Your Pain Has a Name - by Monica Dicristina (Paperback)

About the Book

"Monica DiCristina struggled for years to describe the pain she was experiencing inside. Without knowing what was behind her anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and fears, she created other names for them : 'not good enough,' 'unworthy,' 'messed up,' and 'wrong.' Through the slow process of understanding her own story, she discovered a glorious path to healing, as well as a calling to become a therapist to help others in the same way. Now, Monica has created a guide to help you identify the patterns and barriers that are keeping you from being your authentic self. While not every wound may fully heal, each one can be understood, and that understanding starts when you confront the pain--not just recognizing the hurt, but naming and honoring it ... In finding the language to describe your hurts, you gain the space and courage to become your fullest self--mentally, emotionally, and spiritually"

Book Synopsis

Therapist Monica DiCristina brings proven psychology techniques to readers looking to understand and embrace their pain so they can begin to heal and move forward with a full life ahead of them.

Monica DiCristina struggled for years to describe the pain she was experiencing inside. Without knowing what was behind her anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and fears, she created other names for them: "not good enough," "unworthy," "messed up," and "wrong." Through the slow process of understanding her own story, she discovered a glorious path to healing, as well as a calling to become a therapist to help others in the same way.

Now, Monica has created a guide to help you identify the patterns and barriers that are keeping you from being your authentic self. While not every wound may fully heal, each one can be understood, and that understanding starts when you confront the pain--not just recognizing the hurt, but naming and honoring it.

In Your Pain Has a Name, Monica offers a compassionate, open space for you to give voice to your pain. With the nurturing curiosity often found in a therapist's office, she will help you:
-Uncover your hurts: Pinpoint and define the hidden pain that's holding you back.
-Name your pain: Accurately describe and validate your feelings.
-Reclaim your identity: Distinguish yourself from the false stories your pain has created.
-Embrace your healing: Release the pain that no longer serves you and step into your truth.

In finding the language to describe your hurts, you gain the space and courage to become your fullest self--mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Join Monica on a journey to release the pain that isn't yours to carry.

Review Quotes

"In Your Pain Has a Name, Monica DiCristina is more than an author and purveyor of words on pages. She is a gentle and profoundly knowledgeable guide who invites us into the sacred practice of seeing the truth about ourselves. The truth that is too often overshadowed and distorted because of past and present pain. From the first page to the last, we are met with compassion and empathy, alongside accessible and practical tools to apply to our journey of rediscovering our truest selves. Monica has done a beautiful job of providing us with the safety and comfort to explore our own redemption stories, as we are empowered to name our pain and heal."--Patricia A. Taylor, writer and anti-racism educator

"Your Pain Has a Name is oxygen, fuel, and companionship for the journey of self-acceptance and inner peace many humans find inaccessible. In a stunningly vulnerable way, Monica DiCristina walks alongside us, inviting us to investigate our past stories and build new, healthier paths forward. With her uncanny ability to convey difficult concepts through simple, relatable examples, Monica offers liberation from the false narratives that limit our ability to live life to the fullest. This book is a gift of love."

--Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama, Only Love Today, and Soul Shift

"In Your Pain Has a Name, Monica DiCristina skillfully and compassionately invites us to honor the truths of our lives and stories. In doing so, she guides us toward one of the greatest paradoxes of all: Turning toward our pain helps us find a way through it. This book is a tender and winsome resource for healing."

--Aundi Kolber, MA, LPC, therapist and author of Try Softer and Strong Like Water

"Our worth is often a treasure buried. Monica gets to excavating the truth: Our worth was always there, and our pain was telling us a different story. In Your Pain Has a Name, Monica takes us through the fog and smoke of our pain to return to ourselves, the true story, the value we have always had. From her time-tested experience and compassion-held knowledge, you will find the wealth of your worth here."

