Lisa Citore and I started collaborating after being introduced by my acupuncturist and functional medicine specialist, Jennifer Seine, who is also the author of The Space In-Between: Guidebook for the Menopause Journey.
Lisa has written Dark Night of the Mother: A Story of Reclaiming Herself While Saving Her Daughter from Domestic Abuse, which tells a powerful story of generational trauma and the arduous path to healing. While often the victim tells many domestic abuse memoirs, this book brings in the mother’s perspective of watching the horrendous effects that intimate partner abuse has on her child. The narrative charts Lisa’s journey from powerlessness to resilience as she reclaims her identity as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and rape–– and helps her daughter do the same. Dark Night of the Mother is the feminine journey from shame and not knowing one’s place in the world to self-worth, purpose, and power.
Our goal for Lisa and Dark Night of the Mother is to secure a traditional publishing deal, and we’re currently This is a powerful story that must be told. Domestic abuse has tainted and sometimes ended the lives of far too many people, especially women and children.
Disturbing Statistics
Lisa reported, “According to the CDC, 41% of women in the United States have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime.
“The numbers may be even higher according to statistics from the Bureau of Justice, which indicates that 44%, nearly half, of all domestic violence cases are not reported. This is largely due to factors like fear of retaliation, stigma, and the failure of authorities to ensure the victims’ complaints are taken seriously.
“Additionally, the CDC reported that one in two women has experienced sexual assault or abuse, the majority by intimate partners.”
Erika Holley, Founder of Smartist Consulting, LLC, has created marketing materials for Lisa to enhance her author’s platform and to bring more visibility to Lisa’s mission.
A Mother’s Calling
Lisa says, “Dark Night of the Mother recounts a mother’s three-year quest to free her daughter from the stranglehold of domestic violence and the lack of support I encountered from law enforcement and the culture at large. This powerful, deeply personal narrative sheds light on how intergenerational trauma is passed down and healed, and how the love between a mother and a daughter can overcome any oppressive force.”
A woman’s transformational coach for fifteen years, Lisa is trained in somatic psychotherapy, Goddess archetypes, and ritual and shamanic rites of passage. She’s also written, directed, and produced two one-woman shows and a play, Bloodlines-Women’s Moon Stories. She leads an ongoing women’s performance art collective, Anima-Theatre of the Feminine Underground, in Santa Barbara, California, and my poetry is known worldwide. Visit Lisa’s website for more information.
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