Helpful Books

Trauma & PTSD

Herman, Judith Lewis.  Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror; Basic Books; 2015.

Schiraldi, Glenn R.  The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook; McGraw-Hill; 2009.

Provides information on debilitating effects of a traumatic experience including symptoms, coping mechanisms, and triggers and provides information on how the healing process can begin. Appropriate for survivors.

Van der Kolk, Bessel.The Body Keeps the Score; 2015.

What happens in the body after trauma and how to heal.

Sexual Assault

Benedict, Helen.  Recovery: How to Survive Sexual Assault for Women, Men, Teenagers, and their Families; Columbia University Press; New York, NY; 1994.

Excellent information on issues and healing strategies for all kinds of rape survivors.

Raine, Nancy Venable.  After Silence: Rape and My Journey Back; Three Rivers Press; New York, NY; 1998.

A first-person account.  Particularly useful because vividly describes the long-term impact of sexual assault.

Domestic Violence

Bancroft, Lundy.  Why Does He Do That?  G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002.

Informative look at abusive men.  Comprehensive exploration of warning signs, tactics, techniques.  Checklists.

Evans, Patricia.  The Verbally Abusive Relationship.  Bob Adams, Inc., 1996.

How to recognize and respond to verbal abuse. Numerous examples of interactions and appropriate responses.

Jones, Ann.  Next Time She’ll be Dead:  Battering and How to Stop It.  Beacon Press, 2000.

An exploration of the psychological trauma of domestic violence victims and the difficult situations that arise in trying to leave.  Includes many case examples.

Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Bass, Ellen; Laura Davis.  The Courage To Heal: A Guide for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse; Harper and Row Publishers, New York, NY; 2008.

Lew, Mike.  Victims No Longer: Men Recovering From Incest and Other Sexual Child Abuse; Harper & Row; New York, NY; 1988.

Depression & Anxiety

Jacobs Hendell, Hillary. It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self

Grief

64 Children's Books About Grief & Death