Book Review: You Are Not Alone

When your child hurts, you hurt. Teenagers, especially, provoke a difficult quandary. They are learning to break away from you in a process of differentiation that has to happen in order to stand on their own two feet. At times, when they struggle, you want to pick them up and soothe them on your lap, wipe away their tears and kiss away their pain. Alas, they are no longer two! Nor do they still believe you have any power to address their needs.

Dena Yohe knows how difficult the road with a hurting teen or young adult can be. Her daughter Renee's difficulties led to the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms. (Apparently, there is also a movie of that name.) Yohe is transparent and authentic in sharing her journey. As the title suggests, she hopes to provide solidarity to her readers. Written from a social worker perspective, she suggests ways to deal with and process the pain. I loved how she incorporated some of her daughter's own words about the experience and I loved how each chapter ended with helpful Scripture passages. Walking alongside a child who is making dangerous and destructive choices can feel lonely and isolating (the fear of judgment is real and pervasive). Yohe reminds parents that God is an "ever-present help in times of trouble." She makes good on her subtitle's promise: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids.