First Steps

Beginning to do what it takes to recover from sexual and other abuse as a child is a brave moment. The most courageous steps a survivor of abuse can take are the first steps toward healing. What leads up to the decision to begin -- and what follows soon after beginning -- is a baffling experience. It is unlike the later process of recovery. The common experiences during this tumultuous time are disruptive and confusing. People confronting these challenges seldom have someone to dispel some of the mystery and to reassure them this is just a turning point and not a new way of life! Written by a survivor who helps other survivors take these first brave steps, this book, First Steps, sheds light on the early days of recovery, covering commonly surprising emotions, sharing how other survivors experience the process, identifying obstacles and ways to overcome them, and offering encouragement and solace especially where the wound of abuse has hurt so deeply that it's hard to trust even God.

First Steps speaks from lived experience finding and following a path forward in faith through healing. These reflections are for survivors and family members, who suffer the wounds of abuse by one degree of separation, but also for anyone who encounters survivors and families struggling through a process of recovering from abuse, especially in a faith setting.