Healing Together by Anne Marie Miller

Trauma is a powerful thing. It can be suppressed and repressed and change a person’s behavior in unimaginable ways. There are tragedies and horrors in the underbelly of society and church that we cannot even wrap our minds around. Anne has written an incredible work to equip us as to how to begin caring for those who have been abused and assaulted. We can be trauma informed. We can stop blaming women for their dress or location or any other means by which we write off these terrible offenses. This is why people do not come forward. Those of us who should be clothed in compassion are heaping shame on others. Otherwise, we end up like the people writing adult Anne and telling her she should have known better. She was a child at the time of her offense. Her abuser was an adult pastor. He was more than 10 years her senior. Clothes yourself in compassion, my friends.

Healing Together: A Guide to Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors by Anne Marie Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been following Anne’s writing for over a decade. I have been on several of her launch teams and I can unwaveringly say that she has a voice we need to listen to. This book is no exception. She has given the church a gift.

In the first section we learn about trauma and hear about her own trauma. She has had quite a bit of pain turning in her abuser. Well-meaning Christian women basically called her a tramp and said she should have known better...even though she was a child and her abuser was an adult. It is no wonder that people do not come forward after trauma. The people who should offer healing heap them with shame.

The second section of the book is a fantastic resource to anyone who is in trauma care or looking to help someone who has been abused. So often, we look like a deer in the headlights when this sort of thing happens. We are completely unequipped. Anne has clearly laid out scientific and emotional data and strategies for us. The research and thoughtful care she has put into this book is easily seen. Even though I have been helping people navigate trauma for many years, I found some powerful reminders here. I am reminded of my own needs as I address others needs.

Thank you for your powerful work, Anne. It leaves us without excuse in helping those around us.


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Y’all. Please read Anne’s book Healing Together: A Guide to Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors. I’ve Ben helping her launch her books for over a decade and have long loved her written voice, but this. This is a word we all need. As I have listened to all the talk around sex scandals at Baylor or seeing beloved worship leader Jeff Berry arrested, I have been stopped in my tracks. We, the supposed compassionate Christians, might just be the problem. The estimates of children abused in the church in the past century is over one million. Know the red flags. Know how to respond. Prepare yourself do that you are ready instead of I’ll-equipped. {link in bio}

 This book was graciously provided by Zondervan Publishing and Anne Marie Miller for review.