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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, Caroline Strawson has created new book, The Unseen Wounds Of Women, featuring inspirational stories from women who have suffered and survived trauma.
This week, a survivor of narcissistic abuse, whose accolades include; a No.1 hit podcast with over 2.5million downloads, a YouTube channel with over 1 million views, and a 7-figure coaching and therapy business, is celebrating having brought together 14 other women who have suffered trauma of some kind, to share their stories of resurgence, in what has instantly become a bestselling book.
The Unseen Wounds Of Women
“The Unseen Wounds Of Women” created by mum of 2, Caroline Strawson, 49, from Northampton, made an instant impact, highlighting the ever growing need for support in the area of mental health and trauma recovery, as the book climbed the charts knocking the likes of world-renowned speaker and best-selling author Dr. Gabor Maté from the top spot, to reach number 1 in 12 categories on Amazon, including; Neuropsychology, Women & Spirituality and Personal Transformation…
Sharing their stories of growth and healing, the women, who Caroline has brought together, cover topics that span a range of mental health challenges and Caroline herself shares her own struggles with self harm, debt and depression along with her advice on how to break free from such circumstances in her chapter; ‘My Invisible Cage’.
Caroline Strawson
Highly qualified, well respected and recognised within her areas of specialism, Caroline is a multi-award-winning Trauma Informed Positive Psychology Coach, high performance coach (accredited by Brendan Burchard) and Somatic Therapist and Founder of the Accredited School of Embodied Trauma Informed Living. Her work involves supporting women who have been victims of abuse, or who have suffered trauma, to help them build themselves back up again, so that they are stronger and can purposefully create futures very different to their past.
Strawson and the contributing authors, hope that by bravely sharing their stories of healing and recovery within the pages of this best-selling book, they will help and encourage others to break free from staying trapped, be that physically or emotionally, to find happiness.
Experiencing Trauma
Only 8 years ago, Caroline was depressed suffering from panic attacks and PTSD having lost her home and in 100,000 worth of debt, following her divorce from her narcissistic partner. Self-harming and a single mum, she was desperate, and felt shameful about her failed marriage. After taking some time to heal, get support and coaching, Caroline hit a realisation that; “I used to feel like I was living in this invisible cage. A cage that was driven by society, parenting, marriage, career, relationships! – basically, everyone and everything else but me.” – she knew that she had to find a way to free herself.
Through listening to podcasts depicting her experiences, Caroline started to find solace and see light at the end of the tunnel. Harnessing what she had learned from her trawling of books, podcasts and forums, Caroline began her own self development journey, and as she built up her self-belief and self-worth again, she began to feel empowered, and compelled to also find a way to support others – she has since embarked on a multitude of training from all over the world (investing over £150,000) and has launched multiple resources of her own, alongside her coaching programmes, growing her business into a booming 7-figure enterprise, serving millions of people globally.
Coaching Women
As part of her coaching support to her clients, Caroline wanted to offer the opportunity for them to feel empowered by the ripple effect of sharing their stories, just as she had done 4 years ago when she launched her business with her bestselling book ‘Divorce Became My Superpower’.
She said: “I wanted to provide other women with the empowering feeling of using their hardships as a force for good, to inspire and show others that it’s possible to come out the other side and find happiness again.
“Working with these incredible women the last few months has been mind blowing!!! Watching them heal, grow and thrive has been incredible and collectively we want to empower others to be able to do the same. Perhaps this book could be the start of someone’s journey to knowing they are not alone, and to believing that there is another life available to them.”
She added: “This is why I do what I do! For those women who feel unseen, unheard, not believed, that maybe feel they are the crazy ones because of the manipulation and coercive control their partners, parents, and friends exert – I want them to feel seen, even though often their abuse is unseen. I am driven to help people not feel shame or loneliness going through their trauma healing journey.”
