A Bookworm's Revenge: 11 Books that Ignite Trauma Healing

"Written words are not just words—they are encoded with energy that, when absorbed, can realign you with your divine purpose." - Caroline Myss

During my trauma, I had a bully who tried to use my desire for healing and enlightenment as a way to tear me down. Her words were harsh: "You can read all the self-help books in the world and regurgitate every 'live, laugh, love' quote you see, but unless you put action into being a good person, you never will be." Even though she secretly was seeing the man who had ripped apart my vagina, and cheating on her own abusive partner at the same time, she still took it upon herself to criticize me relentlessly. She down played my injury at every turn. She continues to blame me for the actions of the abusive partner she chose to be in a relationship with at that time. She claims to have trusted me, even though I was the woman she had kept in the dark for weeks about her relationship with the man I was seeing at the time. Casting me as the villain in a story that I shouldn't have had to be involved with while healing from a terrible trauma. I wondered why she couldn’t see how her choice to date two men at the same time had caused so much chaos. With time I chose to believe she was simply doing the best she could to survive a traumatic relationship. At that time, she sought to be saved from one painful relationship by the same man who had caused me so much suffering. While enduring her efforts to bully and blame me, she could never strip away my authenticity.

"Your perceptions have everything to do with the choices you make, the behaviors you exhibit, the relationships you choose, and the realities you create." - Joe Dispenza

I've always sought to be more than just a "good person." I sought to be authentic to myself, my pain, and to heal in my own way. As we all know, we can only do the best we can with the knowledge we have in that moment. And when we choose to be authentic, there will always be people who don't like it. They'll criticize and judge you to bring you down to their low vibrations. They need to be the victim in their story and the only way to maintain that story line is to make you out to be the villain. Hurt people hurt people. They can not see outside the storyline the cling to, and this young woman was no exception. I had to relearn that being authentic to myself and my experience would mean, I would not be considered a "good person" by those who caused the most pain. I learned to be ok with being the villain.

Despite my trauma bully, I kept reading. I kept focused, I kept searching for the words I needed to do more than just survive. I wanted to rise above my circumstances, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and find my power and my voice. These books gave me the strength and wisdom I needed, and I hope they will empower you to do the same.

The Language of Archetypes by Caroline Myss

In The Language of Archetypes, Caroline Myss explores how archetypes influence our lives, both consciously and unconsciously. She highlights the power of understanding these archetypes as they relate to our personal experiences, relationships, and emotional wounds. Through this book, I realized how much of my life had been driven by unconscious patterns, such as the Wounded Child or the Victim archetype. These archetypes shaped the way I interacted with others and myself, and understanding them was essential in shifting my perspective. This book helped me break free from old patterns that were no longer serving me, allowing me to heal and transform.

Advanced Energy Anatomy by Caroline Myss

In Advanced Energy Anatomy, Caroline Myss takes us deeper into the world of energy healing, offering a more in-depth exploration of the body's energy system. This book helped me understand how our emotional and physical experiences are stored in our energy field, and how unresolved trauma can manifest as blockages in our energy channels. Myss discusses the importance of self-awareness and personal responsibility when it comes to healing, emphasizing how energy work can reveal the root causes of disease and emotional struggles. This book helped me refine my understanding of the connection between mind, body, and spirit. I learned how the healing process requires not just emotional growth, but an energetic realignment of the body, mind, and spirit, where the release of old energy and negative thought patterns becomes vital. Myss’s insights from Advanced Energy Anatomy empowered me to approach healing from a holistic perspective, considering not only my mental and emotional health but the energetic imprints I carry and how to clear them.

Self-Esteem by Caroline Myss

Caroline Myss’s Self-Esteem was another crucial book in my healing process. In it, she discusses how low self-esteem is rooted in our fears, our history, and the way we internalize negative experiences. For much of my life, I had struggled with feelings of inadequacy, particularly due to childhood trauma. This book taught me that healing self-esteem isn't just about improving our self-image, but about accepting ourselves and our past. It helped me confront my inner critic and replace self-doubt with self-love and compassion, a fundamental shift that has guided my personal growth.

Jaguar Woman by Lynn Andrews

Lynn Andrews’s Jaguar Woman taught me about transformation, empowerment, and embracing the unknown. The jaguar symbolizes strength, courage, and the ability to navigate darkness with grace. This book encouraged me to face my fears head-on, even when they seemed insurmountable. Through the teachings in Jaguar Woman, I learned how to embrace the death of the old versions of myself and step into a more authentic, powerful existence. The transformative power of the jaguar was a reminder that even the most painful experiences can lead to personal growth, if we are willing to face them.

