This simple, sensitive book is a wonderful introduction to those new to therapy and/or exploring their childhood histories of abuse. It is written for people of all backgrounds and thus is accessible to most. I've probably referred well over a hundred people to this book at some point in their therapy. Reactions have included "It doesn't apply to me", but were mostly along the lines of "I couldn't put it down - I kept reading and re-reading it." The beauty and power of it lies in it's simplicity. It's almost impossible to get lost in it intellectually - you have the space to "get it" emotionally.

I thought it was a little immature. Not for older readers. It's for young teens to sit around and read to understand their "so-called" feelings about what they have experienced in the recent past. Or a older teen that just remember about a past experienced about at the ages of 4-6. Not for prelonged abuse survivors.

This is a simple read to get a survivor physical, emotional, or sexual abuse started. I found it a bit lacking in depth--perhaps because it is so short--and I did not care for the illustrations. Again, recommended as a good starting point. For a more in-depth examination of this subject, I found Miss America By Day by Marilyn VanDerber to be extremely compelling.

For everyone who reads a bestseller like "My Fractured Life" and sees way too much of their own self and emotional baggage there, "Outgrowing the Pain" is going to be incredibly useful. I don't want to relate to "My Fractured Life" or any other book like that. I want to say I recognize that type of behavior in others, not in me. With "Outgrowing the Pain" I have realized things about myself, about my behavior. I have realized just what a mixed up childhood I had. Best of all "Outgrowing the Pain" provides you with the teaching to start fixing yourself.

This book offered very little in terms of outgrowing the pain. It was too brief and had very little useful information.