Publications.

Reading.

A Brief History of Peer Support: Origins

The contemporary era of organized peer support owes its success in no small part to the mental health consumer movement of the 1970s. This social movement empowered former mental health service users to help each other and advocate for themselves.

Larry Davidson, Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, tracks the beginnings of peer support to a psychiatric hospital in late 18th century France.

Peer support surfaced again in 1965 with the efforts of Robert Carkhoff and Charles Truax, in which lay counselors, trained with specific skills, were successful in helping mentally ill patients in hospital settings.

Professionals in community mental health were among the first to advocate for the integration of peers into primary care settings.

The Catholic Boys

A new book by author Mike Ledingham detailing the profound impact of sexual abuse of Mike and two younger brothers by the same Catholic priest. The three Ledingham boys tell their stories of going from being happy, feisty kids to troubled teenagers who became angry, abusing (and self-abusing) men, with consequences for their families. Their plight was only recognised by the Catholic Church after a tortuous series of negotiations. The stories of Michael, Gerry and Chris are introduced by their older sister Mary, who provides readers with background on each with love and admiration for their survival. Their stories detail in heart breaking clarity the wide-reaching impacts of their childhood sexual abuse.

The Courage To Heal

by Ellen BASS & Laura DAVIS

Healing the Shame that Binds You

by John BRADSHAW. Ref; 152.4 BRA
A bestseller in a series of books by Bradshaw about dysfunctional families. Also available on audio tape.

Child Abuse Trauma: Theory and Treatment of the Lasting Effects

by John N. BRIERE. Ref; 616.8582 BRI
A book written for those who work with survivors (therapists) but extremely educational for those who can get their heads around the clinical words

Growing up Gay in a Dysfunctional Family

by Rik Isensee

The Invisible Wound: A new approach to healing childhood sexual abuse

by Wayne KRITSBERG. Ref 362.88 KRI
A wonderful book for those who wish to contact their inner child. Almost essential reading, as it is the child we once were that needs to do the healing work.

Victims No Longer: Men recovery from incest and other sexual abuse

by Mike LEW. Library ref; 362.89 LEW
A classic self help book dealing with male survivor issues, one of the first written in this field.

Leaping upon the Mountains

by Mike LEW

Wounded Boys: Heroic Men: A man’s guide to recovering from child abuse

by Daniel Jay SONKIN. ref; 362.76 SON
Another well written work dealing exclusively with male survivor issues.

Healing the Child Within

by Charles L. WHITFIELD. Ref 616.89 WHI
An excellent and well written book. In depth discovery and recovery for adult children of dysfunctional families. Over 1 million copies sold