Booklife Review

"We, the survivors of childhood abuse and trauma, are the experts in the battle to save ourselves," writes Peetes in this impassioned guide to healing, growing past feelings of shame, and taking back one’s power and life in the aftermath of abuse and trauma. Often speaking directly to the reader, Peetes pens positive, soothing words that wash over the pages of this book, urging readers to let go of past pain and begin or continue the healing process and “mental, physical, and emotional transformation”—but to do so at their own pace, according to their own needs. Peetes leads by example, telling her own story of healing here and in online platforms, and making the case that in no longer keeping long-hidden chapters of her past a secret she discovered a sense of freedom and power.

Transparent and fully vulnerable, Peetes reflects on her personal experience with abuse—being physically abused by her mother, being sexually abused by her father—and shares the ways she pulled herself out of a depression rooted in repressed childhood wounds and shame. Reading Peetes’s words feels something like being enveloped in the warmth of a friendly embrace. With affirmations, hard-won insights, and continual reminders that survivors of abuse are never alone, Peetes pushes readers to give themselves permission to explore and express their unhealed wounds, to face their negative internal dialogues, and to strive to find a feeling of true love for one’s whole being.

Inner Child Healing offers practical techniques in training the mind, healing lingering wounds, and finding peace, all spelled out in clear, inviting chapters and reinforced in “What I Learned” lists of takeaways and lists of habits that helped in Peetes’s own journey. Peetes writes with compassion and understanding, not just offering support but enlisting readers in the act of it. “You are part of that support system,” she writes, “and many kind souls are too.” Inner Child Healing backs up that claim on every page.

Takeaway: Insightful self-help guide offering support to survivors of abuse and trauma.

Comparable Titles: Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey's What Happened to You?, Brianna Wiest's When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A