Customer Reviews

The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up this book and from the first random page i opened and flipped to, i almost immediately felt a connection with this book. It goes through every imaginable situation, types of abuse, and how each one (even if not first-hand abuse, but seeing it or hearing it ..... she takes into account ALL the different abuses) affects us all in different ways. How to tell that there's a sexual problem, how to define it, how to accept it, how to talk about it to partners/friends/family if at all possible, how to identify the sexual IMPACT and how it's affected us. Then it works into reclaiming that self-worth, gaining control over automatic responses, healing wth an intimate partner, and techniques for relearning touch and to BE touched. It talks about the impact that abuse has on our views of the word Sex and what it means to Survivors. It helps you change your image of the word, and to re-learn (or learn for the first time) what it really means. You learn how to accept the past, and that you were once robbed of the real meaning of touch and love. I almost want to underline each line in the book because it defines us (my husband and I, and what we're facing) sooooo well. And it goes step by step on how to accept it all the way to learning how to touch. It's very gently written, but with a strong emphasis on learning what abuse has done to your view of sex, and what impact is has on your intimate life. It has really helped my husband understand what is going on with me, and it has brought us closer together.

What I particularly appreciate about this book is its inclusive approach to the subject. While many books speak to heterosexual women who were victims of incest over a long period, this book speaks directly to people of all genders, sexual orientations, and the entire spectrum of sexual abuse experiences.

I've been on a healing journey from childhood sexual abuse for many years. I've read all the "standard" books and worked with a number of therapists. NONE of the books and NONE of the therapists has helped me heal in the area of sexual intimacy to the extent that this book has helped me. It's the first book I've read that REALLY addresses this problem, and it offers step by step suggestions to finding a healing path. I also found it very comforting to read words of encouragement from others AND THEIR PARTNERS with similar histories and problems who have made amazing progress. Until I read their stories, I never REALLY understood that my feelings and dysfunction were "normal", under the circumstances. My partner and I are so grateful Wendy Maltz for having written this book.

I bought this book, which is titled The Sexual Healing Journey, when I started healing from being abused in my childhood. When I first read this thorough book I felt able to relate to many of the topics. The topics included discussion on different types of sexual abuse, problems actual survivors developed as a result of abuse, positive assertion of the topic sexuality.

While reading the book, The Sexual Healing Journey, the author occasionally talked about her experiences of being sexually abused. I respected her ability to recover and turn her trauma into a positive experience, by helping other survivors of abuse in her councelling practice.

The author, Wendy Maltz, talked about these topics gently, I felt safe reading The sexual Healing Journey because of the books gentle tone. When I read a book, The Courage To Heal, I noticed the tone was rough. This rough tone was one reason I returned the book the next day.

I have referred to the book The Sexual Healing Journey many times after the first time I read this book.

I really found the book helpful in my recovery

This is the first place I recognized my bizarre behavior as not being unique. In reading the first few chapters, I was massively relieved to find that other people had experienced the same strange feelings and behavior I had all of my life. Although difficult to read and I found resistance to doing to the exercises, this book is helpful and honest, I highly recommend it for anyone who has had frustration with overcoming sexual fright.

Before I read this book I was wandering around this world wondering why I was such a bad person for allowing all the things that happened to me happen. But after I read this book I realized a very important lesson, I am not bad. I did not deserve what happened. This book is a comprehensive manual for someone to follow who has been through any kind of sexual abuse. It can lead you step-by-step through the healing process giving you guidelines to follow. Understand that just reading the book isn't the cure. You have to take an active role in your own self recovery and once you do this, you will finally be rid of any nightmares that haunt you. This book was THE turning point in my surviving the abuse. Without it, I would still be wandering.

After reading several books on child sexual abuse, I finally came across THIS book to help me out with the sexual problems I am facing NOW. I am not a native English speaker (but an Enlgish student) and I find this book very easy to read. It is down-to-earth and inspirational all at the same time. However, I would suggest reading and working through this book can work AGAINST you if you do not have the proper support you need. If you are working through dealing with (child) sexual abuse, I would strongly recommend working through this book with the help of an experienced counselor. I consider myself quite a tough cookie but I can't tackle this subject on my own. But I am 100% satisfied with the information, quotations of fellow-strugglers, and exercises!

I bought the book because of problems I had been having and was amazed to find out my experiences were not unique. This book help put me on the right track to enjoying the life I always wanted but didn't know how or where to begin. The exercises and suggestions were very helpful and easy to follow. I highly recommend it to those ready to start their journey.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. When I was done, I knew that this would be a book that I would have to hand over to the man I am going to marry so that he would understand what has happened to me. It's a valuable resource for the survivor in a relationship as well as one thinking about starting one. I learned a lot about myself in this book and I know that it will come in handy when I am ready to get married.

It's hard to find actual exercises for you and your partner like in this book. They work even if you figured out a few on your own, it's nice to know why they work so well. It's also good to hear the male side, I wasn't really sure how many men had been abused before, now I know. It's too bad more of us don't talk about it in the open we talk about everything else!

I did not like the exercise about remembering your sexual identity before the abuse started, for some of us that was when we were just out of diapers. I can't even remember much before age nine let alone what sexual identity I had if any. It's better to work with what you are now. I would have liked more stories with the man and the woman, I guess I can find more in other books but this book is very unusual and a "must read".