Wednesday, February 1, 2017

‘Breaking the Silence from Shame’ to help other victims of abuse heal

AUTHOR’S DEBUT BOOK TACKLES TOUGH TOPIC OF SPIRITUAL ABUSE St. Louis women writes ‘Breaking the Silence from Shame’ to help other victims of abuse heal ST. LOUIS, In recent years, we’ve begun to hear about a different type of abuse—spiritual abuse. But what does spiritual abuse really mean? What are the signs? How does a person heal when they feel spiritually bankrupt? When they are consumed by guilt and shame? In her first book, Breaking the Silence from Shame: My Journey, St. Louis native Wykeeta Lee provides a first-hand account of what victims of spiritual abuse endure in their struggle to overcome the abuse and the subsequent feelings of shame. Lee wrote the book using her pen name Izora D. Summers. The idea of spiritual abuse is not a new phenomenon, nor is it only relevant to those who have been members of cults. It’s a real issue many people are either currently experiencing or struggling to overcome. Although no hard statistics currently exists, spiritual abuse is getting more attention as more victims begin to speak out and share their stories of hurt and harm. Dr. Charles E. “Scully” Stikes, professor of counseling and sociology at Missouri Baptist University, wrote the foreword for the book. “Izora provides an inside-out perspective that is a moving account that could only be done by someone who has been abused and knows the shame that could be so destructive that it never surfaces and heals,” he wrote. In conjunction with the book’s release, Lee will host a launch celebration event June 12, 2-5 p.m., at St. Ann Community Center (1 Community Center Drive, St Ann, MO 63074). The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Breaking the Silence from Shame will be available for purchase. Breaking the Silence from Shame is available in hardcopy, paperback and digital format online through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Walmart.com and WestBowPress.com. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to organizations that assist victims of abuse. About the author Wykeeta Lee is a licensed professional counselor. She proclaims her passion to witness persons to be free from spiritual abuse, bondage and shame. Empowered through her relationship with Jesus Christ and motived by her life experiences, she is relentless in her charge to help others recognize they have a purpose in the kingdom of God. Lee lives in St. Louis, Mo., with her teenage son.