Best books to heal from rape / sexual assault

January 20, 2013 10:28 AM

I've been Googling and looking through different lists of recommended books (including some recommended by orgs like RAINN) about healing from sexual trauma, but I'm looking for 1 or 2 good books that are reasonably-priced. (Many of these books seem to be out of print and therefore expensive.) This is about an assault that happened to me as an adult, so books about child abuse are out. What I don't want: hokey, religious, new-age, preachy, textbooks, "workbooks" My ideal book would deal with many of the symptoms of Rape Trauma Syndrome, including having "body memories" of the assault. Hope this is descriptive enough.
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

The book I always recommend is Staci Haines' Healing Sex. Also her earlier book, Survivors Guide to Sex. May be more specific than you want, but give them a try.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:51 AM on January 20, 2013

this book http://www.amazon.com/Codependent-No-More-Controlling-Yourself/dp/0894864025 you might want later, or maybe now, too.
I think that the name of that book can be misleading. I certainly did not want to read it for long, long time.
It is about dealing with most subtle and most persistent results of the abuse.
posted by Oli D. at 11:44 AM on January 20, 2013

It doesn't exactly fit your requirements, but I've appreciated Yes Means Yes! Visions of female sexual power and a world without rape.
posted by ChuraChura at 12:34 PM on January 20, 2013

I can't recommend a specific book but if there is an out of print one you want and can't afford, you can probably find it on abebooks.com for an absurdly low price.
posted by windykites at 2:22 PM on January 20, 2013

Peter Levine has a book and a podcast about healing trauma, focuses on body work.
posted by SyraCarol at 5:50 PM on January 20, 2013 [2 favorites]