Description

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11 perspectives on healing trauma from a diverse group of women therapists—intersectional essays, approaches, and reclamations toward feminist futures in mental health

Women Therapists on Healing is a vital reclamation of 11 women therapists in their own voices, on their own terms. They offer diverse perspectives on trauma and go deep on what it takes to be seen, heard, and healed in an industry that—despite its largely female makeup—still privileges the experiences and contributions of men.

Highlighting clinicians at the forefront of healing and transformation, Women Therapists on Healing explores what it means to ask into how women can really heal from trauma—and what it will take to make the world listen. Featuring essays by Jamie Marich, Mimi Savage, Leann Johnson, Claudia Villacova, and others, this anthology is organized into three themes:

• Part 1 offers perspectives on trauma and dissociation from some of the leading voices in the field
• Part 2 explores the impacts and intersectionalities of trauma, patriarchy, and misogyny
• Part 3 discusses different paths to trauma healing, from yoga and dance to talk therapy and more

Additional topics explore trauma, dissociation, and memory integration; coping with sexual assault; nurturing a fun and healthy sex life after sexual harm; healing dissociation created by cultural othering; intergenerational trauma; decolonizing therapy; the healing power of reclaiming ancestral cosmology; and the intersections of disability and mental health.

About the Author

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Susan Pease Banitt, LCSW is an award-winning author and psychotherapist. She has spoken at conferences, retreats, medical facilities, universities, webinars, and workshops. She has served on boards including Oregon’s chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (Treasurer, Legislative Committee, and head of the Private Practice Council) and co-chaired Street Yoga with Mark Lilly as a member of Omega Institute’s Yoga Service Council. She has written two award-winning books: The Trauma Tool Kit (Quest, 2012) and Wisdom, Attachment and Love in Trauma Therapy (Routledge, 2018).


Larissa Banitt is an editor, award-winning writer, content-creator, and nurse. She works as a hospice nurse caring for terminally ill patients and their families. Her work appears on platforms from local non-profit blogs to national publications such as Health and WebMD. She volunteers as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line and serves on the board of the Pacific Youth Choir in Portland, OR.

Praise For…

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"Eleven trauma experts come together in this book to share the personal journeys which led them to developing innovative and effective ways of treating trauma. We don't often see this, because most known trauma experts are men, and men don't usually share in this manner. These experts are women. The diversity of their experiences, of the kinds of trauma they treat, and their approaches have much to teach all of us who struggle to understand and help our traumatized clients. If you don't know these experts yet, you should."
—Alison Miller, retired psychologist, author of Demystifying Mind Control and Ritual Abuse, Healing the Unimaginable, and Becoming Yourself

"Women Therapists on Healing not only serves as a testament to the humanness of healers but also acts as a valuable resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of trauma and its impact. This book delves into the multifaceted aspects of trauma and the healers who treat it, while shedding light on the often-overlooked struggles faced by underrepresented communities. Women Therapists on Healing will make a significant contribution to the field, fostering greater awareness and compassion for those working in the mental health profession and the people they treat."
—Jaime Pollack, founder and director of community engagement for An Infinite Mind

"Women Therapists on Healing invites us to heal holistically by drawing from the lived body wisdom of each woman and story. These women are poets and healers who have shared their breathtaking wisdom filled with magic, light, and a soothing balm that is being offered as a gift to other survivors. This anthology can gently guide Black women, femmes, and nonbinary survivors of trauma to explore the impact of trauma on the mind, body, heart, and spirit. It was truly an honor to be allowed into the sacred space of these powerful women who share their journey with us on how trauma has impacted their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Many survivors will immediately see themselves in the pages of this anthology, while others will find themselves."
—Michelle Lewis MSW, CSWA, SWP, owner of Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts and Third Eye Wholistic Wellness