Finding safe space to reflect

 

How to untangle the chaos of our hidden pain?  

Last week, on a Healing Life’s Wounds retreat in the safe space of Penhurst Retreat Centre, a group of weary and wounded people stepped aside from their daily lives to explore that question.  

With courage and honesty, vulnerabilities were prayed into and burdens laid down.  In the sharing of our stories, bonds were formed, insights were given, tears released and hearts healed a little more.

God who heals in many different ways broke through into each individual’s uniqueness. Heavy weights put down. An echo of dreams in the night. Letters courageously written. A prayer shawl touched in faith. A cross looking down on us all. Scriptures and music. Hearts cradled in love. Road signs, dragonflies and shattered pots. Strolling with Jesus. Sharing bread and wine. In all these ways and more, into the silence beneath our storms, God lovingly spoke.

Stepping aside from daily life into the shared and safe intimacy of a prayerful space enabled all this to happen and each person left feeling lighter than when they arrived, having taken a few steps further down the road to healing and knowing that brokenness is never the end of the story.

This retreat will be offered again at Penhurst in August 2026.  And the book, Healing Life’s Wounds, is available from their bookstall, this website, and all the usual places where you buy Christian books.

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Breaking out of the spiral

Sometimes I think we all have something of the hamster in our genes.  

Because we all do it, don’t we?  Something challenging happens that sets off a reactive train of thought and before we know it that thought is looping round on repeat in our mind like a hamster wizzing round on his wheel.  And of course, the more it loops, the more entrenched it gets and the harder it is to let it go.

We all do it.  This is one of those inner narratives that I write about in my new book.  I was reminded of this ‘hamster tendency’ this week when I received some encouraging feedback from a reader who has endured long-term mental health issues.  Here’s a short extract:

Your book is absolutely brilliant in every way. … … For me, as a person with recurrent depressive disorder (which of course keeps coming back at me when I thought I was done with it) it promises perhaps a way of getting out of the spiral.

 Getting out of the spiral  ...

Breaking out of the spiral (that we often don’t realise we are spinning in) can lead to a significant breakthrough in finding healing from our emotional wounds and struggles. Healing Life’s Wounds contains a whole chapter on recognising and learning how to break free from our inner story. As well as lots of other helpful healing insights!

How about you?  What troubling narrative is looping round in your head?  

Repeating the inner story only perpetuates the pain.  Would you like to be free of it and feel happier, lighter, more at peace?

The book’s available here.

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Not just for those in crisis …

 

Life’s busy, isn’t it.  And it’s noisy.  And it seems to get faster with each passing year. 

And in the midst of all this, as we keep on keeping on with whatever life demands of us, we so often give precious little time to our own mental health - until a crisis hits, and we are forced to.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  

Caring for our emotional health is one of the very best things we can do for ourselves, and for those around us.  Happy, contented people enable others to be more at peace too.  Being emotionally content has a ripple effect on those we engage with in our small corner of the world.  It’s infectious.

Why wait until you’re struggling?   If even one small issue is niggling away in your mind and robbing you of the peace you deserve to have, why not think about exploring your unsettling feelings with a little help from my new book; Healing Life’s Wounds.

“Beautifully written, easy to read, and full of helpful insights”

was one recent comment. 

For the sixth week running, it’s high in the Amazon Bestseller lists for Christian Spirituality (4th) and Christian Counselling (6th), which is a sign of how many people are already discovering and recommending it.  

Why not join in with this momentum and explore your emotional healing? 

The best time to start to care for yourself is always today. 

Why not do it now?  

Healing Life’s Wounds

Available from all the usual places where you buy your Christian books.

…. and here …. from the link on the right!

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Vicki Cottingham reviews my new book

I am indebted to Vicki Cottingham - author, blogger, speaker and fellow retreat leader - for kindly writing this review of my new book.

Here it is …

Pat Marsh’s book, Healing Life’s Wounds, has grown out of her years of leading healing retreats, and also her personal healing journey. It is a must-read for anyone who is ready to go on their own healing journey and is looking for practical tools to help them with their inner healing. The ‘Pause Points’ within the book provide the reader with a valuable resource which, if implemented, will be of continuing help throughout life.

The book’s content combines Pat’s personal experiences, where she writes openly about her own journey of healing, with the knowledge and understanding she has gained through researching the mind, body, emotions and healing. Pat looks at dealing with strong difficult emotions, such as fear, grief and anger.

