The Still I Heal Project
Healing childhood trauma, one survivor at a time
Books & Healing Resources
Knowledge can be the beginning of change.
Whether you're seeking to understand the lasting effects of childhood emotional abuse, looking for practical strategies to support your healing, or exploring professional approaches to trauma recovery, you'll find resources here to help you make informed choices.
Explore my books, free educational guides, recommended reading, and information about trauma healing approaches.
Once you know, you can choose differently.
Angela's Books
Coming Soon!
More stories are on the way! Explore upcoming children's books inspired by real-life adventures, family memories, and the lessons we learn along the way.
Deuce on the Loose
Deuce on the Loose follows the hilarious adventures of Deuce, a mischievous Savannah cat whose curiosity, playful antics, and larger-than-life personality keep his family on their toes!
Zackie Poo Just Turned Two
Zackie-Poo Just Turned Two follows one curious, mischievous toddler whose hilarious adventures turn an ordinary day into unforgettable chaos, laughter, and lessons in unconditional love!
Julia's Big Wish
Julia’s Big Wish is a heartwarming true story about two young siblings whose imaginative conversation on a car ride turns into a delightful adventure of wishing they could be different animals.
Forthcoming Memoir
Beer in My Bottle
Some childhoods are filled with innocence. Others are spent learning how to survive.
In Beer in My Bottle, Angela Solic takes readers inside a childhood shaped by addiction, domestic violence, emotional abuse, and the desperate longing of a little girl who simply wanted to feel safe and loved.
From learning fear before she had the words to describe it to navigating the invisible wounds that followed her into adulthood, Angela tells a deeply personal story of survival, resilience, and the complicated journey toward healing.
But this is more than a memoir about what happened to one little girl. It's a story about what happens when that little girl grows up, begins questioning everything she was taught to believe about herself, and discovers that the people who shaped her past do not have to determine her future.
Raw, revealing, and ultimately hopeful, Beer in My Bottle explores the extraordinary power of reclaiming your identity, breaking generational cycles, and choosing to become someone different from the person your circumstances tried to create.
Seeking literary agent representation
Free Healing Guides
Healing begins with understanding, and everyone deserves access to information
that can help them move forward.
Explore free educational guides designed to help you recognize harmful patterns, establish healthier boundaries, understand your emotional responses, and begin making
intentional choices for your future.
These resources are yours to explore, download, and revisit whenever you need them. If you have difficulty downloading these, please reach out via email. still.i.heal.project@gmail.com
Recognize the signs of emotional abuse, understand its lasting effects, and explore resources to help you begin healing.
Explore practical guides to setting healthy boundaries, improving communication, recognizing harmful relationship patterns, and protecting your emotional well-being.
Explore practical resources for understanding emotional triggers, calming your nervous system, developing emotional awareness, and moving from reactive survival patterns toward greater balance and well-being.
Explore practical resources for raising emotionally healthy children, supporting children affected by trauma, recognizing harmful family patterns, and breaking generational cycles of emotional abuse.
Suggested Reading
Books can help us find language for experiences we've struggled to explain, recognize patterns we once thought were normal, and discover new possibilities for healing.
Explore recommended reading on childhood emotional abuse, trauma, family dynamics, healthy relationships, and personal growth. These books offer valuable perspectives and practical insights to support your journey toward greater understanding and intentional living.
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"Breaking the habit of being yourself" by Joe Dispenza
"The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk
“Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers: Quiet the Critical Voice in Your Head, Heal Self-Doubt, and Live the Life You Deserve” by Stephanie Kreisberg
"Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents" by Lindsay C. Gibson
"Truth and Repair: How trauma survivors envision justice" by Judith L. Herman
"In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness" by Peter A. Levine
"Walking the tiger: Healing trauma" by Peter A. Levine with Ann Frederick
"Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" by Pete Walker
"I Didn't Choose to Be Born: How to Recover from Being Raised by Emotionally Distant, Neglectful, Unsupportive or Narcissistic Parents and Reclaim Your Sense of Self-Worth and Inner Peace" by Lineo Ratia
"Adult Daughters of Immature Mothers: How to Recover From Maternal Rejection, Emotional Neglect, and Parental Narcissism" by Peg Biggie
"The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad You Did)" by Philippa Perry
"Reparenting the Inner Child" by Nicole LePera
Trauma Healing Approaches & Resources
Healing from childhood emotional abuse and complex trauma is not a one-size-fits-all process. Different therapeutic approaches can help people understand their experiences, develop healthier coping strategies, and work toward greater emotional well-being.
Explore educational information about trauma-focused therapies, nervous system regulation, and complementary healing practices. Understanding your options can help you make informed decisions about the support that may be right for you.
