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Awake by Jen Hatmaker is a memoire from the author about the unraveling of a 26-year marriage. Through that, she discussed the grief of reevaluating the cultural and religious systems that created who she was at that point in her life. This book quotes 3 books I have read and reviewed, Codependent No More by Melody Beattie, The Wisdom of Your Body, by Hillary McBride, and one I love called Wintering by Katherine May. It is a good read to help with healing through brokenness.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey is a diary by the author of lessons learned from his life. This is a lighthearted book with stories, poems and other antidotes; identifying how experiences in his life can be looked at as greenlights, instead of looking at events as red lights. It is an easy and entertaining book that helps the reader look at potentially difficult experiences with a positive spin. If you are an audio book fan, it is read by the author.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. "And there it is; that howling experience of the cold and the dark that becomes a crucible. That sense of falling through the crack between two worlds. Void. State of Limbo A wintering". This is such a beautiful book in which May encourages us to change how we look at our own difficult times. She offers a model of the acceptance of sadness and finds healing in retreat and the beauty of winter.

A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings. This is a well-written autobiography explaining the authors experience in a fundamentalist conservative Christian church. She helps the reader understand how she created a belief that to be a good Christian, she must follow a list of additional life principles, including secret keeping. These principles led to strict discipline and isolation. She hid her abuse from others in order to protect her children. A must read!

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg is a really good book if you are looking to improve your communication skills. Communication is a superpower and the best communicators understand the different types of conversations: practical, social and emotional. With that knowledge, you can improve the depth of your communication with others. Duhigg uses great examples to really solidify the understanding of supercommunicators.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate is an overview of the epidemic of addiction. This is the third book I have reviewed by Gabor Mate and a really fantastic read. He challenges the reader to humanize those with addiction and shares their story. He even references Dr. Bruce Perry who wrote What Happened to You. If you have a loved one with an addiction, be sure to read chapter 33 for tips on communicating with someone with addiction.

Changing gears, I have added a podcast instead of a book as a resource for something to use to help you "Grow". This podcast is created by a group of EMDR therapists and so well done. Their new season focuses on the Enneagram, which is a tool to help us learn more about ourselves. We are not our personalities and through this tool can be on a path for ongoing growth. I would encourage you to listen to the Introduction to the Enneagram, and then the podcasts on the 3 triads.

The Deepest Place by Curt Thompson is the second book I have read by this author. He is a Christian Psychiatrist who explores how suffering can lead to hope. He identifies feeling seen, soothed, safe and secure through sharing vulnerable experiences, as well as improving our attachment to others. Thompson uses the Apostle Paul's experience of love and secure attachment as a guide in this really thought provoking book. If you want more from this author, check out the Being Known Podcast.

What My Bones Know: Healing from complex trauma by Stephanie Foo is the February book of the month. This book is Stephanie's story of childhood trauma and then healing. She identifies her experience as a child raised by immigrants and then spent her young adult years exploring the trauma of other Asian immigrants around her. She also explores healing from CPTSD through many different forms of treatment. Her story of abuse could be very triggering but her path to healing is very uplifting.