The Gifts of Pain: “Brave Stories and Reflections for Recovery, Restoration, and Regulation After Trauma, Hurt, or Loss” Launches on National Storytelling Week
FORT WORTH, TX, UNITED STATES, January 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Award-winning Storyteller and Founder of the Transformational Storytelling University, Dr. Elayna Fernández, recently announced the launch of Volume 5 of The Gifts of Pain Series on February 7th, 2026, to commemorate National Storytelling Week.
“The Gifts of Pain: Brave Stories and Reflections for Recovery, Restoration, and Regulation After Trauma, Hurt, or Loss” is a must-read collection of real-life stories from 31 storytellers from diverse backgrounds and walks of life, sharing traumatic memories and experiences, along with their strategies for trauma healing and transformation.
As creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System for Transformational Storytelling, Dr. Fernández worked with each author to bring their individual chapters to life in the fifth installment of this multi-author bestselling book series.
“If you feel stuck in your pain, each chapter in this empowering guide provides insights and activities to help you process it, honor your past wounds, thrive in the present, and find hope and confidence about your future,” Dr. Fernández shares.
The authors in volume 5 of The Gifts of Pain share about their chapters:
Lorena P. Frey, author of “From Moral Injury to Spiritual Awakening,” shares that her story “will help survivors of religious abuse suffering from moral injury and anyone healing from betrayal tied to their faith/religion.”
Harish Bikmal, author of “From Autism to Art,” affirms that his story will help “parents of children with autism or other disabilities.”
Sangeeta Vaddadi, author of “From Anxiety to Joy,” assures that her story will “benefit all who are struggling with anxiety or self-doubt to find their strong inner self, inspiring them to tap into their strengths and find joy in everything that they do.”
Linda Dee Smith, author of “From Sick and Dying to Healthy and Thriving,” shares that her story “will help seekers of all sorts, but those who are caught in fear and unable to move forward.”
Brooke Roman, author of “From Chaos to Calm,” said that her story “will help anyone who is looking to make a change in life.”
J Lynn Sherman, author of “From Losing Myself to Finding Belief,” wrote her story for those “who struggle with a diagnosis, mental torture, and/or lack of guidance.”
Claudia Lorant, author of “From Broken to Becoming,” assures that her story “is for anyone who has walked through adversity and is searching for a way back to their light. It’s for those who have faced trauma, pain, or loss—and are ready to transform those experiences into strength, wisdom, and purpose.”
Kendra Beck Eboigbodin, author of “From Grief to Gratitude,” shares that her story “will help grieving mothers and people navigating disappointment or loss.”
Madison Wood, young author of “From Anxiety to Awareness,” explained that her story will help “others who suffer from anxiety.”
Josiane Umulinga, author of “From Survival to Forgiveness,” shared that her story “assures the distressed that light awaits at the end of every tunnel and survivors of trauma uncover the purpose behind their survival.”
Kim Harms, author of “From Fractured to Flourishing,” explained: “Since we all experience pain and grief, I think my story will help anyone still breathing! It will particularly help those who have recently become widowed or are survivors of suicide.”
Shannon Wright Stocks, author of “From Pressured to Poised,” assures that her story “will help those who are in a transitional phase in life and may be having feelings of being ‘stuck’ or feeling like there is no way out of whatever situation they are in.”
Melissa Ellen, author of “From Silence to Sound,” shared that her story “will help people who did not realize that the physical violence they experience is not okay.”
Dawn Richard, author of “From Failure to Fulfillment,” explained that her story “will help people who have experienced hurt, heartache, grief, or loss redefine their life and identity through their healing journey.”
Kaley Jensen, author of “From Pressure to Peace,” affirms that her story will help “those who are struggling with any major setback, experiencing burnout, or may be chasing a past version of themselves.”
Beth L. Ali, author of “From Unseen Wounds to Unfettered Authenticity,” shared that her story “is aimed to help and support women in all stages of life.”
Eliana Fernandez, author of “From Judgment to Evidence,” shared that her story “will help people experiencing hurt and shutting their authenticity down because of one or multiple comments someone has made either about them, to them, or about someone they care about.”
Bill Case, author of “From Lethal Fall to Loyal Call,” wrote his story for “older adults 65 years and older and people who don’t feel they have good balance, posture, stability, strength, and stamina who are concerned about falling.”
Traci Shannon, author of “From Rejected to Revealed,” assures that her story will help “anyone who has let a dream die because they heard a ‘no’ as ‘never’ instead of ‘not now,’ and especially helpful for those of us in our 40s and 50s, who still have many songs to sing, and need to hear that we absolutely can, and more so, should.”
