Borderline Shine - by Connie Greshner (Paperback)

About the Book

Borderline Shine is the unflinching story of the life of a survivor who decides to pursue a career as a mental health therapist in order to help others.

Book Synopsis

A therapist's story of complex trauma and her remarkable journey to recovery.

When Connie Greshner was eight years old, her father walked into a bar in Ponoka, Alberta, and shot her mother. So began a young life defined by trauma. From Catholic boarding school in Kansas to the streets of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, Connie travelled in pursuit of acceptance and belonging. Grief, confusion, and shame manifested as depression, addiction, and promiscuity. Branded chronically suicidal with no hope of recovery by the mental health system, Connie was determined to heal herself and help others. Supported and inspired by exceptional friends, a love of books, and a connection to nature, she finally found her home, purpose, and peace.

In Borderline Shine, Connie breaks the silence and shame of intergenerational violence. With unflinching honesty she chronicles her unique journey through the darkness of suffering to the light of compassion, hope, and recovery.

Review Quotes

Opens a window into how challenging life can be and the importance of a supportive network in combating mental disorders and recovering from severe trauma.-- "Canadian Journal of Family and Youth"

Connie Greshner's book, Borderline Shine, is an inspirational roller coaster ride detailing a bright and resourceful woman's path to recovery and liberation. Greshner writes in succinct, clear prose, describing a childhood marked by trauma, upheaval and years of struggling with impulsivity and emotional storms that people suffering from borderline personality disorder will surely relate to. Like many people with these challenges, Greshner's incredible strengths kept trying to shine through, only to be obscured time and again. Her tenacity, compassion, and drive to help others gradually won out, and she was able to devote her career to helping others with mental health problems and establish a life worth living. I highly recommend Borderline Shine as an inspirational, honest, and intimate story of resilience and recovery.-- "Alexander L. Chapman, Professor of Psychology, Simon Fraser University"

The book is a valuable insight into mental illness, and a reminder of human fragility.-- "Ormsby Review"

About the Author

Connie Greshner is a mental health therapist who works with people that have complex trauma. She is a writer, artist, and nature lover. Connie lives with her family on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.