15/05/2026
🌻Please take time to read this review by my colleague Ann Bracken who attended my book launch last week in Dalkey. Buy this book if you have been impacted by childhood trauma and would like some embodied poetic words to help you on your healing journey 🌻
On Thursday evening, I went to support a talented, creative, heart full fellow therapist as she launched her incredible book of, ‘Poems for Trauma Recovery, Love, Loss & Belonging’ by Attracta Gill
I thought I went to support her until I realised what a profound support her book is for me and will be for others on their healing journeys. I knew this from the dedication on the back of her book, “For the daughters who were silenced, for the women who survived, for the souls still searching for home.”
She began to share her poetry and words of wisdom with as Attracta describes it, “unflinching honesty and fierce compassion”. Each one a beautiful expression of a journey from traumatic hurt to self compassion and love. What these poems do most is give voice in place of silence.
Trauma is silenced in so many ways, especially childhood abuse. It’s silenced institutionally, it’s silenced in families, it’s silenced in cultures. Its currency is often in expressions that serve to further shut down and shame, “leave it in the past” or “I thought you had therapy for that” or in the pervasive disapproving look with no words.
This shutting down is deeply wounding and further victimises the survivors of ‘unspeakable’ events that were not of their choosing… the crimes they carry and must not speak of. Silenced first by the perpetrators and echoed in those you meet. As we know as therapists, so many girls and women learn to be compliant and quietly scream inside.
Attracta’s eloquent poems and insightful introductions open the door to truth and reject the perpetual shaming and silencing of women.
As she expresses, ‘trauma work is brave work’ and (as all us survivors know only too well) the past, she explains, lives in our nervous system until met with understanding. Our experiences of safety or not are also expressed in the relationships we choose.
This book of poetry can be a friend to those who want to express their voice and cast off the oppressive cloak of silence to ‘Grow a Cloak of Love’ - it’s also accompanied by illustrations to inspire you as you move through her book. It can be a gentle healing guide as you or your client find the courage to speak out, to say no - to listen to their inner voice and align with self protecting boundaries.
This book is an aid to speak your truth, as you walk with fellow travelers who support and honour you on your journey. A book for every woman on this path and a wonderful recommendation for the brave clients who embark on their journey towards healing. I certainly intend recommending it.
As you’ll gather, I went to support her and her poetry and open hearted honesty supported me instead. Oh those special encounters. 🙏🏼💖
This poetry collection offers an unflinching and compassionate exploration of healing, resilience and the human search for home; through the lens of trauma recovery.
