The Garden Within: Where the War with Your Emotions Ends and Your Most Powerful Life Begins
Written by Dr. Anita Phillips and Sarah Jakes Roberts
Narrated by Sarah Jakes Roberts and Anita Phillips
5/5
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About this audiobook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
Featured on SUPER SOUL PODCAST hosted by Oprah Winfrey.
Read by the author.
Too often we’ve been taught to view our emotions with suspicion, seeing them as something to be suppressed, managed, or mastered. This isn’t true. Emotions are not your enemy. Internal war is not your destiny. You were created to flourish.
In this game-changing book, trauma therapist and mental health expert Dr. Anita Phillips reveals how embracing emotion is the key to living your most powerful life. Just as gardens thrive in good ground, the abundant life you’ve been seeking can only be grown in the soil of your heart.
Blending faith, the latest discoveries in neurobiology, and her own research and work as a licensed therapist, Dr. Anita shows you how to cultivate a state of emotional well-being that can:
- strengthen your body and reverse the effects of trauma,
- calm anxiety and renew your mind, and
- unleash a new level of spiritual power in your life.
This book will equip you with the tools you need to nurture a part of yourself that has been misunderstood for too long — your heart — setting you free to live just as the Creator intended.
AUTHENTIC. FRUITFUL. POWERFUL
Images and diagrams are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.
Dr. Anita Phillips
Dr. Anita Phillips, LCSW-C is a trauma therapist, life coach, minister, and New York Times bestselling author of The Garden Within. Widely recognized as a thought leader at the intersection of mental health, faith, and culture, Dr. Anita holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Regent University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a dynamic speaker and podcast host who adores her family and friends, a good pint of ice cream, and sitting by the ocean.
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Reviews for The Garden Within
156 ratings22 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be an outstanding, inspiring, and insightful book that offers a fresh perspective on emotional well-being and the intersectionality of faith and biology. It is described as a must-read for anyone seeking personal growth and fulfillment. The author, Dr. Anita Phillips, is praised for her ability to communicate complex concepts in an understandable and relatable manner. Readers appreciate the book's transformative power and its encouragement to embrace emotions as a valuable part of the human experience. Overall, this book is highly recommended for those looking to deepen their faith and cultivate lasting personal growth.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Oct 27, 2025
I ❤️ how the Lord had made us. Thank you - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jun 20, 2025
A consoling merge of faith and mental health. Reminded me that God is interested in every part of me, even the messy stuff that I feel. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Mar 28, 2025
Awesome take on how God has created us as whole people, including our emotions. I appreciated how she tied together scripture and science to show how our emotions affect every part of our life, so if we are to be healthy people then we need to take our emotional health seriously. Great book. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Dec 16, 2024
Very powerful book that I feel that everyone should read. I have to reread and study this book again because it's such a read - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Oct 29, 2024
I found this book astounding. It was an answer to my my prayers for over 64 years.
I was hit by a car those many years ago. And I did not know how to handle that trauma all these years. Thank God for your book. I know how to identify the emotion and where it hurt. I am set free with new tools in my tool box
God bless you for the gift you are to the world!!!
J. Collins Welzcher - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 9, 2024
This book gave me great insight on how God beautifully created us inside and out. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jun 21, 2024
It's very insightful and motivating ..I love listening to this ebook..God bless - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Mar 15, 2024
Amazing book! I have to read it again to fully develop into my garden. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Feb 23, 2024
This book was referred to me during a difficult season. It has truly been a blessing to my heart. I am believing God for healing and wholeness as a result of the word implanted in healthy soul and practices that are empowering me to go forward courageously. He is with me! Thank you for this blessing Dr. Anita!! ? - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Feb 8, 2024
I came across this book at just the right time. It’s so enlightening and explains so simply and beautifully where faith and psychology meet, addressing all our facets as human beings; our mind, heart, soul, body and spirit. Absolutely loved this. Definitely one to re-read. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Feb 6, 2024
What a book…WOW!!! So well written and beautifully structured. I actually want a hard copy now - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jan 17, 2024
An amazing book with so much wisdom. Thank you for releasing this. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Dec 17, 2023
Wonderful connections on the vagus nerve and our minds! Great book that will grow you beyond limitations to transformation. A must read if you care about fulfilling your divine purpose! Great! Great ?
A recommendation to anyone who wants to go beyond thinking to reflecting. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 11, 2023
A great read! It’s insightful and liberating. It’s helped me give language to fear separating the emotion of fear from the spirit. You won’t be disappointed reading. It can be uncomfortable, but worth it. ? - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 3, 2023
Dr. Anita is such a gem! The way she lays out the intersectionality of faith and biology is truly divine. This read was truly and eye opener for how intentional God is with his creation and I’m thankful for Dr. Anita sharing such powerful revelations from the garden within!!! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Oct 10, 2023
“There’s nothing wrong with you!”
This is the most important book in this age of Christianity! Dr Anita Phillips shows us just how much God values our emotions and actually uses the human part of our experience to help us navigate the spiritual part — as opposed to what we’ve been wrongly taught for centuries. It is liberating, encouraging, practical and easy to follow, and it is absolutely life changing. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 27, 2023
Inspiring book to see our Bible. We need to see our Bible not only for heaven and hell but other perpectives1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 24, 2023
This book literally has me clapping at the end. Never had an author explain in such a way my feelings and inspire me to continue to grow in faith. Now I can move heart first understanding how important it is to cultivate lasting soil. Just ordered the workbook and can’t wait to begin the work needed thank you Dr. Anita ❤️.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 23, 2023
Outstanding book! I started following Dr. Anita during the pandemic and she has an amazing ability to discuss emotional well being in a way you can understand it and comprehend it. Highly recommend this book!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Jul 9, 2024
As soon as I hear pastor Sarah I stoped listening this book. Women , we don’t need to be in charge what God has given to man. I am all about for women but there will be consequences in Heaven when each one of stand before Him.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jun 13, 2024
This book changed my marriage as it allowed to take on offense and forgive. Bless God - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 3, 2023
Thank you for writing this book. It’s an eye opener to many issues we face in our personal life. May God use you immensely as you continue to share this story of Truth..