She continues: “I still have to pinch myself as to where my life is now. The fact that each day I get to help thousands of women globally deeply heal from trauma, such as domestic and narcissistic abuse, blows my mind… That through my own darkness, I can now be that ray of light at the end of, what can seem like, a long, dark tunnel. Through my own deep inner healing journey interwoven with my skillset around being a trauma informed Positive Psychology and Somatic Therapist, I now help others to move from post-traumatic stress to post traumatic growth and this is incredible work to be doing.”
Tackling Life’s Challenges
The co-authors have each tackled many of life’s challenges, from trauma and loss to revelation and change, but the single thing that unites them is their determination to be true to who they are and encourage other women to do the same. Within the pages of ‘The Unseen Wounds of Women’, readers find both the hardships and pain, but also the successes and rebirths of the authors and are exposed to what happens when women are given the tools to heal and grow to find true happiness.
Relevant to all women, ‘The Unseen Wounds of Women’ ‘shows that we all have the opportunity to put ourselves first and take our lives into our hands, but it’s especially recommended if you are a people pleaser, hold feelings of shame, have suffered from childhood trauma or narcissistic abuse.
‘Unseen Wounds of Women’ can be bought via Amazon and up until the end of October, all profits will be going to Women’s Aid, a UK charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Caroline’s Three Things to Remember when Moving Through Trauma
- Trauma is Held in the Body – People have this concept that trauma is the event. Actually, trauma is something that’s held within the body, it gets locked in the body. The brain hasn’t time-stamped events into the past. Although time may have passed since the initial experiences and we know on a logical level those things aren’t happening now, our nervous system can respond as though they are.
- The Power to Heal is Within You – While a lot of what you’re going through can feel out of your control, or as though it’s happening to you for no good reason, I need you to understand that there is a catalyst for lasting change that’s within your control. Through deep trauma healing integrated with brain, mind, and body based therapy and coaching, you are capable of changing the way you think and feel about the abuse that has happened TO you, not BECAUSE of you and finally unlock the stored trauma that your body has been holding on to.
- You Are Not Alone – Having experienced financial, verbal, and emotional abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, emotional withdrawal, unhealed attachment wounds, and decades of stored childhood trauma coupled with people-pleasing and co-dependency, I truly understand how you are feeling right now. Know that I believe you. I hear you. I see you. The experience of being in a narcissistic relationship and experiencing trauma is very specific: it’s where we lose that sense of self, we lose who we are, we become isolated, we judge ourselves a lot, we feel weak, we feel stupid. It’s a very different dynamic from just being in a relationship that hasn’t worked. Feel free to join my communities online via my social media channels. Communities and others who truly understand, will help you feel that you can start to be you and you will start to discover ways to lead your life unapologetically, fearlessly, and with self-love.
You can visit womensaid.org.uk or call 0808-2000 247 for more information about coercive control, domestic abuse, and the help available for those affected.
Chapters and Contributors
- NOT THAT WOMAN ANYMORE – Andrea Elizabeth
- UNSEEN MOTHER WOUND – Brooke Bownes
- INTERNAL CONFLICT WOUNDS – Christa Cusack O’Neill
- LOST AND FOUND – Gaby Engelbrecht
- I FEEL LIKE I CAN BREATHE AGAIN! – Heather Black
- ASSAULT OF THE HEART – Houa Utech
- LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT… UNTIL YOU DON’T – Jessica Parente
- THE GIRL FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER- Joanne Fisher
- THE SILENT SCREAMS WITHIN – Kim Pontarelli
- THE SKIN I’M IN – Lesley Lee
- THE REJECTION WOUND: HOW TO HEAL AND SET YOURSELF FREE – Noshiela Maqsood
- UNCONDITIONAL – Rayna Pattee Isaacson
- RELEASING PAIN TO FIND PEACE: A WELLNESS JOURNEY – Rebecca Mitchell
- FEEDING THE WOLF – Valerie Sussman
Find more from Caroline Strawson now:
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
https://www.facebook.com/carolinejstrawson
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjcWydDGQLbRM_gGIM20w1Q
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