Anne Felt
Anne Felt writes compassionately about an important topic: recovery from abuse. She speaks as the voice of experience with candid examples and a forthright style that leads the reader to understand the 10-step process of healing.
Ms. Felt addresses the essential issues facing victims with sensitivity, candor and grace. "No one deserves nor consciously chooses to be abused. However, as victims it takes conscious effort to overcome the legacy of abuse. Unraveling the messages of devastation and unworthiness starts the process which leads to the relinquishment of pain and blame. In order to reclaim my true Self, I had to learn to forgive and to let it go. Forgiveness is the ultimate healing agent for the victim. Although this is a difficult concept, forgiveness gives the real power to the victim. Only then is full recovery possible."
Ms. Felt presents practical wisdom that applies to each individual in a personal and unique way. She teaches the reader the principles of emotional intelligence, and shifts the focus to trusting in one's self and regaining the essential sense of self-worth and self-love that we all deserve to know.
Anne Felt exemplifies the process of leading by example. In her personal life, she has triumphed over many challenges. "The biggest challenge of all was overcoming the legacy of abuse. This has been the most important healing in my life to date. I have grown from a beaten down victim to being a positive force and role model for "upliftment" and recovery. I am here to encourage and to inspire others that recovery is not only possible, it is mandatory for a happy life."
Anne brings a depth of practical wisdom to her writing. She has witnessed first hand the effects of abuse, neglect and misinformed parenting. She is able to testify in simple language to the devastation experienced by the victims of abuse, as well as the effects upon the witnesses. "No one escapes the impact of ill treatment...not the victim, not the perpetrator and certainly not the witnesses." Her message is clear in its simplicity, as she shares the healing process that she has come to know.
Ms. Felt is the author of The C.O.A.C.H. Series, of which this is the fifth book. She is an instructor and instructor trainer of the dynamic parenting course, Redirecting Children's Behavior (RCB). When she is not writing, she teaches workshops, seminars and courses based on her own books, as well as the parenting principles espoused by RCB. Her audiences include parents and professionals who work with children, as well as others who are interested in spiritual growth and healing. "My goal is to end abuse and to help families and individuals to feel God's love in a very real way. This is the basis of world peace, which is my ultimate goal."
For further information about Anne Felt and her services, go to www.heartfeltcoaching.com.
Volumes have been written about abuse in the last twenty years. There are so many forms of abuse that it is hard to even know where to begin. It seems like the more we talk about abuse, the more there is. Or are we simply becoming more aware of the existence of abuse and all of the various forms that it takes?
This book will not quote statistics, nor expound on the failures of our churches, governments, or social service agencies in addressing these problems. I will not analyze or explain systems of treatment or prevention strategies. I will not focus on the "evils" of this world where poverty, crime, depravity, and other forms of insanity exist.
I believe that God has given us clear messages of hope, peace, love, and empowerment. These messages are gifts that allow us to live joyous lives. The only problem is our failure to listen, to understand, and to accept God's love. As the human race has grown, we have repeatedly attacked one another and hurt one another - often in the name of God, our country, our tribe, our race, and even the shape of our noses. We humans seem to have an endless array of reasons to judge, blame, shame, and demean one another.
There are many levels of abuse - from the genocide of Hitler, to apartheid, to slavery, to stealing land from indigenous peoples...all the way down to spanking our children and punishing them harshly. There is no gain in abuse!
Let me say it again, directly and clearly:
There is no gain in abuse!
Call abuse by any name you choose, it is always destructive. It destroys lives on the physical level (i.e. bodily injury, starvation, poverty, and death). Even more importantly, it destroys lives on the inner planes - the emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.
Although the external damage is obviously painful, the internal damage is even more devastating. A broken arm may heal in time, but a broken spirit, a broken heart, a broken psyche is where the true healing is needed. Regardless of the level of assault to my physical body, the attack on my spirit is always the most significant area of hurt.
All forms of abuse attack the spirit of humanity. There are no isolated incidents. Abuse hurts us all. Tolerance of abuse hurts us all. If I observe and tolerate abuse in a situation that does not currently affect me, who is to say that I will not be next? Is abuse more damaging in an impoverished home than in an affluent home? Is the abuse of discrimination in South Africa any different from job discrimination in the halls of corporate America?
All abuse invloves the same elements:
- Judgment - Demeaning
- Comparison - Domination
- Control - Attack
- Fear - Inequality
- Scarcity - Anger
- Unworthiness - Competition
- Victimization - Inferiority
- Survival of the fittest
- Disempowerment
In the final analysis, it is a lack of love.
