Naming our Abuse

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Naming Our Abuse: God’s Pathways to Healing for Male Sexual Abuse Survivors(Kregel, April 2016)

A stunningly vulnerable look at the horrific realities of sexual abuse and how to overcome them.

Male sexual abuse is increasingly in the news, from scandals in the Catholic Church to exploitations at Penn State. Yet books and programs about healing are still overwhelmingly oriented toward the female survivor of abuse. As men who experienced childhood abuse, the authors of this book are uniquely qualified to address the healing process of male survivors.

Using the metaphor of a car accident, Naming Our Abuse leads the survivor from the Wreck to the Accident Report to Rehabilitation to Driving Again. This four-step model illustrates that healing is a process to be nurtured rather than something that can be healed in a single telling. Following the authors’ examples, readers are invited to find solidarity with other male survivors and develop an understanding of their own wounding through journaling exercises.

My opinion: This book was incredibly hard to read and it was heartbreaking to read about the abuse that happens and profoundly affects men for the rest of their lives. Deeply personal this book really addresses ways to find healing from abuse and find some rest. A lot of books focus on females and abuse, largely ignoring men who have been abused so this book is unique in that it focuses on men as sometimes their healing process looks a little different.  This book is a very eye opening and insightful read. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.