Customer Reviews

The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction: A Comprehensive Counseling Resource

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I just received my copy of this beautifully written account of a therapist who speaks candidly about the women whom she counsels with same sex attraction as a part of their lives. All I can say is "WOW"! I am so pleased with her knowledge of this issue and that she speaks from her heart and experience. This is an extremely valuable literary work for anyone dealing with female same sex attraction in their own life or in the lives of people who they come in contact with. You will be very enlightened and given great wisdom from reading this book. It covers the many aspects of female SSA with love and a therapeutic perspective.

I made a brief mention of this book in a review I recently wrote of Anne Paulk's book, "Restoring Sexual Identity." I promised to read this book and comment on it. I have read it and I rate it a valuable resource, full of insight and the author's considerable experience in counseling women struggling with same-sex attraction.

The case studies Hallman cites are very helpful and compelling. She goes farther and gives some very helpful exercises that I have not seen anywhere else. Counselors have needed a resource like this for some time. There are too few who know how to deal with female SSA issues. The vast majority of resources are directed toward male homosexuality issues.

I will be recommending this book to all the women counselors I know, as well as to the president of the American Association of Christian Counselors. It also will be an indispensable tool for those like me who have overcome SSA and wish to help others who are struggling through small recovery group work.

My one concern is with Hallman's decision to continue to work with women who wish to have their same-sex attraction affirmed. While these women are deserving of counsel for other issues, I am not sure Hallman does not send the wrong signal about the destructiveness of their choices. No one can be forced to change, and I agree that all women must be treated with dignity, regardless of their sin struggles. But we are already bombarded with too many mixed messages from the media, gay activists and their medical establishment minions to not be very clear about the consequences of sinful and unhealthy behaviors. It's one thing to judge; it's another to provide wise and truthful counsel that is nourishing to one's soul. The door must be left open, but if someone shuts down the process of repentance and healing, the Christian counselor is left with few options in moving forward. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." I'm glad my counselor made that quite clear to me years ago.

As a woman who struggles with same sex attraction (SSA) this book was LIFE CHANGING!! I always assumed there was no way out of these feelings and that my struggle with SSA was something I was just going to have work hard at daily to not fall into sin with.

There is healing and there are reasons and I was NOT born this way. I would recommend this book to anyone who has SSA, knows someone one with SSA, is a counselor or works with woman of all backgrounds and/or anyone who is interested in knowing about all different kinds of people.

I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with the subject of same sex attraction and loving those who are are gay. It is written with great compassion, knowledge, love and understanding. The spirit of the book is so well balanced, yet professional in respects to being a great resource for counselors. I would hope readers, with varying perspectives on this subject, would read it with an open mind and heart. I commend the author.

I never expected a book written to counselors of women with SSA to be so compelling to a woman who doesn't have this struggle and isn't a counselor. I have been happily married for 40 years and read this book because of my acquaintance with the author. I found myself very moved by the compassion, honesty, and wisdom of Miss Hallman's approach to broken people. One senses a great respect from the author towards her clients and there is no "talking down" to them. All of us are broken in some way and ANYONE who reads this book will be moved by the desire to look inside and find that which makes us broken and then to see that healing and change are possible. I'm asking my husband to read this book as I feel it reaches beyond gender to the heart of us all.

This book captures the whole arena of same sex attraction for women. I love how she has taken each element of the heart condition and expounded on how to help and understand these wonderful people.

Janelle Hallman's book is by far and away the most in depth of several excellent books available which deal with female same sex attraction (SSA) from a biblical worldview. "The Heart of Female Same Sex Attraction" is absolutely grounded in biblical truth and is without a hint of condemnation from Janelle Hallman towards her precious clients and readers who experience SSA.

Though her targeted audience is those involved in counseling women with SSA, most of the book is just as helpful to those with SSA. She comprehensively surveys every aspect of SSA with a warmth that makes her same-sex attracted readers feel known and loved by her. The first third of the book helps one understand the many factors that contribute to the emergence of SSA in a women's life. The remainder discusses the stages Janelle Hallman uses in therapy with her same-sex attracted clients. These stages mirror a female's natural stages of growth and development from baby to mature adult. One chapter here is so technical that it's probably only useful to a professional, but the rest is packed with practical steps which a woman experiencing SSA can implement to grow in her womanhood. Central to Hallman's approach is the development of a warm, authentic and engaged therapeutic relationship. For this reason, a woman experiencing SSA wishing to make the progress described in this book will need to find a therapist who will embody Hallman's approach with her. I am taking this journey myself, and reading Janelle Hallman's book has been profoundly helpful as I do so.

Michael Busse (co-founder of Exodus), Darlene Bogle (a former Exodus ministries leader), and Jeremy Marks (former Exodus International and head of Courage UK) issue a public and formal apology for their work as ex-gay leaders and the harm they caused to those they tried to help.

They joined Beyond Ex-Gay and Soulforce at an Ex-Gay Survivors Conference at UC-Irvine later that week

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I read the book and really tried to overcome my homosexuality but nothing changed.

A great resource for self evaluation, understanding and insight into a complex topic. Also a great tool for those with hearts to love fearlessly andThe Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction: A Comprehensive Counseling Resource bring healing to those female hearts who are wanting to become who they where created to be. True healing can only come when we get the knowledge and revelation needed to see those parts of ourselves that we are blind to in the light of true and healing love. This book is such a mirror where years of love and observation is shared in order to bring insight and wholeness. Thanks Janelle Hallman