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SILENCE MAY FEEL SAFE, BUT IT COMES AT A COST.

Order The Cost of Healing in Silence wherever you buy your books! Below are several linked bookstores where you can purchase from. Just click the box and it will take you where you can purchase!

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ABOUT

THE COST OF
HEALING IN
SILENCE

This book is more than research and reflection, it is deeply personal. I tell this story through the lens of my grandmother’s life, a woman whose strength carried generations yet whose pain was often unspoken. She died far too early, and I often find myself wondering: Would she still be here today if she had been given the space, safety, and support to heal out loud?

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My grandmother’s silence, like that of my own in the past, and so many in our communities, was not by choice but by circumstance. This silence was shaped by stigma, limited access, and a system that was never built for us. Through her story, I invite readers to see the hidden costs of carrying trauma quietly and the generational impact of unaddressed pain.

 

The Cost of Healing in Silence explores racial trauma not only as a psychological wound but as a cultural inheritance, one that shapes identity, health, and even longevity. At its core, this book is a call to action: to demand and create care that is culturally responsive, affirming, and accessible.

 

This is for anyone who has felt unseen in their suffering, for every family who has buried a loved one too soon, and for every therapist, policymaker, or community leader ready to help rewrite the story of healing.

 

It is my hope that by sharing my grandmother’s story, and my own, we break the silence together and begin to imagine a world where healing is not hidden, but honored.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Ashley McGirt is a psychotherapist, TEDx international speaker, author, and the founder and CEO of the Therapy Fund Foundation, a nonprofit focused on eliminating barriers to mental health care in Black and historically excluded communities. She specializes in trauma, racial trauma, leadership, health equity, mental health, and self-care. Ashley holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, operating a private practice where she addresses racial trauma, depression, and anxiety. Featured in Forbes, MSNBC, and HuffPost, Ashley also serves as the NAACP State Area Conference Health Chair. Through her speeches, workshops, and consultations, she empowers individuals and organizations to unpack emotional burdens, prioritize self-care, and foster healing and equity.

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BOOK TOUR DATES

Catch Ashley virtually and in-person near you!

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A free virtual conversation.

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April 1ST

You can RSVP for a tour date near you as they become available by clicking the following links:

VIRTUAL

3/18

BROOKLYN

4/22

TACOMA

5/16

SEATTLE

4/1

WASHINGTON DC

4/23

PORTLAND

4/2

SAN DIEGO

5/4

CHICAGO

4/4

VIRTUAL

5/13

If you don't see a city near you. Request it HERE!

HEALING HAS A COST... BUT SILENCE COSTS US MORE.

Why This
Book Matters

✓ Unpacking racial trauma through personal stories and research ✓ Challenging systemic inequities in mental health care ✓ Offering tools for individuals, therapists, and institutions to heal with cultural responsiveness

What You’ll
Learn

✓ How racial trauma shows up in daily life ✓ Why culturally responsive care is essential ✓ Practical frameworks for healing individually and collectively ✓ How silence sustains oppression and how to break it

Who This Book
Is For

This book is written for anyone impacted by trauma, as well as those dedicated to creating more equitable pathways to healing. This is especially for: ✓ Therapists, counselors, and healers who want to practice with cultural humility and responsiveness. ✓ Educators, faith leaders, and organizers working with communities of color. ✓ Health care providers and institutions ready to confront systemic inequities in care. ✓ Allies and advocates who want to break the cycle of silence and stand in solidarity for mental health justice.

For generations, silence has been demanded of those experiencing racial trauma. In The Cost of Healing in Silence, therapist and activist Ashley McGirt brings forward urgent truths about how trauma is carried, silenced, and pathologized within Black communities. With powerful storytelling, clinical insights, and a call to action for culturally responsive care, Ashley’s work is a guide for individuals, providers, and institutions ready to heal out loud.

Silence is not healing. Healing begins when we speak.

WHEN WE BREAK THE SILENCE, WE CREATE SPACE FOR COLLECTIVE HEALING.

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