Customer Reviews

Reach for the Rainbow: Advanced Healing for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book certainly gives positive, helpful, compassionate advice for sexual abuse survivors who are ready and willing to take some serious steps in their healing, and for that, I've given it the stars I have. However, the promise of advice for the "advanced" healer fell somewhat short for me. So that's why I didn't give anymore stars--that disappointment factor. Most of the ideas presented actually seemed more suited for someone just beginning the healing process--and perfect for a beginner who's interested in knowing where his or her healing journey could take him/her. So, if you're a survivor just beginning to heal and are ready for some real, straight-forward, solid advice and information, go for this book...if you're towards the far end of your healing journey, rest assured you already know most everything this book has to tell you.

I read this book at a particularly difficult time in my life and it was so helpful. My experience was much less dramatic than those I've heard about and I was feeling as if I didn't have a right to my pain. This book really helped me accept the fact that just because I didn't have the worst documented experience, that didn't mean that the experience wasn't horrible for me. It gave me the validation I needed to heal. Don't be put off by the word "advanced" in the title--this was the first book I read after I was finally able to admit what had happened to me and it was just great for me.

This book is soooooo helpful! Whenever I have a question about my past or want to understand how I feel I resort to this book! It has to be one of my favorite books about surviving. It's very cleary written and easy to read. I'm not one that likes to read a lot of "psychological talk," so this was a great read for me!

This book has many short chapters that answer a lot of the questions that abuse survivors are asking themselves and others. The author, herself, is a survivor and she shares many of the incidents that she went thru on her journey to wellness. But most of all, this book shows that their is hope for recovery and it is from the perspective of one that has gone thru it herself. I would definitely recommend this book to any survivor or the loved one of a suvivor.

It is difficult to absorb all the information, especially the person just beginning to heal. I'm not sure what I believe, but I am definitely skeptical. The author did not even know of her abuse until hypnosis. Her memories were not recovered until this time and the abuse was so horrible,almost beyond belief. Often, while reading, I caught myself thinking that it could not be true or that the author had gone to far. She is very quick to suggest that it is 'always abuse.' I would not recommend this book to someone just starting to seek help for abuse issues.

Lynne Finney, herself a survivor of sexual abuse, has written a gentle, encouraging guide that is filled with helpful examples, and concrete, accessible and applicable suggestions for healing. It is also filled with sound knowledge, articulate writing, and the powerful example of her own experience. This book is highly memorable, accessible, and readable for all readers, and offers information that is valuable for everyone who has experienced sexual abuse, anyone who knows someone who has experienced such trauma, or anyone who may encounter such a person in the future.

My goal is to learn all I can about early childhood sexual abuse. My adult daughter is a survivor and starting her healing process. I bought Lynne's book to begin to learn about the trauma and horror of this type of abuse. The book is very well written, informative and a wonderful starting point in my attempt to understand my daughter's pain.

I don't give the book five stars because I feel the author's unresolved personal issues with her own mother comes across too strong. For some reason I felt that she was putting all non-abusive mothers in the same boat with her mother and that's just not true. Many of us truly were not aware of the abuse. However, keeping in mind who this book is written for -- the Survivors of Sexual Abuse, it's a fabulous book and a valuable reference as you journey through recovery with your loved one.

This book is, as mentioned below, a relic of another time, when people were "uncovering" memories of ghastly abuse via hypnosis. This method of therapy has long since been discredited. The "recovered memory" therapists were bombarded with lawsuits, and some patients retracted their claims. The book should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.

I wouldn't put this book on my list of top-ten most helpful for survivors. Ms. Finney addresses a variety of questions survivors have, however, I am weary of any book that recommends recovering memories through self hypnosis...the author herself did not remember her abuse until she was under hypnosis. In this age of False Memory Syndrome hysteria, it is probably not the best idea to go digging around in ones past with self hypnosis....

This book was not at all what I needed at the time of my recovery. It really made me feel as though I was at fault when in reality I needed to feel otherwise. This book is not good for anyone in the beginning stages of the healing process or for loved ones of abused persons. This book really isn't helpful in any way shape or form.