Help For The Fractured Soul by Candyce Roberts

Dr. Candyce Roberts, who has a doctorate in Systematic Theology, wrote Help For The Fractured Soul to share strategies with people who help those who have been victims of  severe abuse. Many people who have suffered severe abuse, including SRA, can be traumatized to the point of having Dissociative Identity Disorder. Helping people who have been that broken, and who will have a natural mistrust for those in authority, is certainly not a quick fix. Candyce has ministered to these adult survivors for over 15 years as part of her inner healing ministry and shares both techniques and personal stories in this book.

This book is well-written and does not use clinical terms or a formality that would bore even a casual reader. The stories are heart-breaking, yet hopeful, as she relates how the methods she has used and the restoration of the Lord, has healed the broken pieces and a transformation to wholeness has emerged. I found Chapter 12: "Top Ten Keys for Overcoming Trauma" to be wise advice for everyone in maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord, others, and themselves.

However, I do feel that this book is much better as a tool for those who are part of a ministry dedicated to helping victims of abuse. I remember a time when it seems stories were rampant of repressed memories of abuse, and I would hate for that to happen again. There is no doubt that this evil exists, and there are more cases than the public realizes, yet the power of suggestion can cause people to think that perhaps they are repressing memories; we all know people who cannot hear of a medical issue without being convinced they have contracted a disease. There are also those who think the casual perusal of a book immediately qualifies them to provide treatment to others. So, this is a good book that is interesting to read, but one I would be more likely to recommend to a pastor or mental health care provider.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion, from Chosen Books.