“Impactful, beautiful, well thought-out, and easy to read.  The stories about EMDR therapy are remarkable and acknowledge that these women’s health issues exist.  This book, by an empathetic and supportive man, gives women a voice, and that makes me feel hopeful.  There’s no other book like it.” – Robbie Dunton, Director, EMDR Institute, California, U.S.
 
“Profound.  It’s about more than EMDR.  It’s a mixture of a mental health manual with personal stories that are very relatable.  It’s like all of sudden having a community of women around you.  Anyone who’s interested in a healing journey can benefit from it.” – Yvette, mother of one, Dublin, Ireland

“This book totally explains EMDR, perfectly.” – Emi, mother of two, California, U.S.

“Powerful.  Educational.  Incredibly affirming.  There was something in every woman’s story that I related to.” – Mo, healthcare professional, NHS, London, U.K.

“Enlightening.  This book is clear, interesting, and emotional.  I was moved and laughed out-loud.  Peter democratizes the knowledge about trauma that we should all know: our brains are a miracle; trauma is a part of our lives; and we can all heal.  We can change our lives.” – Ana Nieto, early childhood educator and researcher, Massachusetts, U.S.
 
“Peter demystifies EMDR while showing how it can help in a healing journey and the valuable role it plays.  It’s so rare we get a peek into actual therapy sessions.  If you’re someone who wants to understand EMDR, read this book!” – Magi McKinnies, former Counseling Center Director, Lesley University, U.S.
 
“For far too many people living with endometriosis and other chronic health conditions, illness is often experienced as more than a collection of physical symptoms.  Years of pain, uncertainty, dismissal, and difficult encounters with the broader healthcare system frequently become part of the lived experience itself.  Author Peter Pruyn, LMHC, makes complex concepts about trauma and healing accessible through deeply human stories that neither reduce people to their diagnoses nor separate their health from the experiences that shape their lives.  He approaches that complexity with compassion while giving voice to the women at the center of this book.  EMDR Stories: Women’s Journeys of Healing, Health, and Hope is thought-provoking and affirming, and invites us to think more broadly about trauma-informed care, healing, and what it truly means to care for the whole person—while reminding us of the importance of hope.” – Heather Guidone, BCPA, Program Director, Center for Endometriosis Care, U.S.

“These women are incredible!  I admire each and every one of them and am grateful for their brave stories.  You will see yourself in them.  This book is a fantastic read, profound, borders on poetic.  And I loved all the reference materials and the graphics, putting things in visual form.  Men should definitely be reading this book—brothers and fathers and friends and even coworkers—anyone involved in women’s lives.  EMDR Stories is a gentle way of opening the doors of stigma and cleaning out the suffocating ideas around menstrual health.  I think Kristen Stewart said it best: ‘Having a female body is an overtly political act if you can get out of bed in the morning and not hate yourself.’  This book can help women love themselves more.” – Ankita, bookseller, Massachusetts, U.S., age 29
 
“I really appreciated the intimacy of the book.  It feels like you’re in the room with these women.  If more men cared about women’s health, the world would be a different place.” – Meaghan, library director, Massachusetts, U.S.
 
“I wish this book had been around 40 years ago!  It should be on the curriculum for all therapists and psych students, to increase their knowledge base and to encourage further research.  This book gave me hope; there can be positive outcomes.  I love books with happy endings!” – Rhonda Holyoke, retired nurse and nursing professor, Massachusetts, U.S.
 
“Peter Pruyn brings a rare literary sensibility and a deep commitment to accessible narrative writing to his thorough and serious exploration of extraordinary women grappling with complicated mental health journeys.  All research about people who set out in search of healing should be written this way, and all people who care about that kind of research should read this book.” – Dreux Richard, author of Every Human Intention: Japan in the New Century 
 
“As a General Dentist of over 26 years, decades-long dental trauma faces me every day.  Relationships with my patients have always been paramount to me.  I felt I could be a better general dentist if I could better understand trauma therapy, specifically EMDR.  ‘EMDR Stories’ awakened part of my own psyche and provided me with tools to better communicate with my own patients.  Deeper communication leads to a deeper, more three-dimensional understanding of the individual in my chair.  The EMDR stories I read could just as easily be from the very patients for whom I care.  If every dentist read this book, we could play a profound role in effectively serving our patients better.” – Dr. Rebecca Cohen, Massachusetts, U.S.
 
“A page-turner.  I enjoyed learning about EMDR and the relief these women achieved through this treatment.  Peter clearly explains the nature of trauma, how the brain imperfectly deals with it in the moment, and the power it has to productively deal with trauma later, if we allow it.” – Doug, teacher, father of three, Rhode Island, U.S.
 
“This will be a very useful book for so many people.  My favorite parts were the testimonies of real transformation for these women.  It offers a great glimpse into what’s possible with EMDR therapy and a skilled and caring professional.” – Richard Henning, retired Director of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Massachusetts, U.S.
 
“Peter’s book is a beautiful example of EMDR according to the manual but also EMDR that feels spontaneous, authentic, and powerful.  It’s a great text for EMDR therapists looking to build confidence in working with chronic pain and endometriosis.” – Oliver Wright, consultant EMDR therapist and supervisor in the NHS and in private practice, London, U.K.
 
“When I first picked up this book I thought, ‘Why would a man choose to write about this?’  The answer became clear after I started reading: this is a book that needed to be written, and Peter has the courage and leadership to do so.  His book uniquely offers a sociopolitical context for women’s physical and mental health experiences and demonstrates EMDR’s promise in helping women heal.  It’s also a great reference for therapists learning EMDR, offering the perspectives of both the client and the therapist.” – Stephanie Brookins, EMDR consultant and training facilitator, Georgia, U.S.
 
“I loved, loved, loved Peter’s discussion of power balance between clinician and client.  This book is a great example of how most practices should be.  Trauma is not something you should go through alone.  I loved how the book addresses anger, what it means to experience anger as a woman, and how it’s different.  I’ve been talking about this book with my classmates, my professors, my friends, my roommate.  I felt like I was reading one of the required readings for one of my classes, but one that was narrative-based and accessible.  It felt like part of my curriculum and should be part of the curriculum.” – Meghan Boudreau, first-year social worker graduate student and intern, I Have the Right To, New York, U.S.
 
“A fantastic book that deserves to be widely read by both professionals working in women’s health and anyone interested in what it’s like to engage in trauma therapy.  The verbatim dialogue is such a good way to learn: by reading someone’s story, hearing the voices of the women who did the therapy.  This book explains complex concepts, such as dissociation, so clearly for a lay reader in a way that doesn’t dumb it down.  I especially appreciated the way Peter communicates this clarity with so much humanity, with non-pathologizing language and keeping the women’s stories in the foreground.” – Dr. Guinevere Webster, Clinical Psychologist and EMDR practitioner, NHS Pelvic Pain Service, Women’s Centre, Oxford, U.K.
 
“I love how this book makes dissociation not scary.  Even veteran therapists can get scared about working with dissociation.  The way Peter explains dissociation makes it normal and something that can heal.  I hope someone with significant trauma, who thinks they just have to live with it, can read these stories and realize: they don’t have to live with it.” – Hales Burton, social worker, National Guard, Texas, U.S.
 
“This book gives me a renewed appreciation of the breadth and depth of EMDR.  It shows the value of the use of EMDR—even when someone doesn’t think they have something to work on.  There’s a wealth of information here that would be useful to any clinician.  This book can help make our healthcare system more trauma-informed.” – Patricia Riggs, social worker and former hospice worker, Massachusetts, U.S.