21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Psychologist enthusiastically recommends to parents, teens and colleagues, September 24, 2009
This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)
Within a matter of pages, I realized I'd be enthusiastically recommending this book to colleagues, parents, and teens. Refreshingly free of psychological jargon, it is an easy to digest and realistic portrayal of sexual abuse. More importantly, it is the much needed voice of those who have been there telling us what it's like, how they survived, and what they need to heal and thrive.
The author has been in the trenches with hundreds of girls who have shared their stories of trauma and healing with her. From popular and seemingly confident track stars molested by their coach, to quiet and insecure daughters abused by their fathers and stepfathers, to impoverished and neglected young teens who turn to the streets, Dr. Feuereisen finds common themes among these survivors.
First, the basic premise of her book is that the best way to heal from sexual abuse is to talk about it, and that the best time to talk about it is while you are still young. I agree wholeheartedly, though healing can happen at all ages and it's never too late to speak up. But when we're younger, we're still growing and changing and formulating our view of ourselves. The good news is that teen and young adult girls are resilient and naturals at healing.
Another theme is that families have got to wake up, realize how vulnerable our girls are, and step up to provide protection. Perhaps the greatest insurance against continuing abuse is having a psychologically strong and available mother. Don't' misunderstand - the author isn't blaming mothers for abuse. But she is - with no apologies (and with my support) - holding them accountable for being a role model of strength, openness, and support so that their daughters come to them immediately after even one incident of sexual abuse. The fact is, most therapists will tell you that they have never encountered ongoing sexual abuse in families with genuinely strong mothers who are in tune with their daughters.
If you want to give your daughter an insurance policy against abuse, leave this book lying around for her to see. More importantly, of course, take care of yourself and be the woman you want her to grow into. Insecure? In an unhealthy relationship? Afraid to speak up? Always taking care of everyone but yourself? Your example will truly shape her. Let it empower, not limit.
We always learn best from others who speak from the heart, and this book is full of young women who tell it like it is. They are inspiring, powerful, and the antithesis of "victim". I am grateful to the author for bringing their voices to us.
[...]
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life Changing Book!, October 7, 2009
This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)
"Invisible Girls" has changed my life. I am a sexual abuse survivor who has had to heal alone for the most part and after reading "Invisible Girls" I know I'm not alone. A lot of the things that I have been through have been addressed in this book and now I am ready to change my life for the better and embark on my road to healing. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever suffered abuse, or known someone who has. There is help, you are not alone, and you don't have to swallow your hurt and move forward. Dr. Patti is helping us be known in her book, and soon people will have to listen!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For everyone who cares about them., June 28, 2010
This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)
As the sub-title says this book is for; '...teen girls, young women, and everyone who care about them.' My family and I fall into the category of; '...and everyone who care about them.' I knew all too well the statistics of sexual abuse after a long career in law enforcement. The book is succinct, informative, and powerful. It gives the reader a much greater insight into the depth of trauma experienced by the survivors of sexual abuse. In my second career, I, with my family, and the support of many others who cared, became directly involved in helping a survivor put an end to the abuse and weather the aftershocks. . This book helped to answer questions we had that may have been too much for the survivor, and give us greater understanding of the emotional roller-coaster the survivor was, is, and will be riding. The book should be required reading for all law enforcement agents who deal with survivors, and everyone else in a profession that may bring him or her into contact with a survivor.
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