--- title: An Invitation to Heal description: AnneMarie Miller reviews 'Guilt,' a beautiful book on psychological healing and growth by Caryll Houselander.   image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230606%20AMMiller%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/an-invitation-to-heal#) [BOOKS](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/books) # An Invitation to Heal Jun 6, 2023 7:00:00 AM  |  by [AnneMarie Miller](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/annemarie-miller) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230606%20AMMiller%201.png) *AnneMarie** Miller reviews* Guilt, *a beautiful book on psychological healing and growth by Caryll Houselander. ** * --- When I saw Caryll Houselander’s book, [*Guilt*](https://sophiainstitute.com/product/guilt/) (Sophia Institute Press, 2022), I remembered how many bookmarks I tucked into *The Reed of God*—a classic by Houselander—and knew that this book on psychological healing would be worth reading. Several days after initially picking [*Guilt*](https://sophiainstitute.com/product/guilt/) up, the pages of my volume are marked and underlined extensively. This is a book that I will continue to return to.     ![Guilt](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Guilt.jpeg?width=644&height=1000&name=Guilt.jpeg)   Houselander begins by discussing the widespread experience of guilt and psychological suffering. She dives into scrupulosity and the obsession with self-perfection, suffering, and fear. Houselander argues that many of the challenges we struggle with stem, in some way, from an inordinate self-love. Throughout her discussions, she draws from spiritual writers, saints, and psychologists.    The points she made were insightful and challenging. This book was uncomfortable to read at parts, because it forced me to examine myself and recognize areas where I have been practicing an obsessive self-love instead of loving God. In particular, I enjoyed Houselander’s section on Confession and her emphasis that our reception of this sacrament should not be based on feelings. “Going to Confession is an act of love for God. Like all love, it is an act of will. Feeling may or may not enter into it,” she notes (p. 81). The only part of this book that I didn’t like as much was the final section, in which Houselander provides a series of short reflections on famous men and women who are examples of how we can seek God in the midst of psychological challenges or turn away from Him.    Many times throughout this book, I was struck with the connections that Houselander made, and how relevant they were to my own life and struggles. As a writer, I was especially struck by a short section about the fear of risk and self-revelation that can plague artists:    > Many pictures are not painted, many sculptures are not made, many books are not written, because the men and women who could have created them cannot bear to face themselves stripped naked in their work or allow others to gaze upon the humiliating secret of self. (160)     While the painful revelations of this book were bleak at times, Houselander keeps things focused on God. She meditates on the life of Christ and reminds us of the necessity to grow in love of God and others if we wish to heal, become saints, and live in the abundant joy of the Trinity. *[Guilt](https://sophiainstitute.com/product/guilt/),* by Caryll Houselander, is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it!  Ask for *Guilt *at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from the publisher, **[Sophia Institute Press](https://sophiainstitute.com/product/guilt/).**   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20230606%20AMMiller%20IG.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20230606%20AMMiller%20IG.png) --- Copyright 2023 AnneMarie Miller Images: This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to the author of this piece when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our Catholic Mom writers in this way. ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fan-invitation-to-heal%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fan-invitation-to-heal%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fan-invitation-to-heal%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=An%20Invitation%20to%20Heal) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fan-invitation-to-heal%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fan-invitation-to-heal%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![AnneMarie Miller](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/ANNEMARIE%20MILLER.jpeg) ### [AnneMarie Miller](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/annemarie-miller) A bibliophile, wife, mother of young children, and lover of the Liturgy, AnneMarie Miller enjoys exploring the manifold—and quirky—ways in which God speaks. She can often be found reading books to her kids, burrowing her toes in the red Oklahoma dirt, or sipping black coffee. Her reflections on Catholicism, literature, and hope can be found on her blog, [Sacrifice of Love](http://marianninja.blogspot.com). ## Related Blog Articles [ Book Notes: Catholic Life Support Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/06/29/book-notes-catholic-life-support) [ When it’s Raining Rosaries: Pray the Rosary, Even When It’s Hard Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/when-its-raining-rosaries-pray-the-rosary-even-when-its-hard) [ Looking at Jesus Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/looking-at-jesus) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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