--J. S. Park, hospital chaplain and author of As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve

"We have all lived different stories that shape our particular feelings about our identity and sense of safety. But many of us have never considered that our wounds have specific names or know where to start when it comes to untangling our stories. For anyone looking for a compassionate guide to understanding your story and for anyone that feels ready to rewrite the narratives that cause harm to your relation- ship with yourself and others, this book is your first step! I cherish Monica's voice in my life and always look forward to reading her soulful words. I know you will feel the same as you read the impactful message on these pages!"

--Nicole Zasowski, licensed marriage and family therapist, author of What If It's Wonderful?

"In Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts, Monica DiCristina writes from a deep well of healing brilliance both from a therapist's perspective and as someone who has had to name her own pain. This book is not about quick fixes or theory-heavy techniques; rather, it focuses on the forgotten art of presence, using safe space as a catalyst for naming pain or understanding unnamed pain. As she explains, 'Unnamed pain, which swirls around inside without understanding, definition, or boundaries, can tell stories about who you are. These stories are often harsh and untrue.' This book is for therapists, people just starting therapy, those who have yet to process and name their pain, and anyone genuinely seeking a journey of healing and, as DiCristina says, as many guides have stated, 'coming home to yourself.' I chose to endorse this book because it is real, and I believe it will comfort and meet people in the reality of their pain--especially the unnamed pain."

--Dr. Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls and author of I See You, When We Stand, and All God's Children

"Opening the door to her 15-year therapy practice, Monica has invited readers to come and take a seat beside her. With a deeply humanizing tenderness, her words are a trustworthy companion. Her untangling of overly used words such as trauma, gaslighting, and boundaries is worth the price of the book alone. Luckily for the reader, there's so much more here--a healing balm for anyone seeking solace."

--Marcie Alvis Walker, author of Everybody Come Alive: A Memoir in Essays

"Prepare to be transformed. Each page of Monica's book Your Pain Has a Name is a profound gift of honesty, compassion, and soul-deep wisdom. Monica has a remarkable way of gently inviting us to face our pain with intention and courage. Through her words, both in this book and beyond--whether on social media, her podcast, or her other works--Monica offers us the tools to rewrite our stories and forge a future that heals life's deepest wounds. She teaches us to approach healing with both curiosity and grace, making this one of the most affirming and essential reads of our time."

--Tasha Hunter, MSW, LCSW, author of Liberation, Tell Me Where It Hurts, and What Children Remember

"Provocative and enlightening. Monica DiCristina skillfully takes us into some of the therapeutic dark places of our pain and not only shines a helpful light on where it originates, where it is perpetuated and can be changed, but also illuminates the hindrances and 'pretenders of helpfulness' to avoid in our journeys toward healing. A great resource for beginning the process of naming and changing."

--Terry Hargrave PhD and Sharon Hargrave, MA, founders of Restoration Therapy and authors of Five Days to a New Self

"Monica DiCristina has written a must-read guide for anyone seeking to learn valuable tools in order to thrive following unnamed emotional pain, anxiety, and trauma. Monica continues to bring her unique voice, personal stories, and insights, and a commitment to help others through Your Pain Has a Name. This book is a raw and remarkable call not only to heal ourselves but also to begin to think about mental health support and healing in a broader way." --Chinwé Williams, PhD, LPC, therapist and coauthor of Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through the Power of Connection

About the Author

Monica DiCristina has been a practicing therapist in Atlanta, Georgia, for over fifteen years. She is also a sought-after speaker, podcaster, and writer on topics of emotional healing and mental health. Combining her extensive therapeutic knowledge with creativity, empathy, storytelling, and her deeply rooted faith, she is passionate about walking alongside those who are unraveling their difficult experiences and providing a path for them to do the brave and sacred work of transformation and healing.

Monica understands the audible sigh of relief that comes when finally understanding our pain. As a child and young adult, she struggled to find a name for her mental health struggles until a caring therapist gave her the guidance she needed. Today, her heartfelt mission is to collaborate with and make space for others on their journeys toward mental wellness.