Joining Forces: Empowering male Survivors to Thrive

      Joining Forces: Empowering Male Survivors to Thrive is an inspirational new book written to empower male survivors of sexual victimization to develop skills they can use to overcome the effects of trauma and learn to thrive in their lives. Male survivors often struggle to feel any sense of hope for the future, so this book is designed to inspire survivors and their allies with easily learned skills developed over the course of the author’s 30-year career, and the real-life experiences of male survivors who have learned to thrive. Each chapter invites survivors to dare to dream that they can take another step in their healing process through leaving their isolation behind, challenging their dysfunctional beliefs and replacing them with healthier functional messages, practicing healing exercises, reading about the struggles and successes of men just like themselves, and learning how to build hope through the use of affirmations.

      This book is unique in that it is based on the experiences of over 750 male survivors who have participated in MaleSurvivor Weekends of Recovery. The tools taught during those weekends, plus many more developed through the clinical experiences of the author, are presented so that each survivor reading the book has an opportunity to use the skills as he faces the challenges of his recovery. Survivors and their allies learn they are not alone in their struggles. Including the writings of male survivors and their partners will help to end their isolation and help them know others have walked in their path, become stronger, and found a sense of freedom. They will read about how these men and their allies have learned to make healthier choices that have enhanced their relationships, their emotional functioning, their job performance, and their lives.