These resources are provided for educational purposes and are not a substitute for individualized care from a qualified mental health professional.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. It uses structured recall of traumatic experiences alongside guided bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements. EMDR is a recommended treatment for PTSD and may help individuals whose childhood trauma continues to affect their daily lives.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is a trauma-focused psychotherapy that helps people recognize and challenge harmful beliefs that developed following traumatic experiences. It addresses feelings of guilt, shame, self-blame, and mistrust, helping survivors develop more balanced perspectives about themselves, others, and the world. CPT is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment designed to help children and adolescents recover from traumatic experiences, including abuse and exposure to violence. It combines coping skills, emotional regulation, and gradual processing of traumatic memories, while involving supportive parents or caregivers when appropriate. TF-CBT helps young people manage trauma-related symptoms, develop healthier beliefs, and strengthen their sense of safety.
Somatic Approaches to Trauma Healing
Somatic approaches focus on the connection between physical sensations, emotions, and the nervous system. Practices may include body awareness, grounding exercises, mindful movement, and techniques for managing physical responses to stress. Approaches such as Somatic Experiencing aim to help individuals develop greater awareness of their bodily responses and a sense of safety. While some techniques show promise, research on specific somatic therapies is still developing.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Parts Work
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psychotherapy approach that explores the different emotional “parts” of ourselves that develop throughout life. Some parts may carry painful childhood experiences, while others develop protective strategies such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional withdrawal, or hypervigilance.
IFS encourages individuals to approach these parts with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment. The goal is to better understand protective patterns, address underlying emotional wounds, and develop a healthier relationship with oneself.
IFS is increasingly used in trauma-informed therapy, although research supporting its effectiveness for PTSD remains more limited than for established trauma-focused treatments such as EMDR and CPT.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured, skills-based psychotherapy that helps individuals manage intense emotions, cope with distress, and build healthier relationships.
DBT teaches four core skills: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills can be especially helpful for people who grew up in emotionally unpredictable or invalidating environments and never had the opportunity to learn healthy ways to express their feelings or manage conflict.
Although DBT was originally developed for individuals experiencing chronic suicidal behaviors and borderline personality disorder, its skills are now used across a range of mental health settings. DBT can support trauma recovery, but standard DBT is not itself a first-line treatment for PTSD.
Mindfulness and Grounding Practices
Mindfulness and grounding practices help individuals bring their attention to the present moment rather than becoming overwhelmed by distressing memories, emotions, or worries about the future.
Techniques may include slow breathing, guided meditation, sensory grounding exercises such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method, and gentle movement. These practices can help some people manage stress, increase emotional awareness, and develop a greater sense of stability.
For survivors of childhood emotional abuse, grounding techniques may be particularly useful when experiencing emotional triggers or feeling disconnected from their surroundings.
Mindfulness and grounding can complement professional trauma treatment, but they are not substitutes for evidence-based PTSD therapies. Some survivors may find certain practices uncomfortable or triggering, so approaches should be adapted to individual needs.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps individuals gradually confront trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations they have been avoiding.
Working with a trained mental health professional, individuals learn to approach distressing memories and safe situations that remind them of trauma in a structured, supportive way. Over time, this process can reduce trauma-related fear, avoidance, and distress.
PE is a recommended treatment for PTSD and may be beneficial for some adults who have experienced childhood trauma. Treatment should be individualized and guided by a qualified clinician.
Finding the Right Support
Healing from childhood emotional abuse and complex trauma is a deeply personal process. Finding a mental health professional who understands trauma, respects your experiences, and creates an environment of safety and trust can make an important difference.
When exploring treatment options, consider asking potential therapists about their experience with childhood emotional abuse, complex trauma, and the specific therapeutic approaches they use. You deserve to work with someone who listens without judgment, respects your boundaries, and collaborates with you on your healing goals.
Helpful Resources
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EMDR International Association — Find EMDR-trained professionals and learn more about EMDR therapy.
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International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies — Explore research and educational resources about traumatic stress and recovery.
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National Center for PTSD — Learn about evidence-based PTSD treatments and available support.
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Psychology Today Therapist Directory — Search for mental health professionals by location, specialty, and treatment approach.
Remember, healing does not have to follow a particular timeline. The goal is to develop the understanding, skills, and support needed to move forward with greater intention and self-compassion.
Helpful Websites and Links
Somatic Experiencing International
The official website for Peter Levine’s work offers extensive educational articles, a directory to find certified practitioners, and a robust Somatic Library
Trauma Research Foundation
Provides a specialized online Somatic Library featuring body-based resources, webinars, and educational lectures centered on embodiment and nervous system balance.
https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/
Exhale to Inhale
Offers live online public classes in English and Spanish designed to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through empowering, trauma-informed movement.
https://www.exhaletoinhale.org/
Sound therapy
Sound therapy is another way to reach trauma stored in the body through listening to specific sounds, and even sounds at different frequency levels.
