March 15, 2022

Family Reconciliation & Writing to Heal Trauma, an Update with Laura Davis, co-author of the classic Courage to Heal (171)

1 hour 5 minutes

Writing courageous words can heal deep wounds. Bibliotherapy, family reconciliation, mother-daughter bonding and the questionable power of memory are all covered in today’s episode with Laura Davis, author of the Courage to Heal and the new memoir, Burning Light of Two Stars.

“…no one should ever sacrifice their own well-being to maintain a psychologically devastating relationship. The final option for reconciliation may be not having a direct relationship with the person, & instead being able to find resolution inside yourself – this can be the best choice…”

How do we navigate tumultuous relationships in life? When do we know when to walk away, or to stay and reconcile? Most individuals will experience a tough relationship in their lifetime – sometimes with family, romantic partners, colleagues, or friendships. The type of relationships that feel unbearably frustrating, almost impossible to maintain – so, how do we find peace within the chaos? Author and teacher, Laura Davis is an expert in navigating these kinds of connections. In her most recent book, “The Burning Light of Two Stars”, she openly shares the raw feelings behind her decades-long relationship with her mother and the beautifully tragic ending to her life. From her childhood of abuse and young adulthood of healing, follow along as Davis and co-host Sue Marriott examine her journey through reconciliation as she becomes her mother’s caretaker.

“I used to think that the opposite of estrangement was reconciliation, but actually – the opposite is what we have to do to get to a place of peace with the reality of this relationship…”

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Time Stamps for Courage to Heal author Laura Davis interview

3:14 – Davis’s personal journey

5:03 – The journey of writing “The Courage to Heal”

10:42 – Explanation of “The Burning Light of Two Stars”

13:28 – Book excerpt #1 from “The Burning Light of Two Stars”

25:45 – Book excerpt #2 from “The Burning Light of Two Stars”

39:45 – Finding reconciliation and healing

50:30 – How writing can be a tool for healing & transformation

59:21 – Secure priming

Resources

*Special Bibliotherapy for Therapist Uncensored Listeners*

Laura Davis’s Website & Workshops

“The Courage to Heal” – Book by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis

“The Burning Light of Two Stars” – Book by Laura Davis

“I Never Told Anyone” – Book by Ellen Bass

Link to the first 5 Chapters of “The Burning Light of Two Stars”

The audiobook of “The Burning Light of Two Stars” – Read by Laura Davis

Signed copies of “The Burning Light of Two Stars”

Travel to Tuscany with Laura Davis!

Click the book you’d like to purchase:

Laura’s riveting new memoir examines the endurance of mother-daughter love, how memory protects and betrays us, and the determination it takes to fulfill a promise when ghosts from the past come knocking