A path of healing for survivors of childhood sexual abuse
Crystal M. Sutherland draws from her journey
to offer hope to those on the same road
A woman who was sexually abused as a child can
wrestle her whole adult life with questions such as, Am I worthless? How can I move past the hurt? Do I matter to God? This
internal turbulence can carve a deep hole in an already wounded soul. Crystal
M. Sutherland’s own experiences as a child led her to write Journey to
Heal: Seven Essential Steps of Recovery
for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Kregel
Publications/April 27, 2016/ISBN: 978-0825444012/$14.99).
With more than 42 million victims (both male and
female) of child sexual abuse in the U.S. alone, the need for healing is
enormous. While there is no simple formula for those seeking recovery, Sutherland
believes the Bible contains essential guidance for moving toward peace. Journey to Heal is a practical and
comprehensive study of seven steps specifically for female survivors who want
to progress from simply coping with life to living abundantly. Calling her book
“a
road map to recovery,” Sutherland invites readers to process their stories,
reject shame and discover God’s love for them.
Many of the lessons Sutherland shares in Journey to Heal were learned in the
trenches of her own prayerful and painful recovery. Abused by a stepfather for several
years as a child, she lived in a broken state. Acting out promiscuously in high
school, she soon found herself in the midst of a teen pregnancy. Even after she
married, started a family and reconnected with her childhood faith, she still
attempted to mask her pain through food, shopping and staying busy all the time.
After years of hiding, her world started to fall apart. She finally responded to
God’s call to seek him and his word and found her path to healing. “As the Lord
brought restoration into my life, I sensed He was encouraging me to share my
journey with others so they too could experience the freedom His love brings,”
she reveals. “Telling my story is a small part of this book. I share it so
my readers know I am a friend who understands what they are going through.”
Sutherland is now a Biblical counselor and mentors
fellow survivors, assuring them that their abuse is not the end of their stories.
She speaks boldly in A Journey to Heal,
offering answers to some of their toughest questions. With compassion, she
deliberately avoids detailed descriptions of her own abuse story, which can be
a hurtful trigger for victims, focusing instead on helping them tell their own stories
from a healthy place. Infused with biblical truths, stories of hope from other
survivors and practical wisdom, readers will be moved along their path toward
wholeness.
“My heart is to come alongside other women and
encourage them in their journey of faith,” Sutherland says. “I don’t have all
the answers, and I don’t have the power to heal their heart, but I will endeavor
to point them to the One who does.”
Advance
Praise
“Crystal Sutherland’s Journey to Heal is an empathetic
guidebook for those suffering the ravages of past sexual abuse. Readers will
discover a clear pathway through the muck toward wholeness and health in its
pages, written by a survivor who understands.”
~ Mary DeMuth, author of Not Marked: Finding Hope and Healing After
Sexual Abuse
“Sexual abuse hurts children at some of the
deepest levels experienced in our broken world, but you don’t have to feel
alone. This book can help you reject shame and discover God’s love and care.” ~
Michael Prasse, MACC, LPC, counselor specializing in abuse recovery
About
the author
Crystal M. Sutherland is a speaker,
ministry leader, mentor for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and author of Journey to Heal: Seven Essential Steps of
Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse.
Sutherland
holds a MA in Theological Studies from Liberty University and has more than 18 years
of ministry experience, including women’s, youth, worship and Bible teaching. She
is also a biblical counselor at her church. Her work can also be found on her blog and in contributions to lifelettercafe.com.
Sutherland
and her husband, Wes, have three children and two grandchildren. The couple
makes their home in Wilmington, NC, with their youngest child. Sutherland is in
her 13th year of homeschooling, which she says is a pretty big deal
for someone who once promised herself she would never be a mini-van-driving
stay-home mom! Her passion is to encourage women in their faith and lead them
to the hope and healing only found in Jesus Christ.
Keep up with Crystal M. Sutherland online
at www.crystalsutherland.org, Facebook (Crystal.Sutherland) or Twitter (@cryssutherland).
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