Books › The Sexual Healing Journey
The Sexual Healing Journey
First published 1991 · 368 pages
A compassionate, step-by-step guide that holds the reader's hand through the delicate process of reclaiming intimacy after trauma.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a safe, supportive space guided by a deeply empathetic expert. The pace is steady and deliberate, honoring the sensitive nature of trauma recovery while moving purposefully through practical exercises and grounded advice. Its tone is both clinical and profoundly compassionate, weaving together structured therapeutic techniques with the validating, real-life voices of other survivors. The mood shifts from the heavy acknowledgment of past abuse to a hopeful, empowering atmosphere focused on reclaiming one's body and boundaries. It is a vital, earnest read designed for survivors who are ready to gently untangle their trauma, offering a structured path toward healing, healthy self-concept, and the eventual joy of safe sexual intimacy.
- Mood
- supportive
- reflective
- hopeful
- safe
- Tone
- compassionate
- clinical
- encouraging
- earnest
- instructive
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- healing from trauma · reclaiming intimacy · sexual recovery · overcoming abuse · building healthy relationships
- The writing
- Clear, empathetic, and structured, blending practical instruction with the raw, validating voices of first-person accounts.
- The arc
- Moves from acknowledging deep trauma and upsetting reactions toward empowerment, control, and the joyful reclamation of intimacy.
- Who it's for
- Survivors of sexual abuse seeking a structured, compassionate path to reclaiming their bodies and intimate relationships.
Content notes
- sexual abuse
- child sexual abuse
- trauma recovery
- discussions of sexual intimacy
About the book
Considered a classic in its field, this comprehensive guide will help survivors of sexual abuse improve their relationships and discover the joys of sexual intimacy. Wendy Maltz takes survivors step-by-step through the recovery process using groundbreaking exercises and techniques. Based on the author's clinical work, interviews, and workshops, this guide is filled with first-person accounts of women and men at every stage of sexual healing. This compassionate resource helps survivors to: Identify the sexual effects of sexual abuse, Eliminate negative sexual behavior and resolve specific problems, Gain control over upsetting automatic reactions to touch and sex, Develop a healthy sexual self-concept.
Description from Open Library.
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