She explains that forgiveness is a critical part of each of our journeys towards healing, and I found chapter 9 which focused on forgiveness really helpful and practical. Pat does not minimise whatever the cause for forgiveness may be, and she makes it clear that rarely can forgiveness be given immediately and that it is often a process.

I appreciated the examples she used throughout her book to illustrate her points as they helped me to understand what she really wanted the reader to grasp. Such as the broken vase, (a family heirloom) which she wrote about in chapter 3.

Throughout Pat’s book are ‘Pause Points’, and in Pat’s own words:

“they are important in helping you learn to connect with yourself in moments of stillness, in helping you to reflect, and in guiding you, as you progress through them, to a deeper understanding of how to work towards freedom from your debilitating emotions.”

 The message that we get from Pat and her ‘Pause Points’ is that there is power in the pause, and we would benefit in implementing this small, but significant exercise in our own lives.

“Our stories include our failures and our losses, our wounds and our scars, and all those things we wish had not been part of our experience. For each one of us, those things will be different. But, make no mistake about it, we are all wounded in some way. It happens to us all. Life is like that. But that doesn’t mean that those wounds need to dominate our lives. If we are open to the possibility, there are ways to find healing of our inner wounds, and with that healing we can then begin to live a richer, fuller, more content and fruitful life.”

Pat’s book is practical, encouraging and filled with hope. If you are open as you read it, and put into practice her suggestions, it could be of help to you on your journey of healing.

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Vicki has a multi-faceted ministry that blesses many people.   Why not check her out on her website.

World Wellbeing Week

Apparently this week is World Wellbeing Week. I wonder what comes to mind when you read that? Dusting off the walking boots maybe, heading out for a bike ride perhaps, or finally returning to that gym you signed up for way back in January? Or perhaps some nice relaxation is more your thing?

 All of those are good and healthy pursuits - and, go for it if you feel so inclined - but what about your inner world? What about the niggling emotions you keep trying to ignore? The hurts that still fester and the old wounds that still keep surfacing, still affect your behaviour?

 We all have a tendency to try to power on regardless when our inner world isn’t feeling too good. It can seem selfish, and a bit scary too, to set aside time to stop and really face those feelings. Who knows what can of worms we might open up.

 But it’s not selfish. It really isn’t. In fact it might just be the very best thing you can do for your wellbeing. A mind at peace can find a way through all sorts of external pressures. As I quote in my book, a wise friend of mine says, 

 

‘As long as I’m alright on the inside,

 everything’s alright on the outside,

even when it isn’t.”

 

If you want to begin to feel ‘alright on the inside’, this book’s for you -

 

 

World Wellbeing Week is a great time to make yourself a gift of it.

It's available here, or from all your favourite online retailers. 

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A truly accessible, dyslexic-friendly book

I’ve always been a prolific reader, and I’ve never really considered how hard it must be for those for whom immersing themselves in a book doesn’t come easily.

My new book is now out there in the world and I love the way that the publishing team have designed it and birthed something beautiful and accessible. I’m humbled to be the recipient of their skills. From the start, I have wanted the book to be accessible to anyone who might be helped by it. What I hadn’t considered though is the 10% of the population who, because of dyslexia, find reading extremely difficult.

So I’m delighted to share with you the brilliant news that my publisher, Sarah Grace, is an expert in this field and now specialises, with Malcom Down, in producing dyslexic-friendly books. Sarah has been a pioneer in this field and you can read her incredible journey with God in last month’s Woman Alive.

I count it a privilege that Healing Life’s Wounds will be a truly accessible book. The book’s about how to be set free from all that inhibits us from being our best self, so I rejoice that engaging with it will not be a barrier to dyslexics.  When I shared it with a dyslexic adult this week, I was blown away by her reaction: it was a real ‘wow moment’ for her. Deeply moved and excited, she was in awe of being able, for the first time ever, to easily read the words!

God is good. By a wonderful Godly serendipity, he led me to write the book, led Sarah to develop new ways of enabling dyslexics to read, and led me to be publishing with her publishing house.

Healing Life’s Wounds; Beyond Feeling Broken 

a truly accessible, dyslexic friendly book

available here.

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Pentecost gift and blessing

 

“Pat has a gift for saying profound things very simply.

Oh, how our church needs that gift!”

a very humbling endorsement of "Healing Life's Wounds" from Jan McFarlane, Dean of Lichfield Cathedral

Saying things simply.  Jesus was good at that, but his words aren’t always easy to live out. His teachings about finding emotional healing couldn’t be simpler:

Don’t worry.  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t be angry.

Forgive often.  Let go of your burdens.  Be thankful.

Be still.  Rest.  Pray.

