From Surviving to Thriving

From Surviving to Thriving: A Therapist’s Guide to Stage II Recovery for Survivors of Childhood Abuse. 
Mary Bratton. 
Routledge. 1998.
ISBN: 9780789002563.
 
From Surviving to Thriving is a comprehensive manual for treating survivors of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Drawn from Bratton's own private practice, it combines theory and practice and supports the therapeutic partnership through a step-by-step outline of the healing process. The book's central premise rests on a two-stage model of recovery. Its strategies and exercises are designed to move survivors beyond Stage I trauma debriefing into what Bratton calls life-changing Stage II recovery: the shift from simply managing symptoms to genuine psychological flourishing. The interventions are self-contained, focused, and incremental, structured so they can become autonomous and self-generating for the client over time. Unlike most clinical texts, it is written in readable language with explanations of clinical concepts, making therapists comfortable placing it directly in the hands of select clients. The book is also enhanced with art and writing from recovering survivors, lending it a collaborative and humanizing quality.

​Mary Bratton is an American licensed therapist who built her career working in private practice with adult survivors of childhood abuse. She integrates faith and spirituality with the healing process, alongside her clinical frameworks.