A Memoir ยท Coming Soon
How I Found Healing by Breaking Rules
She ran from childhood pain into a monastery, seeking refuge in a life devoted to God alone. Twenty-nine years later, she ran from that life too, still searching for peace. This is the story of what it takes to stop running, so you can finally heal.
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About the Book
At sixteen, Amy Nash traded her Converse sneakers and ball cap for the black shoes and veil of a monastic nun. She wasn't running toward God so much as she was running away from a home disintegrating under far-right religious conservatism, from a father who broke promises, a mother who turned abusive, and the public shame of the 1970 Gracey Case. She thought she'd find refuge in a house of God.
Amy learned the art of submission by praying for hours each day, serving her community in menial tasks, and obeying even when it meant neglecting herself. Meanwhile, her body rebelled: migraines, shingles, IBS. When she finally walked out the door at forty-four, she did so without a credit score, a work history, or a handbook for a world she no longer recognized.
The revelation came in a graduate psychology class when she was fifty-seven. A lecture gave her the name for what she'd been carrying her whole life: complex trauma.
The Runaway knits together the insight that comes from being both a client and a trauma therapist. It is for anyone who has ever felt unseen, unheard, or unacceptable.
About the Author
Amy was the tomboy who knew no fear, riding her stallion at six, climbing the barn roof at seven, getting her first shotgun at fourteen. She lost that fearlessness when her family fell into religious conservatism. It took three decades to find her courage again and leave the monastery.
She rebuilt her life, earning degrees from Mount Holyoke College and Loyola University Maryland, and became a licensed, certified trauma therapist in Maryland. She wrote The Runaway from the counseling chair, listening to clients describe their childhoods and hearing her own story echoed back.
Her work on women's spirituality has been published in Magistra: A Journal of Women's Spirituality in History. She speaks on religious trauma and appears on podcasts and in interviews.
She lives in Maryland with her husband Randy and their Australian Shepherd, Jasper.
Find her on Instagram @amygraceynash and on Facebook at Deconstruction and Healing from Religious Trauma.
Endorsements
"The Runaway demonstrates how our religious culture can shape and form our lives, even before we know ourselves. Readers who feel like they missed their chance, or found themselves overwhelmed by a religious lifestyle, will take away hope and courage from her story."
"Real transformation comes from facing your story with clarity, responsibility, and courage. Her journey is a reminder that spirituality does not require an institution. It requires the willingness to finally trust yourself."
"In a raw and honest memoir, Amy details her courageous journey of escaping a high-control religious community and rebuilding her life. Her journey is authentic and nuanced, exploring both the beauty and the pain found in life."
"With clarity and courage, Amy gives language to experiences that are often minimized or denied, helping readers feel seen, validated, and less alone. An important and healing contribution for anyone seeking to reclaim their voice."
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Speaking & Workshops
I speak on religious trauma and healing after high-control faith, drawing on my upcoming book, The Runaway. Available for talks, panels, and workshops for therapists, faith communities, and university or conference audiences.
Resources
Available for events, panels, and podcast interviews on complex trauma.
Book AmyHandout sheets for therapists and group leaders on complex trauma.
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