Additional Resources

Websites

There are quite a few sites that offer aid, of various sorts, to survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We provide the following list for your information with the statement that, at this writing, we neither endorse nor oppose any of these organizations.

Books

There are many books and manuals that offer help to survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Every survivor’s journey is different, and a book that is eye-opening for one person may mean nothing to another. Please consider what is most meaningful for your history and your situation. We provide the following list for your information with the statement that, at this writing, we neither endorse nor oppose any of these publications.

Adults Molested as Children: A Survivor’s Manual for Women and Men, by Euan Bear and Peter Dimock
Beginning to Heal: A First Book for Men and Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children, by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life after Boyhood Sexual Abuse, by Richard Gartner
Healing from Trauma: A Survivor’s Guide to Understanding Your Symptoms and Reclaiming Your Life, by Jasmin Lee Cori
Healing the Wounded Heart, by Dan Allender (workbook)
The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
The Courage to Heal Workbook: A Guide for Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, by Ellen Bass
The Living Legacy of Trauma Card Deck, by Janina Fisher (encouragement, inspiration, and practical tips in an easy-to-access card format)
Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma, by Janina Fisher
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Incest, by Mike Le

Helpful Scriptures

God's Reliability

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for God who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23, ESV)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10 ESV)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; God’s mercies never come to an end. (Lamentations 3:22, ESV)

Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. Our God who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 ESV)

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

Jesus looked at them and said, “With humans it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

In all these things we are more than conquerors through God who loves us. (Romans 8:37)

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

God's Presence

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1, ESV)

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

(Isaiah 12:6, ESV)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1 ESV)

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2 ESV)

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Psalm 3:3)

“For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”

(Isaiah 41:13)

God's Provision

The Sovereign Lord is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. (Habakkuk 3:19, NET)

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2, ESV)

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God[a] is my strength and my song, and has become my salvation.

(Isaiah 12:2, ESV)

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8 ESV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

God's Love/Compassion

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted. (Isaiah 49:13, ESV)

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9, ESV)

For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise the people who are prisoners. (Psalm 69:33 ESV)

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul. (Psalm 31:7 ESV)

So, humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern. (I Peter 5:6,7 Phillips)

God shows love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in that person. (I John 4:16)

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

(Isaiah 40:11 NIV)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13)

God's Wisdom

For the Lord gives wisdom; from God’s mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

God's Light

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46)

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. (John 1:5)