Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

Mental wounds can be difficult to heal, and a spiritual awakening is not always an easy path. Allison Batty-Capps, LMFT, provides a comprehensive guide with The Divine Within: Healing Ourselves to Heal the World. She begins with a mystical experience that she underwent in 2008, when she was aged 38. It was a difficult process due to childhood trauma. She saw visions, some disconcerting, and a dark night of the soul followed. She contemplated suicide, but discovered that she had been called to heal others, before embarking on a spiritual quest, discovering Reiki, yoga, and studying both counseling and mediumship. During a journey of discovery that lasted 15 years, she developed a deep understanding of human suffering. She now invites readers to discover the divine within. This book describes what the author refers to as the Hero’s journey, a three-phase process that covers departure, initiation, and the return. Among the many steps, we should integrate the unconscious with the conscious mind, remember who we are, and embrace unconditional love, compassion, and peace. Roadblocks are often a warning that all is not well. They can be identified and removed. Healing is about letting go, practicing mindfulness, developing self-awareness, and knowing yourself. Doing so will create a sense of agency, to control our actions and understand the consequences. We all have different truths, but we must find our inner compass.

Allison Batty-Capps is a marriage and family therapist, Reiki Master, yoga therapist, and medium. She survived abuse during childhood, and healing trauma remains an important theme. The Divine Within aims to create an understanding of the healing process. The author assumes the role of a mentor in guiding readers through the process of transformation. An overview of various religious and healing traditions includes Buddhism, Christianity, Mindfulness Practice, Judaism, Hinduism, Yoga, Wicca, and Indigenous beliefs. Readers are encouraged to explore consciousness through these belief systems and healing modalities, which are also reviewed in detail. The author was diagnosed with mental illness, a fate not uncommon when psychic faculties awaken. She adds a note of caution in that those suffering from trauma may be overwhelmed by meditation. Due to the complexities of healing deep-seated trauma, the author recommends that readers work with a healthcare professional in conjunction with the book. Readers should also be aware of potential spiritual manipulation or abuse. The book is comprehensive, with many examples and case studies, as well as quotations from spiritual leaders and philosophers. The writing style is deeply personal, concise, and easy to follow. Other tools provided include the author’s YouTube channel and websites. It offers hope for those who have experienced trauma, as well as guidance for those embarking on a spiritual path.