But how? How to begin to live those things out can feel a real challenge when you’re struggling. The words of Jesus can feel like reprimands rather than invitations.

This Pentecost, it’s my privilege to offer you a solution. The Holy Spirit anointing on the very first Pentecost propelled the early disciples to go out and share the good news with people in a language they could understand.

“Healing Life’s Wounds; Beyond Feeling Broken” 

aims to do just that. 

Combining modern day medical and psychological insights with those teachings of Jesus, the book is a practical step-by-step guide to help you find healing and freedom from all the troubling inner stuff you never speak of, written by someone who has lived it out and helped others to do the same.

Written in a simple style, it’s appropriate for those who know a bit about Jesus and those who haven’t yet discovered the reality of his presence with them.

It’s selling fast. It’s potentially life-changing. 

And it’s available here.

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Emotions are OK

 

I’m feeling very emotional this morning, as I sit here with my newly released book in my hand. Emotional in a good way. Wonder, gratitude and a quite beautiful amazement are surging (tearfully) through me.

Though I never intended it to be such, “Healing Life’s Wounds” is in some ways a testimony to how God broke through into my life and led me through some dark and difficult times to a place of peace and healing. Not that this is a memoir - it’s not. It’s very much a book to help the reader. But elements of my story are woven through it. Because it’s only when we’ve found a way through our own vulnerable times that we can help others through theirs.

As Brené Brown writes …

When we have the courage to walk into our own story and own it, we get to write the ending.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that I feel emotional as this book becomes available. After all, that’s what “Healing Life’s Wounds” is all about; emotions, and how to process them in a healthy way.

If you know anyone who’s struggling, why not make them a gift of it? It’s perfect for chaplains, pastors, spiritual directors, and all who come alongside others compassionately.

Join me in releasing it to the people whom God wants to help, so they can find the courage to walk into the difficult bits of their own story and write a new ending.

You can buy it here.

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Finding a way through

 

When you're stuck in a deep, dark place the mind can play tricks on you and make you think there's no way out.

My new book 

Healing Life's Wounds; Beyond Feeling Broken 

is designed to help you.

Don't just take my word for it - this is what a Christian Life Coach kindly said, after reading it:

This simple book is full of profound truths and practical exercises that are not necessarily simple to do but are the root to freedom and release. Reading the book feels like being held in a warm embrace by a sensitive and empathic friend who is prepared to sit with you amongst the painful emotions you are experiencing and lead you deeper into the loving and safe arms of Jesus. The exercises are clear and helpful without being prescriptive and build chapter by chapter to help the reader face their wounds without fear. Pat achieves a wonderful balance of encouraging the responsibility each of us needs to take to do our own work, with the need to trust and rely on Jesus for the strength and love to do this work. A really helpful, beautiful and practical book for anyone wanting to move into more freedom and lightness.

Catriona Futter, Equip For Life Coaching.

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                             I'd love help you find a way through.

                         Learn more about it and purchase it here.

                             Find a new freedom.

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It's here - the new book!

Healing Life's Wounds - Beyond Feeling Broken.

Available for pre-order now!

This is the book that I wish I could have read thirty years ago, when I was in a deeply unhappy place and struggling to see a way through. I was on a long, broken and difficult road through depression and breakdown.

Through a combination of pursuing everything I could find about healing, and being unexpectedly ‘found’ by a God I’d only loosely believed in, I slowly emerged from the crippling darkness.

I healed my depression, walked away from my career, and began to lead Christian healing retreats. And now, twenty years later, this is the book that distils the essence of all I have learned. 

It’s the book I wish I could have read half a lifetime ago.

Purchase your copy here!

Orders will be despatched from June 14th

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Anyone for a quiz?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been partial to a quiz. 

Here’s a question for you: 

What have the following got in common - 

a bird bath - a bunch of carnations - a little red tractor - a very high mountain - a broken vase - 

a blind beggar - an Olympic runner - a rucksack full of stones - a kitchen drawer - a canal boat

a Swedish arrow - a flight of geese - a barbecue pit - a city centre map - a slate chalkboard … 

and the Bible! 

                                                      The answer: 

Just as Jesus used familiar objects to illustrate his teachings, 

these are all things you’ll find in my new book,

Healing Life’s Wounds. 

It’s a book full of healing insights, grounded in everyday life. 

It's published on June 14th and available for pre-order soon.

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My new book - it's nearly here!

 

Here it is!  My new book!

