Publisher's Synopsis
Finding My Invisible Sun is a moving, intensely thought-provoking and courageous memoir that illuminates an individual's capacity for, and path to, recovery and transformation from cumulative trauma.
The rich use of imagery and language invites the reader to witness, connect with, and share the author's experiences of growing up, trauma, mental illness, love, discrimination and healing via literary devices that masterfully synthesise science and art, excruciatingly poignant realism and the special magic realism that the surreal world of dissociation offers the desperate fugitive.
Finding My Invisible Sun uses Lisa King's experiences and observations to challenge the current dominant discourse pervading Australian academic institutions, mental health systems and public health policy. It provides compassion, wisdom, and hope for readers searching for guidance in approaching trauma recovery and transformation.
Finding My Invisible Sun differs from other trauma studies because its interdisciplinarian approach questions and flouts power structures, and demands a revolutionary, critical examination of the experience of mental illness: breathing human life into an abstract and nebulous statistic. Lisa King's deep prizing of humanity and social justice is not lost in the text's dense evidence-based research, making it an essential, accessible and practical book for readers wanting to understand their experience of trauma; for tertiary students and academics across health disciplines, and clinicians.
Where there is trauma, there is space for recovery
Where there is hope, there is potential for recreation and transformation.
Finding My Invisible Sun: About the author
Lisa King is an accredited mental health social worker and complex trauma specialist, a former teacher and counsellor, and a perceptive storyteller. Lisa has lived experience of trauma (childhood sexual abuse), mental illness and institutionalised discrimination. Lisa loves people, life, knowledge, reading, music and painting. These interests are apparent in the beautiful presentation of Finding My Invisible Sun which is illustrated with her own artwork.
An extraordinary and very unusual book. Partly a courageous and searingly honest account of personal
trauma and recovery. Partly a textbook on trauma and trauma therapy - with plenty of academic references
to follow up. Partly and ultimately a message of hope for both those who need help and those who do their
best to provide it. You will learn more from this book than just about any book on trauma that I know.
Graham Taylor, Clinical Psychologist, Accredited EMDR Trainer,
An incredibly brave, honest, and eloquent personal story that takes you on a journey through early trauma,
its impact on adult life and ultimately into hope. Lisa delves into her lived experience and provides
an insightful account of how one assimilates early raw traumatic experiences while growing up in an
indifferent world, its negative impact, and how she found herself through therapy. This is a brilliant read,
enriched with powerful paintings and poetry.
Dr. Kris Rao, MScMed (Psychotherapy), Psy.D.