Healing frequency guide from PS It's Counseling:
https://www.ps-itscounseling.com/blog/best-healing-frequencies-a-complete-guide/
Sound therapy in practice: https://www.sermo.com/resources/sound-therapy-in-practice/
Solfeggio Healing Music on
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3EDDd9b558m0Pf1edjCYQ7
BME Lifestyle on sound therapy: https://www.bmelifestyle.com/health-tips/sound-healing-for-emotional-trauma-a-safe-way-to-release-what-words-cannot
TCTSY: The official site for the Center for Trauma and Embodiment,
offering resources, introductory courses, and a directory of certified facilitators trained in this evidence-based clinical intervention.
https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/classes
OG Yoga
Provides free on-demand, trauma-informed yoga videos designed to help practitioners reconnect with their bodies on their own terms.
CPTSD Foundation
Features specialized online trauma-informed yoga programming tailored for complex trauma recovery. Fun fact, I'm a guest writer for them. You will see some of my articles on their website :) They even have a section on trauma-informed yoga.
AACAP – Child Abuse Resource Center
A comprehensive resource hub from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, offering guides, FAQs, and treatment information related to all forms of child abuse, including emotional abuse.
🔗 https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Child_Abuse_Resource_Center/Home.aspx
EndCAN – National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect
Provides extensive educational resources on childhood abuse, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), bullying, emotional abuse, child rights, and family support.
🔗 https://endcan.org/resources/ [endcan.org]
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Offers 24/7 live chat, phone, and text support for survivors of child abuse, including guidance on healing from emotional abuse. A confidential, survivor‑centered resource.
🔗 https://www.childhelphotline.org/
Dr. Jonice Webb – Resources for Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN)
Dr. Jonice Webb specializes in childhood emotional neglect and provides articles, explanations, and recovery tools for adults who grew up with emotional invisibility or invalidation.
🔗 https://drjonicewebb.com/9-resources-to-help-and-support-your-recovery-from-childhood-emotional-neglect/
All For Kids / Children’s Bureau – Healing from Emotional Abuse as a Child
Educational articles explaining emotional abuse, its signs, and actionable healing steps for children and families.
🔗 https://www.allforkids.org/news/blog/how-to-heal-from-emotional-abuse-as-a-child/ [allforkids.org]
The MEND Project
Emotional Abuse Support & Training
Focused specifically on identifying, understanding, and healing from emotional abuse (including covert forms). Offers free webinars, quizzes, articles, and survivor stories.
🔗 https://themendproject.com/
Alternative Therapy Methods
The items in this section are simply suggestions for things that might seem a little 'woo woo' to some, but have helped others on their journeys. I get nothing for including any links or products. If you have a suggestion, please send me an email.
I am actually a Reiki master. It's something most people don't know about me. Energy healing changed my husband in one, 2-hour visit. I think that's atypical, just so you know, but was such a blessing to experience. The link in the title takes you to a database to search for a practitioner near you. Here's another one. At this site, look for the "P" designation.
Somatic Therapies (e.g., Somatic Experiencing)
These therapies focus on how trauma is stored in the body. Through grounding, body awareness, and nervous‑system regulation, somatic therapy helps reduce hypervigilance, anxiety, and trauma‑related physical symptoms. Frequently recommended for survivors who experience bodily responses to emotional abuse. Here's an example I found for you.
The 'container' exercise.
This is a brief meditation (less than 6 minutes) to help you create a mental 'container' to process difficult memories, emotions, and experiences. Here's a video to walk you through it.
Neural Desensitization and Integration Training (NDIT)
NDIT is a neuroscience-informed, trauma-focused approach developed by clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Jennifer Sweeton. NDIT integrates techniques from established approaches such as EMDR, prolonged exposure, Internal Family Systems (IFS), cognitive therapies, and somatic interventions. Rather than focusing only on talking about traumatic experiences, NDIT works with the brain, body, nervous system, and traumatic memories to help people build a greater sense of safety, regulate their stress response, reconnect with their bodies, strengthen cognitive and emotional functioning, and gradually process traumatic experiences. Its flexible, step-by-step approach is designed to help people process trauma without overwhelming the nervous system.
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Official NDIT website – Neural Desensitization and Integration Training
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About NDIT – detailed explanation of the model and five modules
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Dr. Jennifer Sweeton's introductory NDIT course and description
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NDIT Level I – detailed description of the complete approach
Tapping therapy, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
EFT is a mind‑body therapeutic approach that combines elements of cognitive or exposure therapy with gentle tapping on acupressure points on the face and upper body. It is based on the idea that stimulating specific “meridian points” can help regulate the body’s stress response while you bring attention to a painful memory, emotion, or physical sensation. Usually you speak through a script while tapping these points. Not all therapists are certified in this type of therapy, but it is powerful.
