by-step through the recovery process, utilizing groundbreaking exercises and techniques. Based on the author’s clinical work, interviews, and workshops, this guide is filled with first-person accounts of women and men at every stage of sexual healing. Wendy Maltz is an internationally recognized sex therapist, educator, lecturer, and author of numerous sexual recovery books. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
When the Piano Stops: A Memoir of Healing from Sexual Abuse
McCall, Catherine. Seal Press, 2009.
Catherine McCall appeared to have all an American girl could want: well-to-do cosmopolitan parents, a private education, a strong faith foundation and even two baby grand pianos at her fingertips. But beneath this perfect facade, her family hid a horrific secret. No one could have guessed there was an actual torture chamber in the basement of 763 Montgomery Place, or that McCall was being raped repeatedly by her father. And by the age of eighteen, she didn’t know either she had repressed every memory of abuse. Twenty years later, married and with children of her own, McCall’s memories began to return. The book is McCall’s revealing memoir detailing the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mentally ill father and her remarkable recovery as an adult. Now a highly successful family therapist, her ability to overcome the dark years of childhood is an inspiration to those who have been sexually abused. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
I Remember Daddy : The Harrowing True Story of a Daughter Haunted by Memories Too Terrible to Forget
Matthews, Katie. UK General Books, 2011.
Katie Matthews suffered an abusive childhood. From an early age, she was both physically and sexually abused by her father and his friends. When, at the age of 24, she gave birth to her son, she struggled with severe post-natal depression and only then truly began to deal with what she had endured as a child. Katie now works with teenagers whose challenging behaviour masks their need for support and understanding. She believes that if she can use her own horrific experiences to make a difference in the life of just one child, all the pain she suffered will have been worthwhile. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Overcoming Childhood Sexual Trauma: A Guide to Breaking Through the Wall of Fear for Practitioners and Survivors
Oz, Sheri and Sarah-Jane Ogiers. Routledge, 2006.
Provides a heart-warming, open and honest depiction from the client’s perspective of the experience of traumatization from CSA and the trials and tribulations of recovery. The authors provide a clear and realistic description of the difficulties encountered during the therapeutic process for both client and therapist (Anne M. Dietrich, PhD, Registered Psychologist, Vancouver General Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry). Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
No Secrets No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse
Stone, Robin. Broadway; Reprint edition, 2005.
Through compelling personal accounts from everyday people, Robin D. Stone, a sexual abuse survivor herself, illuminates the emotional, psychological and hidden consequences of remaining silent, and provides holistic, practical steps to move toward healing. No Secrets, No Lies courageously breaks the silence about sexual abuse within the black community. Robin Stone makes a major contribution to the well-being of black children and families. This important book should be widely read and discussed (Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Judge Baker Children’s Center). Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
Tell me Why, Mammy: A Little Boy’s Struggle to Survive A Mother’s Shameful Secret
UK General Books, 2008. Thomas, David.
The inspirational true story of one man overcoming enormous odds, including sexual abuse from his alcoholic mother, to choose his own path in life and become a truly exceptional human being. From the age of four, David Thomas was sexually abused by his alcoholic mother and subsequently physically abused by his aged stepfather. David’s shocking and moving story is one of abuse, alcoholism, courage, determination, forgiveness, love, and possibility. David Thomas is an international speaker, author, and is a World Memory Championships medallist. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
The Sum of My Parts: A Survivor’s Story of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Trujillo, Olga R. New Harbinger Publications, 2011.
The Sum of My Parts is the story of Ms. Trujillo’s courageous struggle to understand and overcome the psychological aftereffects of her abusive childhood and an inspiring look into the remarkable power of the human brain to protect itself at all costs. After years of relying on a complex network of fragmented memories to function and survive, Olga learns to integrate her parts through psychotherapy. She begins to see the whole picture of her life for the first time. Today, Olga Trujillo is an attorney, speaker, and advocate for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. This memoir of triumph over the most devastating conditions will enlighten and inspire anyone whose life has been affected by violence, abuse, or trauma. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.
The Obsidian Mirror: Healing From Childhood Sexual Abuse
Wisechild, Louise M. Seal Press, 2003.
Affirming and inspiring, The Obsidian Mirror explores the vivid and personal journey of an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Drawing on the power of creativity, Wisechild listens to and learns from her inner voices the critical judge, the rebel, the scared and needy children of various ages and uses evocative imagery to describe the emotional settings of her interior landscape. This is both a stirring testimony of one woman’s passage from fear and grief to rage and resolve and a moving portrayal of a spiritual reawakening and reclamation of self. Buy from Amazon.ca by clicking on the image.