Carlos R. Elizondo, author of “From Burnout to Purpose and Soul,” explained that his story “ is truly for anyone who feels depleted, but particularly physicians and healthcare professionals who may feel isolated, overwhelmed, or trapped by a system that wasn’t designed to protect their well-being.”
Douglas Posey, author of “From Banana Boat to White Coat,” shared that his story “will help and encourage young individuals who are uncertain about their future or their purpose in life, not to give up.”
Jessica Radiance, author of “From Despair to Courage,” said that her story “will help women who are seeking the power to move through difficult moments, including domestic abuse, so they can reclaim their peace of mind and sense of value.”
Sabrina Lindner, author of “From Lost Self to True Self,” shared that her story will help “people who are currently in the midst of trauma, finding themselves, wondering what their identity and purpose in life are. People who know, deep down, that something is not right but feel lost and wonder what to begin with to make the change. People who suddenly realize that a real change is necessary to survive and live a happy, fulfilled life.”
Lavar Matthews, author of “From Pressure to Purpose,” explained that his story will help “individuals who are struggling with the internal conflict of taking that step to fulfill their potential.”
Mia Neal, author of “From Stifled to Centered,” shared that her story “is for people of all ages who are seeking light in a dark area of their lives.”
Naomie E. Neal, young author of “From Isolation to Joy,” assures that her story “will help anybody in a situation of isolation where they feel alone.”
Daisy Valentin, author of “From Black Sheep to Success,” will help those who have struggled with abuse and don’t see a positive way out.”
Michelle Livingston Thorstad, author of “From Alone to Known,” said her story is for “individuals who are going through a relationship crisis and are looking for ways to navigate their pain in a way that will lead to transformation instead of destruction.”
Arjit Deshmukh, young author of “From Embarrassed to Empowered,” shared: “This story should inspire kids or young adults who have just started to understand themselves and their place in the world and feel misunderstood by older people with authority.”
Tiffani Patlán, author of “From Trauma Chains to Healed Legacy,” affirmed that her story “will help parents who are ready to break generational cycles and create healthier homes where children feel seen, loved, supported, safe, and encouraged, because lasting change begins with healed parents.”
Lora Dene King, author of “From Violence to Harmony,” assured that her story “will help people who are unheard, unseen, and feel like they are invisible and feel this repeatedly.”
To connect with these featured authors, visit @thegiftsofpain on Instagram and follow the #thegiftsofpain hashtag.
Why should someone buy Volume 5 of The Gifts of Pain book series?
12-year-old Author and 2-time TEDx speaker Eliana Fernandez shares:
“The Gifts of Pain is an inspiring, impactful, and insightful book that is an amazing gift for anyone looking to start their healing journey (a gift from you to someone else, or a gift from you to yourself!). It shows the reader clear, real-life experiences and examples that help them understand the kind of struggle they are going through, and the journal work sections help them act on this transformation, to be able to overcome the struggle they are going through. And the best part is that the 31 authors in each book (for the 31 days in a month) have different kinds of struggles and different situations, so anyone can find their S.T.O.R.Y. inside these tiny books.”
Author and Keynote Speaker Claudia Lorant adds:
“The Gifts of Pain reminds us that our deepest wounds can become our greatest teachers. Each story within its pages transforms suffering into strength, offering hope, healing, and the realization that pain—when embraced with purpose—can lead to profound personal evolution.”
The Gifts of Pain series is available on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3MMZZAN. Make sure to get your copy of Volume 5 on book launch day – February 7, 2026.
About The Gifts of Pain
The Gifts of Pain book series is a must-read collection of real-life, power-packed, bite-sized stories from 31 authors of diverse backgrounds and walks of life who integrated Dr. Elayna Fernández’s powerful S.T.O.R.Y. System of Transformational Storytelling to vulnerably and bravely share their most painful experiences and the practical tools they used to transform them into personal growth and positive change. To learn how to become an author in the series and join the private Transformational Storytellers community, visit thegiftsofpain.com.
About Dr. Elayna Fernández
As an award-winning Story Strategist for over two decades, creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System for Transformational Storytelling, and founder of the Transformational Storytelling University, Dr. Elayna Fernández supports impact-centered leaders in becoming certified transformational storytellers. She’s often featured on global media and global stages, including TEDx, SXSW, and the United Nations, and has been honored with The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and named one of the Top Latina Influencers in the USA, a Woman of Influence, and one of the Top 125 Impactful Leaders by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow her @thepositivemom.
Dr. Elayna Fernandez
Transformational Storytelling University
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