Here are some sample tapping scripts. Make sure to watch a video on how it works. Here's one I found for you.
Meditation
Meditation is not a therapy, per se, but a method of self-healing. You can find guided meditations on YouTube specifically for nervous system reset, ridding yourself of negative thoughts, healing from abuse, and more. It requires a place where you can be alone without distractions for a specific period of time. Learning how to meditate can take a little time, but it is something very worthwhile to consider. Here are some videos I found for you.
Short guided meditation for trauma release (16:51)
Slightly longer version (29:28)
Nervous system healing journey (16:19)
Trauma Yoga
Trauma yoga, or trauma-informed/sensitive yoga, is a specialized, gentle mind-body practice that is focused on safety, choice, and body reconnection. It helps regulate the nervous system and reduces PTSD symptoms without hands-on adjustments or rigid body rules.
Example 1: BrettLarkingYoga- Yoga for trauma release and emotional distress
Example 2: Satvic Yoga- Yoga to release trapped emotions
Example 3: Breathe and Flow- A gentle practice for when your body doesn't feel safe
Reparenting
Reparenting yourself can take many forms. It might just be making conscious decisions now that align with what you would have wanted from your own parents. It could be using guided meditations that you can find on YouTube for 'reparenting your inner child'. It could be done through hypnosis. There's a book on it and here's a website resource that can guide you. You can join the self-healers circle and they have content on it as well.
Self-validation in writing
There's actual scientific research that backs this up! Look up Dr. James Pennebaker. He's the one behind this simple, yet effective form of self-therapy. Here's his book. Here's a podcast about it by the Good Life Project.
Pennebaker's 'extensive writing protocol' includes this:
1. Write for 15-20 minutes a day for 4 consecutive days.
2. Focus on a conflict, stressor, or traumatic experience. Tie the event to your childhood, your relationships, your career, or who you want to be in the future.
3. Keep writing non stop for the entire 20 minutes. Focus on how you felt when it was happening. Include as many details as possible. If you don't know what else to write, repeat what you just wrote.
4. Write this only for yourself. You can keep it, or delete/destroy it if you want to.
Note: if you begin writing and the memory is just too painful and you're starting to feel overwhelmed with it, just stop. Don't force yourself into the memory. Try again another time.
It looks like massage, but it's a little bit different. Some researchers have discovered that trauma is stored in your fascial tissue, which groups many muscles together in your body. This release is focused on connective tissue that are tight, that lack blood flow, that need some more pliability.
When exposed to vibration, your muscles consistently contract and relax. Physical and mental health are deeply connected. This can help chronic pain as well.
The vagus nerve is the primary driver of your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" network). Chronic stress and trauma can cause this system to malfunction, leaving the body constantly trapped in fight, flight, or freeze states. VNS uses targeted electrical pulses to counterbalance these survival responses, lower inflammation, and enhance the brain's ability to consolidate new, non-fearful memories during trauma therapy. While many studies included devices implanted under the skin, you can purchase an at-home vagus nerve stimulator. Google that and you'll find some.
Bi-lateral stimulation therapy
This is similar to EMDR, but it's in a tool from a company called Wevana. They are little hand-held tabs that alternatively activate the left and right sides of the brain through rhythmic cues.
There are different types of breathwork therapy to help with trauma. The article helps. You can also look up some videos on YouTube that can guide you through breathwork.
Listening to certain sound frequencies can possibly help with a variety of issues. I link a list of them above. You can also try it out by using an online tone generator: https://onlinetonegenerator.com/
This technique aims to reduce emotional strain and increase calm. The technique claims to help quickly shift emotional states. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5yO-P3sQC0
Manifestation
Manifestation is the ability to use our minds and the quantum field to bring about change in our lives. It could be anything from having more money, getting a job promotion, finding the ideal partner, getting pregnant, healing a medical issue, etc. Dr. Joe Dispenza speaks about this topic and has several books on the topic.
What is Quantum Manifestation? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ujs5NSnnVE
Here's a video with Dr. Dispenza: How Oxytocin Shuts Off Fear & Resets Your Past Trauma
The neuroscience of manifestation with Dr. James Doty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEoHR3p9Qzc
Qigong is an ancient Chinese health practice that combines gentle movements, deep breathing, and focused meditation to optimize vital energy. Its core components involve regulating the body, breath, and mind to improve physical fitness and mental calmness. Qigong helps release trauma by combining slow movements, deep breathing, and focused attention to calm the nervous system and release muscle tension. Clinical reviews suggest that mind-body practices like Qigong and Tai Chi are low-risk tools that can reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and hyperarousal.