Writing the Wrongs - (The New Harbinger Journals for Change) by Michele DeMarco (Paperback)

About the Book

Moral injury happens when a person's core values and beliefs are violated. These injuries are so deep and lasting, it can feel as if the person has been spiritually wounded in their very "soul," resulting in feelings of hopelessness and anger. This compassionate guided journal features an evidence-based writing program for healing moral injury, so readers can transform pain and powerlessness into peace, purpose, and possibility.

Book Synopsis

Transform moral pain and powerlessness into peace, purpose, and possibility with this powerful guided journal.

Have you experienced an event that violated your core values and beliefs? Do you find yourself struggling with deep, lasting emotional and spiritual pain as you try to navigate the aftermath? Are you crippled by guilt, shame, or anger, or unable to trust others as a result? If so, you may be suffering from moral injury.

The wounds caused by experiencing these transgressions can leave you with a debilitating sense of powerlessness, hopelessness, and despair--and it can feel as if you're wounded in your very "soul." In order to heal these invisible wounds, it's necessary to discover, process, and repair the moral aspects of your trauma--so you can get back to living a meaningful and resilient life, in step with your core values and beliefs.

This gentle guided journal introduces a breakthrough, evidence-based writing program for healing moral injury to help you transform pain and powerlessness into peace, purpose, and possibility. Grounded in embodied disclosure therapy (EDT)--an approach created specifically for moral injury--Writing the Wrongs offers a safe, structured space to process your painful experience on your own terms, at your own pace. Using inspiring journaling prompts, you'll carefully explore your trauma with an eye toward discovering meaning in your experience--so you can minimize triggers, maintain calm, and begin to heal.

There are times when our life experiences don't align with our deepest values, and this can cause immense distress and emotional pain. This journal will help you work through these experiences and feelings, and guide you safely and gently toward a place of genuine healing.

Written by renowned mental health and wellness experts, New Harbinger's Journals for Change combine evidence-based psychology with proven-effective guided journaling techniques to help you make lasting personal change--one page at a time.

Review Quotes

"Writing the Wrongs helps readers to identify their own moral injuries and offers a comprehensive guide to independently work through, and ultimately conquer, their deepest, most personal wounds. It will immensely benefit anyone seeking healing from 'soul wounds, ' especially our nation's most elite warriors who are suffering immensely from the destructive impacts of operator syndrome and moral injury, as well as their families."
--Jennifer E. Byrne, BS, MS, OTD, OTR/L, vice president and cofounder at Shields & Stripes, and CEO at 5by5 Performance Therapy--Jennifer E. Byrne, BS, MS, OTD, OTR/L

"Writing the Wrongs is a crucial resource that adeptly combines scientific rigor with compassionate insight. It offers those experiencing moral injury a structured yet personal path to healing and understanding. DeMarco's innovative use of writing as therapy provides the tools necessary for individuals to reclaim their narrative and begin the journey to recovery."
--Bill Edmonds, LTC (Ret) Army Special Forces, author of God Is Not Herer--Bill Edmonds, LTC (Ret) Army Special Forces

"Writing the Wrongs is an intelligent and well-thought-out guide to going inside and journaling both one's pain and one's release. Anyone who takes the time to engage with the book and do the work will find help for their suffering."
--Fred Luskin, PhD, author of Forgive for Good, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, and affiliate faculty member of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley--Fred Luskin, PhD

"Writing the Wrongs offers an insightful and pragmatic approach to the often-ignored trauma of moral injury. Through reflective writing and engaged imagination, these pages offer a gentle guide to recovery and self-discovery. It is a gift and a resource to those seeking to rebuild their inner world and find a deeper sense of wholeness."
--Jonathan Erickson, PhD, MFA, author of Imagination in the Western Psyche, faculty at CIIS, and communication and narrative coach--Jonathan Erickson, PhD, MFA

"DeMarco offers a science-based GPS to navigate the adverse terrain of moral injury and trauma--which strikes a particular chord with combat veterans like me. The writing prompts are meticulously crafted and aimed at fostering awareness, acknowledging the past, reshaping the present, and envisioning a hopeful future. DeMarco's work is set apart by her profound insights and compassion, and her astute identification of moral trauma as 'soul wounds.'
--Troy Arce, DACM, LAc, career pararescueman and combat rescue officer, and veteran community care provider--Troy Arce, DACM, LAc

"In a world experiencing a dearth of soul, DeMarco's compassionate approach to moral injury is a poetic answer to tending the personal wounds of the individual self. Writing the Wrongs is a beautiful offering for anyone struggling with the impact of soul wounding or looking to rewrite the narrative of their life."
--Valeria McCarroll, PhD, LMFT, faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies, psychedelic educator/consultant, writer, and speaker--Valeria McCarroll, PhD, LMFT

"This is no mere journal--it's an embodied journey of reckoning and reconnection, making us feel held in our darkest moments. Whether you're a trauma survivor, health care worker, veteran, or struggling with a crisis of conscience, Writing the Wrongs will be a treasured companion and a beacon of hope for transforming moral anguish into post-traumatic growth. Weaving cutting-edge neuroscience with ancient wisdom, DeMarco's groundbreaking approach is medicine for our times."
--Albert Wong, PhD, director of the Trauma Certificate Program at Somatopia, and author of The Healing Trauma Workbook--Albert Wong, PhD

"Thoughtful and reassuring, Writing the Wrongs brings a valuable new perspective to how writing can resolve trauma by honoring and engaging the imagination, while envisioning and, importantly, compassionately re-visioning the lives people want for themselves."
--Cindy Shearer, DA, professor and program chair of the MFA in interdisciplinary arts and writing, and PhD in psychology programs at the California Institute of Integral Studies--Cindy Shearer, DA

About the Author

Michele DeMarco, PhD, is an award-winning writer, and a therapist, clinical ethicist, and trauma researcher specializing in moral injury. She is author of the Psychology Today blog, Soul Console, and one of Medium's Top Writers for Mental Health and Health, respectively. Her writing has appeared in national and international publications, including The New York Times, POLITICO, The Boston Globe, The Daily News, Psychology Today, The Free Press, The War Horse, and Medium, among others. She's been featured as a trauma and spirituality expert for MindBodyGreen, The Daily News, Integrative Practitioner, Lifehacker, Bloomberg/WNBP Radio, and Partners HealthCare. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.