3 out of 4 stars
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Permission Granted offers advice to those who are dealing with or dealt with trauma, and those who have loved ones dealing with trauma. Filled with insights, poems, and ways to gain control of your life, Permission Granted is a book needed in a time where increasing amounts of people are coming forward with their stories of sexual assault, abuse, and rape.
Dr.Kathleen carterMartinez Ed.D writes a calm read filled with motivation and some unpleasant truths. The theme around her teaching is that we are in control, recovery is a lifelong process, and loving yourself is critical. Her writing style combines her academic teachings with Native American inspirations and teachings, and Buddhist teachings, all nicely rounded off with some beautiful poetry. While I am no poetry buff, her poem ‘If all you can do’ was a wonderful reminder to do what you can and to power through.
The book is written in five parts, each part discussing a new theme. Part one: Trauma; part two: Choices; part three: Healing; part four: Recovery, and part five: Voices. Something I genuinely enjoyed was that after the conclusion, she added a 14th chapter containing anonymous stories from women that have endured their trauma.
Another thing I liked was that although there are Buddhist teachings, the author keeps it respectful and unobtrusive. The whole time while reading Permission Granted, I felt like Rafiki from The Lion King was imparting his wisdom on me while combing my hair. It contributed to a relaxing atmosphere that made me absorb a difficult subject with relative ease.
While the book does look professionally edited, there were quite a few spelling errors and missed commas, as well as some words missing the letter ‘l’ and random capitalization in chapter 14. I'm glad to admit that it didn’t really distract from the whole read. The author also repeated many points, which I understand as it contributes to the whole theme, but sometimes it became a bit too repetitive. The writing would also become a bit pretentious by using words like ‘capitulate’ where it would have been better to merely use plainer English, especially with the subjects that were being dealt with.We are what we believe we are.
I rate Permission Granted 3 out of 4 stars. The author’s motivations and teachings resonated with me and I am much more aware of what I say, and how to support those dealing with trauma. I would recommend Permission Granted to those dealing with their own trauma or who want to support a friend or a loved one who has dealt with trauma grow, move forward and prosper.
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Permission Granted: The Journey from Trauma to Healing
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