The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Therapeutic 7-Step Self-Help Program for Men and Women, Including How to Choose a Therapist and Find a Support Group

by Beverly Engel, Eleanor Hamilton (Foreword)

"A practical and powerful must-read book for all who have suffered childhood sexual abuse, their family members and loved ones, and for all mental health professionals."
Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D.
Author of MAKING PEACE WITH YOUR PARENTS
As a trained therapist and sufferer of sexual abuse herself, Beverly Engel knows that there is probably no trauma a child can suffer that makes her or him feel more alone than sexual abuse. This helpful book offers hope for recovery with exercises, visualizations, and techniques that support you through a seven-step program, that will aid you facing the truth, releasing your anger, confronting those responsible with facts and feelings, forgiving yourself, and more healing advice and information.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Mental Health, Abuse

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1989

About the author

Beverly Engel has been a psychotherapist for thirty years, specializing in the areas of abuse recovery, relationships, women’s issues and sexuality. She is also the best-selling author of 20 self-help books, many of which have been featured on national television and radio programs (Oprah, CNN, Ricki Lake, Starting Over) as well as national print media (O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Psychology Today, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and The Chicago Tribune to name a few).

She is considered one of the world’s leading experts on the issue of emotional abuse, as well as a pioneer on the issue, having written one of the first recovery books on the subject (The Emotionally Abused Woman).

Reviews

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starter book for clients, especially women, wanting to work on this issue in their lives. Has lots of great encouragement and tidbits, even for therapists....

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful for those working towards recovery from childhood sexual abuse. I read it straight through, as recommended in the introduction, with the intention of going back to work on relevant exercises at some point in the future. This is a useful way to read this book. keep a pencil or highlighter handy for marking things you want to return to or remember.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of insight, this self help book gave me reassurance that the struggles I am facing are not unfamiliar. My favorite self help book about childhood sexual abuse.

[Brian Delrosario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend. 252 pp. It's a quick read; easy, non-technical. Kind of an old book – my edition is dated 1991 – but well worth reading given the sadly common experience of sexual trauma. A friend of mine shared a story of sexual abuse, and when I got home the other day, I noticed this book on my to-read shelf. I'm not a professional and don't know what it's like to suffer such abuse, and I wouldn't try to "fix" anything after reading just this one book. Although, given the number of people I've known who've shared such a story, it's worth trying to understand how best to be there for them.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Proceed with caution. If you're a survivor, things like this can be very triggering.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book with practical steps for self help for survivors of CSA. Have already recommended to many people and many clients I work with.