Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood

I had no idea how much shame influenced how I felt about myself and the choices I made until I read Bruised Not Broken. Now, I understand shame on a deep and personal level. Ms. Jensen’s gentle guidance offers hope and a pathway to healing through insights, touching stories, and a proven path to freedom from the limiting beliefs I had about myself. Ms. Jensen guides you with compassion, understanding, empathy, and kindness, supporting you as you explore the wounds of shame and lighting the way toward heart-centered healing.

Corinne Lillie

I am finally reading something that, after thirty years of various types and forms of “therapy,” is hitting me as if it was written solely for me. This feels like validation, like when you finally get that word or thought that was on the tip of your tongue. That tells me you are hitting the bullseye. It is emotionally exhausting, but I am rereading portions because I want to read more.  And since you see into my soul so clearly, I have a cautious sense of hope and faith that as I absorb more of Bruised Not Broken, your words will continue to safely show me how to heal or deal with my past and protect myself from falling into future feelings of shame.

I always knew I was not fight or flight – I thought I was freeze. What I didn’t know was that beyond freeze is what you have described as collapse-appease-submit and that it imprints shame within me. This helps me understand my behaviors when I did not stand up for myself. I have always felt so ashamed about those times. This insight alone is worth the price of Bruised Not Broken, and there are hundreds more! Thank you.

C.C.

Bruised Not Broken is not just another book about childhood trauma. The clarity of Jensen’s writing immediately establishes that the reader is in steady, knowing hands. Her stirring biography and background are told in raw detail. Not only does she establish the emotional foundation for her expertise, Kristine puts herself on the reader’s eye level as someone who has experienced intense emotional trauma and, as a psychotherapist, has walked with many on a path to healing. As you read her book, you’ll feel she is walking with you.

James Faccinto

Kristine thoroughly examines the concept of shame: its origins in our personal lives, its impact on our confidence, capacity for love, and even partner selection. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how shame affects their emotional and social well-being.

Relevant to a broad audience, including individuals, therapists, clients, and anyone engaged in exploring how shame manifests internally and influences their lives, Bruised Not Broken is skillfully written and offers comprehensive insights into the various facets of this debilitating syndrome. Each chapter includes helpful summaries, reflection questions, and practical activities, enhancing its value as a tool for personal growth and understanding.

Phyllis Watts, PhD. Consulting and Clinical Psychologist

A compassionately written must read for anyone who continues to struggle with feelings of self-worth, meaning and value.  Blending theory, personal history, and clinical practice examples, Bruised Not Broken, gives understanding to inner turmoil and practical steps to healing trauma.

Frances Freitas, MSW

Kristine Jensen offers profound insights into understanding and overcoming our critical inner voices and healing the early childhood wounds that gave rise to them. With specific, actionable steps, her guidance inspires hope and motivates us to embark on a transformative healing journey.

Jacqueline Horn, PhD. Emerita Faculty, University California, Davis

Kristine’s book is essential reading for anyone seeking to heal from the wounds of childhood shame. With care and a gentle touch, she guided me on a healing path, sharing her own experiences and insights along the way. I felt safe making this journey in her courageous and wise company.

Sierra Hampton-Eng

I always thought my childhood wasn’t that bad, and compared to some friends I have, it wasn’t. I could never understand why I felt so unworthy and full of self-doubt. Honestly, I thought something was really wrong with me and that there was no good reason for these feelings. Now, I know it was emotional neglect that affected me, and in Bruised Not Broken, I found hope and steps I can take to heal those wounds. Thank you

Jennifer Sanders

Kristine Jensen’s book is for anyone who wants to understand and overcome lifelong patterns of living in states of chronic shame.  Grounding her work in a synchrony of theory and sharing everyday stories to illustrate her points, Jensen writes clearly and directly to those who struggle, offering much useful advice as well as kind company on their journey of healing.

Patricia DeYoung, MSW, PhD, author of Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: Healing Right Brain Relational Trauma and Shame and Grace: Six Essays on Falling Apart and Becoming Whole Again.

Kristine Jensen has written a book so thoroughly researched that it could have been titled, “All you ever need to know about shame.” But it is so much more. She dives deep into the subject of shame, addressing such issues as why shame is at the root of depression, anxiety, and feelings of unworthiness and how shame gets passed down from generation to generation through widely used parenting practices. Bruised Not Broken is filled with case examples and touching stories of Jensen’s own struggles with shame. This healing book uses a wide-ranging variety of healing strategies, including self-compassion, self-soothing, and self-forgiveness to help anyone who suffers from deep shame, especially survivors of child abuse and neglect.

Beverly Engel, author of Escaping Emotional Abuse: Healing the Shame You Don’t Deserve