Strong at the Broken Places [Paperback]

Linda Sanford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 1991

In this moving and authoritative work which combines dedicated research and interviews with victims of childhood abuse and neglect, psychotherapist Linda Sanford passionately refutes the received wisdom that such people are trapped in a vicious circle of abuse and will probably become perpetrators of violence themselves. In more than seventeen years of working with victims and survivors, she discovered that this simplistic formula is far from true. Most survivors, in her experience, break free from the patterns of victimization and abuse and go on to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. And the more than twenty interviewed in depth by Sanford provide vivid proof that full recovery is possible. As they discuss key issues, such as self-image, intimacy, work and spirituality, we come to see what enables them, and countless others like them, to triumph over trauma and become not only strong, but often strongest where they've been most injured- strong at the broken places.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Linda Sanford has written a book that has the power to change your life. Claudia Black

About the Author

Linda T. Sanford has been working with victims of sexual abuse since 1973. A member of the US Attorney General's Symposium on Child Molestation, she is a lecturer on topics of self-esteem, treatment of adolescent sex offenders and survivors of childhood trauma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Virago Press (August 28, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853813745
• ISBN-13: 978-1853813740
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,746,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives Important Background Info & Balance, October 13, 2009

By 

Marcia M. Weeden "QES Marcia" (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strong at the Broken Places (Paperback)

This author presents information on why certain beliefs are held in therapy today (such as research limited to captive partipants, e.g., long-term prison inmates who are the worst of the worst) and how this research then is applied to the general population, obviously skewing the true picture.

She makes an excellent agrument for more research into those who have survived childhood abuse and have gone onto productive lives. Those, in other words, who are at the opposite end of the "worst of the worst" scale and are the "best of the best." Therein lies the hope.

The author is also concerned about people being labled as incapable of anything beyond "Point X" and argues that there much evidence that people capable of growth and healthy lives far beyond these perceptions. However, the perceptions persist and treatments for damaged and wounded people are limited by these perceptions.

I highly recommend this book for those searching for insights into "there must be something better than this" and "this can't be all."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a different perspective, May 25, 2008

By 

Jeffrey M. Miller "jmm0159" (las vegas,nv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strong at the Broken Places (Paperback)

This book gives you Hope by showing you examples of people who overcame there trauma.It helps you see that you can escape from the past instead of being trapped by it.It could be more helpful by giving you tools to use.I actually related to the stories of the people who were traumatized and felt hope.I recommend it for survivors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, giving a more well-rounded view on the effects of trauma., November 28, 2008

By 

AvidReader (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strong at the Broken Places (Paperback)

This book presents a more well-rounded view on the effects of interfamilial trauma than many that too often focus solely on pathological results, ignoring the multitude of survivors who go on to lead successful, healthy, and happy lives. I recommend this book for anyone who has been traumatized by interfamilial abuse and anyone who works with these individuals or simply desires to have a better understanding.