I’m grateful to the skills of the publishing team who have turned my words into a beautiful, attractive book. I love the imagery in the cover design, capturing the ideas of light shining through, bringing hope in the darkness, and the symbolism of beautiful love enabling us to become radiant, living into the fullness of life that Jesus desires for us. These concepts are at the heart of the book. New life is possible, no matter how bleak things feel right now.

Author, retreat leader and spiritual director, Amy Boucher Pye, says this of the book:

 

Can I really find relief from this pain? Yes, says Pat Marsh resoundingly. She leads us through a gentle but deep exploration of what lies beneath the anguish as she points us to the One who sets us free. She’s a trustworthy guide who understands what we’re feeling, having trodden the road of suffering before finding freedom and release in God. I’ll recommend this book in the years to come.

New life is possible, no matter how bleak things feel right now.

It would be the greatest privilege to let me guide you to that place through this book.

It's coming soon - out on June 14th!

It will be available from 

my website, Christian bookshops and all the usual online Christian booksellers.

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Beyond Feeling Broken

 

It’s easy to become disillusioned, I find, with social media. How many people do you know who post truthful images of themselves online when their life is at its unimaginable worst?  In that context, the snapshots we see of others aren’t a complete picture of real life are they.

Because all of us are wounded.  You.  Me.  The lady at the checkout.  The stranger at the bus stop.  The person who just served you at the coffee shop.  We all gather wounds along life’s way.  And our remarkable brains and bodies retain the memories of all we have experienced. Everything. Both joyous and painful. 

 

None of us have had a perfect past (whatever we think that might look like). We cannot photoshop out the experiences that have wounded us, or the behaviours we wish we had never adopted. And our wounds have a disarming habit of impacting us long after we gathered them.  But that doesn’t mean that our wounds have to define us.

And that’s the heart and soul of my new forthcoming book, 

Healing Life’s Wounds: Beyond Feeling Broken. 

It’s possible to heal, move on and live into fullness of life.  Resurrection is not just for Easter; it’s for today, now, whoever you are and whatever cross you are privately carrying.

 

The book’s out on June 14th.

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How are you?

 

How are you today?

How are you deep down in your soul, beneath the face you show to the world? What’s the honest truth of how you feel when you stop for long enough to honestly consider the question?

How are you really?

It can be a tough question. And I make no apologies for asking it. Emotional wounds are part and parcel of life. We all have them. No one escapes them. They stir weird feelings in us and impact the way that we behave. And, unaddressed, they can prevent us from living at our happiest and best.

As I say in my upcoming book …

Our inner world is not always peaceful. There are times when difficult thoughts rumble around in there and refuse to be silenced. Worries about the future. Regrets about the past. Fears for our wellbeing. Grief for our losses. The pain of our wounds. Anger about the way we have been treated. Deep and complex hurts about our life situation.

At any given time, most of us can probably tick one of those boxes. And, when we can tick several at the same time, things can quickly spiral to a point of feeling overwhelming. And we feel that overload not just in our mind but also in weird and uncomfortable sensations in our body.

Understanding what’s happening in our body and gently untangling the fears, hurts and disappointments behind the sensations can begin to lead you to back to a state of peace and wellbeing.

My new book will lead you gently through that process:

Healing Life’s Wounds; Beyond Feeling Broken

is published on June 14th 2025

by Sarah Grace Publishing

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The Junk Drawer

 

Jesus was, I think you’ll agree, a master story-teller.  He always used examples that people could relate to; everyday items like coins, seeds and bread.  My new book, Healing Life’s Wounds, has some stories about familiar items.

 

Here’s an extract:

 

Every house has one. Mine is in the kitchen. The junk drawer. That place where you throw all the things that you are sure you’ll need one day but don’t quite know what to do with right now. That old penknife your father gave you. The giveaway book of matches with the hotel logo. Assorted pens, most of which don’t work. A bunch of keys you have long since forgotten about. The odd receipt that felt important at the time. Tape, magnets, safety pins, rubber bands. The junk drawer is home to a whole cacophony of objects that accumulate around family life. It’s the drawer where we throw things that we don’t have the time or inclination to deal with immediately. 

 

What’s this doing in a book about healing?  The answer is that we often do the same with our emotions. Every time we suppress our feelings we metaphorically stuff them in the junk drawer of our cells. We don’t realise we are doing it, but that is what happens. They get held in our body and cause all sorts of pain later.

 

One on the many things Healing Life’s Wounds: Beyond Feeling Broken will do is guide you in how to empty out that emotional junk drawer, helping you to feel lighter and freer.

It's coming soon   ...  it will be released on June 14th.

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