Self-Care for Survivors…

I’m honored to share these insightful and healing words, shared today at Truest Voice – a blog devoted to helping survivors of abuse share their sacred stories. Sharen Watson has done a beautiful job of creating a gentle place to be heard and understood – an important first step in the journey toward healing…

Today…

I am excited to introduce my dear friend and guest blogger – Lucille Zimmerman, LPC. Her vulnerability (of sharing her own sacred, Renewed: Finding You r Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World) and wise counsel of others (as they share their own in her counseling practice) are wrapped in her passionate desire to help hurting people. Thank you, Lucille, for taking some time to share a bit about some dynamics of childhood sexual abuse and ways survivors can care tenderly for themselves during their healing journeys.

When I was earning my Master’s Degree in Counseling

I was forced to examine my own story. Toxic family dynamics, boundary violations, and abuse weren’t the only parts of my story. However, they were definitely mixed in with the good parts of my childhood, and I had to acknowledge what hurt me.

Fulfilled… Book Review & Giveaway!

This book.

Wow!

From the opening paragraph of the introduction, I was captivated by the words of author Danise Jurado. She demonstrates our need for God, and His gentle and compassionate heart for those who are hurting.

She shares her experience of coming to God, recognizing her need for all that He has to offer. “It’s my favorite place,” she says, “because I am safe here. In the arms of unconditional love…”

These powerful words speak directly to my heart. For much of my life, I have struggled with feeling unsafe. The promise of safety in the loving arms of my Savior touched something within, sparking hope for discovering deeper levels of healing and freedom.

The Power of Momentum…

I have to admit, I was a little discouraged.

The prompt for #livefreeThursday was “nothing holding me back” and I immediately felt a heaviness inside. A sense that I was somehow ‘less than’. That I didn’t measure up.

I felt a longing deep within for those words to be true of me, but I knew that this just wasn’t my reality.

There are, after all, things that I know still hold me back…

Safe in His Hands…

Feeling safe has been a lifelong struggle for me. My capacity for trust was stolen at the tender age of five, along with my innocence. My friend and I were left in the care of her two older brothers. Two little bundles of life, all pigtails and giggles, without a care in the world.

One afternoon forever changed all of that.

I was too ashamed to tell my parents what had happened. I was afraid of how my father would react. He was unpredictable at the best of times – prone to outbursts of anger. I was sure that he would never be able to love me again, if he discovered the truth.

So I carried dark and heavy secrets alone.