📚 Book Review: "What It Takes to Heal" by Prentis Hemphill

✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌟 Synopsis:
Prentis Hemphill's "What It Takes to Heal" emerges as a guiding light in a world where upheaval and uncertainty seem to be the norm. This revolutionary book challenges us to confront the complexities of our time with authenticity and connection, advocating for healing as a collective endeavor.

🔍 Review:
Hemphill's expertise as an embodiment practitioner, therapist, and activist shines through every page of this transformative read. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, clinical insights, and lessons from social movements, they craft a compelling narrative emphasizing the community's importance in the healing process.

💬 Thoughts:
"What It Takes to Heal" isn't just a book—it's a roadmap for societal transformation. Hemphill's vision of a world where healing is central to every aspect of life is both inspiring and deeply necessary. Their call to action challenges readers to reconsider the way we approach healing, both individually and collectively.

👍🏼 Final Verdict:
A must-read for anyone seeking guidance on their healing journey and eager to contribute to a more just and connected world. "What It Takes to Heal" is a powerful reminder that healing is not just possible, but essential.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher Random House Publishing Group-Random House for an advance copy of this book on to heal after trauma for both individuals and communities, to understand how hard that task might be, but how great the rewards are.

The last few years have been something for a lot of people. Of that there can be no argument, thought disagreements and argueing now seem to be a part of the nation's characters. For many Americans there has been an awakening to the world that many marginalized people have found themselves in, one that seems to be getting uglier, meaner and deadly everyday. Police violence, a two-tiered justice system, and social media echoing not just the language of segregationists but the Nazi, with the added influx of religious intolerance. However even in the darkest times, one can look for the helpers, as Fred Rogers would say. There are always someone trying to help, to heal, and hang on. Prentis Hemphill is without a doubt one of the helpers. Hemphill's first book What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World Hemphill shares his life, the stories that have been told to Hemphill, and Hemphill's vision for how to heal our shattered communities, and try to make a better world for those who follow us.

Prentis Hemphill was providing therapy for people during the murder trial of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. People were coming in shaking over the violence that might befall their children, the pressures of trying to survive day by day. People were showing up more and more, as their feelings of helplessness had no real outlet, as the trial slowly dragged on. Hemphill joined a march the night of the decision, and he could feel something in the air, an anger, but at the same time a sense of community began to work through the people in the area. This gave Hemphill ideas that he began to work on, that maybe healing and dealing with traumas have a larger effect on the communities around people. Slowly ideas began to take shape, plans began to form and even as life was changing in many different ways for Hemphill, how to heal as a community began to make more and more sense.

As a person who grew up in New England, I might not be the best audience or critic to discuss a book that deals with issues that I have not had to face. That said I really enjoyed this book. Not just the ideas of healing but the way that Hemphill writes. Hemphill's life has been interesting and his stories reflect that, and as one reads one understands more at what Hemphill is trying to do with his book. One can learn quite a lot about the world, not just trauma, but the little things that we humans do that hurt others, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident or even ignorance. Hemphill has very good ideas, and backs up his ideas, with stories, research, and really engaging writing. I never thought of this book as a TED talk, or a speech given at a rally. More a conversation with the reader learning more about the world, and how in many ways one can make it better.

So many people I know need to read this book. I think the point I took away from the story was to heal yourself and in return you will help heal the world. I’m all for that! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I feel hopeful after reading it.

What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill explores how healing oneself can change the world for the better. The author systematically reviews how people struggling with their own mental health have difficulty connecting with people and society. Hemphill describes how it is our responsibility to each other to do the work for our own healing to move toward healing the world as a whole. This book gets to the heart of social change and mental health. It is a compelling and reflective read for anyone wanting a better world.
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.