RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS

Memoir of a Spiritual Warrior

Running Through Darkness teaches readers that no matter what you’ve been through, healing is possible. As we go from trauma to triumph, we can reclaim what has been our divine birthright to be whole, happy, joyous and free!

“An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.” ~ Kirkus Reviews (read full review here)

Running through darkness book cover

About the book

Running Through Darkness: The Memoir of a Spiritual Warrior is the life story and testimony of spiritual teacher, healer, author and renown therapist, Santa Molina-Marshall. From the rich, beautiful culture of her Caribbean ancestors, to the pain and trauma from parts of her childhood, Running Through Darkness, is a testimony of faith, endurance and bravery of a young girl navigating the rocky terrain of family violence and sexual abuse. It is also the victorious story of a woman who survived and turned her challenges into a healing movement.

Santa Molina Marshall, LCSW

HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPIST, AUTHOR, CELEBRATED HEALER, YOGA TEACHER & COMMUNITY LEADER Santa is a graduate of the distinguished Hunter College School of Social Work in New York. In practice over 30 years, Santa has mastered multiple healing modalities. She has worked with thousands over her career in the healing arts. Santa is also an ordained Interfaith Minister, Certified Reiki Master and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.  Santa holds certifications as a Yoga Teacher from  Satchidananda Ashram  and as a Massage Therapist from Kripalu Center.
Santa Molina-Marshall

“I wrote Running Through Darkness because I want people who’ve gone through similar experiences to know that you can get well no matter what you’ve gone through. Hold on and never give up. Continue believing and hoping. There are many different ways of achieving wellness, reclaiming wholeness and embarking on your healing journey. You owe it to yourself to explore and identify what works for you. I’m a living witness of the possibilities of healing. This book tells the story of my self-renewal and reclaiming what has always been mine, wholeness. Going from trauma to triumph wasn’t easy but it helps to remember that healing is a journey.” Santa Molina Marshall.

Running through darkness book cover

Running Through Darkness offers reflections from hundreds of painful narratives I was privileged to hear and the modes of treatment that were most critical to my client’s healing.  I include wisdom gained from reviewing an abundant collection of personal journals, books, articles, and handouts collected at conferences and trainings I attended and facilitated throughout the years.  As the words for this book worked themselves out of me, I found myself flooded with my own memories of the fear, pain, loneliness, and narrow escapes.  I took many sharp turns toward safety and healing that would become part of the journey that is my life.   Instead of writing one more how to book for clinicians, I was compelled to tell my own story.

My prayer is that those who read this book will be inspired to hope, to not give up on themselves and know that there are many different paths of coming into and achieving wellness.  To know that no matter what they have experienced as survivors of trauma, they can heal. 

And finally, this book offers a message to all who care about survivors of sexual trauma and the professionals they seek out for help and support.  Do know there are many practices and modalities that can be useful to those searching for healing. The most significant tool, however, is within the actual survivor.  I am a living witness of the possibilities of healing, renewing, and reclaiming that which has always been ours–our wholeness.

What people are saying...

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the… Read full Kirkus review here

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This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022