Medicine Woman by Lynn Andrews

Medicine Woman by Lynn Andrews connected me to the wisdom of the earth, the importance of healing rituals, and the deep spiritual insights that come from working with the natural world. The book emphasizes the significance of intuition and self-healing, which resonated deeply with my own journey. I was able to reconnect with nature in a way that supported my emotional and spiritual healing. Andrews also discusses the sacredness of our personal journeys, and how each step, no matter how difficult, is part of our growth. This book helped me find peace in moments of chaos and to trust that the healing process unfolds in its own time.

The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart

In The Intention Experiment, Lynne McTaggart explores the scientific foundation of intention and how our thoughts and desires can directly influence our reality. The book presents numerous studies showing that focused intention can impact not just our lives but also the world around us. This book opened my eyes to the power of conscious creation. Before reading it, I didn’t fully grasp how important my intentions were, especially when it came to the relationships and experiences I was manifesting. The idea that my intentions could influence not just my inner world but the physical world was revolutionary. Since then, I have used intention setting more consciously and carefully, especially when it comes to healing.

Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza

Joe Dispenza’s Becoming Supernatural delves into the science of how we can rewire our brains and bodies to create new, healthier experiences. This book taught me that I am not bound by my past traumas or negative patterns, and that I have the power to change my brain’s wiring. Dispenza emphasizes the importance of meditation, mindfulness, and emotional regulation in transcending limiting beliefs and accessing higher levels of consciousness. The teachings in Becoming Supernatural gave me the tools to release old emotional baggage and to live with greater intention, purpose, and joy.

Transcending the Levels of Consciousness by David R. Hawkins

In Transcending the Levels of Consciousness, Dr. David R. Hawkins explores the spectrum of human consciousness and how we can elevate our awareness to reach higher states of peace, joy, and enlightenment. The book breaks down the emotional and spiritual levels of consciousness, from shame and guilt to love and enlightenment. This work has been instrumental in helping me move past my trauma and negative emotional patterns. It gave me a framework to understand the healing process as not just a personal journey but a spiritual one as well. The higher levels of consciousness that Hawkins describes became the goal I aspired to, and with every step of growth, I felt more in alignment with my true self.

Frequency by Penny Pierce

Frequency by Penny Pierce taught me about the energetic aspect of our emotions and thoughts. The idea that everything, including our feelings, has its own frequency, was both eye-opening and transformative. This concept helped me understand how my emotional energy was affecting my physical health and how my thoughts could influence the experiences I was creating. By learning how to align my frequency with my highest self, I was able to shift my emotional state more consciously, making it easier to navigate difficult times. This book also gave me the framework to understand how to communicate more effectively, both with myself and others, by tuning into the energy behind the words.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk profoundly changed my understanding of trauma and healing. Van der Kolk discusses how trauma affects the body, not just the mind, showing that the emotional scars we carry often have a deep physical impact. This book helped me understand that the body’s response to trauma isn't just a passive reflection of our experiences; it’s an active player in how we process and eventually heal from them. I realized that my body, for years, had been holding on to pain and tension, especially in places where I had unresolved emotional wounds. Van der Kolk explores a variety of treatments for trauma, including yoga, EMDR, and neurofeedback, which helped me recognize the importance of not only talking about trauma but also actively releasing it from the body. This book helped me to see that healing isn't linear and that the body often needs to feel safe enough to release the trauma it has stored. Understanding this connection gave me a new path forward in my own recovery journey.

The Power by Rhonda Byrne

In The Power, Rhonda Byrne delves into the concept of the Law of Attraction and its powerful role in shaping our lives. She expands on the idea that we are not passive observers of our reality, but active creators through our thoughts and feelings. This book, a follow-up to The Secret, highlights how focusing on positive emotions and directing them toward our desires can manifest the life we want. The most transformative part of The Power for me was learning that love is the highest frequency we can emit, and when we operate from love—whether in relation to others or ourselves—we align ourselves with the universe’s abundance. It reinforced the importance of believing in our own power to create and shape our future, which was an essential component of my healing journey. By applying the principles in this book, I was able to reframe the way I approached life’s challenges, turning them into opportunities for growth, and tapping into the inherent power within me to create change. The Power taught me that love is not just an emotion but a force that can literally transform our experiences.

The Huberman Lab Podcast : Mentally Healthy 4-Part Series with Dr. Paul Conti

The Mentally Healthy 4-part series was an invaluable resource for understanding mental health, trauma recovery, and emotional well-being. It emphasized the importance of self-compassion and emotional resilience, both of which were essential during my healing journey. The series provided practical tools for navigating conflict, maintaining healthy relationships, and building a foundation of mental well-being. Through listening to these episodes, I gained deeper insights into the mental and emotional processes I was going through, allowing me to approach my healing with greater patience and understanding