Once Upon a Nightmare
Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse
This unique and rare insight into the raw emotional trauma and spiritual healing from narcissistic abuse is brought to life through both words and canvas in this vulnerable and starkly honest memoir. Steeped in the stories of “fairy tales” and “happily ever after” promises, it reveals the hardness of life a female pastor faces when exposed to the reality of narcissistic and abusive relationships. From Hollywood to parish ministry, "Once Upon a Nightmare" navigates the upside-down wonderland of lies, gaslighting, and federal prison she fell into, leaving her questioning her life and faith. Told through the lens of her own artwork, it's an affirming read for those who have been exposed to this reality and explores how the church both helped--and hindered--recovery.
Author Endorsements
"Pastor Rebecca's powerful testimony threads together vivid dreams, original artwork, profound theology and lived experience in order to reclaim the essential role of women's intuition and wisdom within our complex relational lives. She weaves a richly-layered narrative that illustrates the shadow side of empathy, compassion, duty, and forgiveness, traits that women are often conditioned to embody yet which are dangerously manipulated by others. Through deep self-reflection, Pastor Rebecca unearths the often-silenced realities of psychological abuse within her own marriage and her vocation as an ordained pastor, with the hope that her own trauma recovery will help other women escape the snares of narcissistic behaviors that surround them."
Rev. Lynn Horan, PhD, Scholar of Gender, Religion and Leadership (Antioch University, Graduate School of Leadership and Change), Owner of Women's Holistic Leadership and Live Development, Author of "Activism, Performance, and Spiritual Ritual: Towards a Phenomenology of Embodied Social Change" in Leadership at the Spiritual Edge: Emerging and Non-Western Concepts of Leadership and Spirituality (Routledge, 2024).
Author Endorsements
Once Upon a Nightmare by Pr. Rebecca Craig is a page turning memoir that captures your heart. Pr. Craig describes her experience with psychological abuse in a way that helps survivors feel a sense of solidarity and uniquely helps friends and family of survivors understand what it’s like to live in that nightmare.
You won’t want to miss this book! Pr. Rebecca is an amazing human, compassionate spirit, and fantastic writer. Pick up your copy and join the movement against all forms of abuse.
Dr Christy Gunter, LMSW, MDiv
Author of “Survivor Care: What Religious Professionals Need to Know About Healing Trauma” (2018, Wesley's Foundery Books) Amazon link: https://a.co/d/et1QzFG