What It Takes To Heal

From one of the most prominent voices in the trauma conversation comes a groundbreaking new way to heal on a personal and a collective level.

Featuring a special UK introduction for all print and ebook editions

'A visionary, personal, compassionate, empowering guide' — BESSEL VAN DER KOLK

'Beautifully intimate and wildly expansive' — BRENÉ BROWN

What would it do to movements, to our society and culture, to have the principles of healing at the very centre? What does it mean to centre healing in every structure and everything we create?

As we emerge from the past few years of collective upheaval, are we ready to face the complexities of our time with joy, authenticity, and connection? Now more than ever, we must learn to heal ourselves, connect with one another, and embody our values. In this revolutionary book, Prentis Hemphill shows us how.

What It Takes to Heal asserts that the principles of embodiment — the recognition of our body's sensations and habits, and the beliefs that inform them — are critical to lasting healing and transformation. Hemphill, an expert embodiment practitioner, therapist, and activist, who has partnered with Tarana Burke and Esther Perel, among others, shows us that we don't have to carry our emotional burdens alone. Hemphill demonstrates a future in which healing is done in community, weaving together stories from their own experience as a trauma survivor with clinical accounts and lessons learned from their time as a social movement architect.

In this life-affirming framework for the way forward, Hemphill shows us how to heal our bodies, minds, and souls — to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break down the doors of disconnection and take the necessary risks to reshape our world towards justice.