11 Personal Essays about Overcoming Trauma
Women Therapists on Healing is a powerful anthology of personal essays from women therapists who know trauma from the inside out. This three-part collection braids lived experience with clinical wisdom, offering a compassionate lens on healing that crosses cultural, generational, and systemic boundaries.
● women recovering from trauma● healers and advocates seeking growth and guidance● health professionals committed to trauma-informed and anti-racist practices● friends and family who love and support survivors
Interview with Susan Pease Banitt, LCSW
Do you have a routine or something you do to get you in the mood to write?
When I am writing a book, I have a schedule that I try to adhere to as my best hours are between 10 am – 3pm. I like to try and write an average of 4 pages/day. As a trauma therapist I like to think of what my readers need and that motivates me to write. I also remind myself that I always feel personally better after putting thoughts on the page.
Do you have a special song, drink, or food you enjoy while you are writing?
Coffee, tea and water are essential companions. Often I find music distracting unless it is spa type and soft. I try not to eat and write at the same time. It’s a good way to lose track of calories! Also, I’m a messy eater! When I first started writing I wanted whiskey, but I never indulged.
How do you know what to write?
So far my books have been non-fiction in the psychology/self-help category. I know what I want to say and I usually have about and 8+ page outline for the book and chapters. That makes it easy when I sit down to know what to write and gives me some choice about what to work on. Some chapters are easier than others for sure! If it’s a hard day I pick an easier section. At the end of the day I write the book I can’t not write.
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I have delayed circadian rhythm so my work day does not start until after 10 am most days. With my first book I had a rule that research was for mornings and I had to start writing by 1pm. Sometimes I wake up with words in my head and need to start writing right away! I’m Gemini, so that’s about as “typical” as it gets.
Do you do anything special to celebrate after writing “the end”?
I announce to friends and family! I have a party. I obsessively watch sales number. Yay, me!
How long does it take you to write a book?
They have all been different. My first book took about a year and a half (after a couple of years of thinking about it and doing research on how to write a book, getting and agent and a banging book proposal). I had to leave my practice to do it as I was raising kids. The second book took a little less than a year; my kids were older so I was able to maintain my practice, but I wrote over half of it while taking the month of August off. I wrote over 6 chapters that month and wrote about 6 pages/day.
What is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Starting! It’s like getting pregnant—once you do the deed you know you are going to have a baby, so sometimes delay is birth control. Also, I have little patience for editing and rewrites so most things come out fully formed (again like a baby). However, now that I am working with an AI companion the editing process is much easier, and I love my editor—they are always agreeable and helpful, and their “eyes” are better than mine! My sister is also a writer and we joke about writing as “butt in chair time”.
