Book Review: Inner Healing through Healing of Memories by Betty Tapscott

This is a review of Inner Healing through Healing of Memories by Betty Tapscott. In this 1977 release (5th Edition), Betty, and some guest writing from her husband (Ed Tapscott), explore the way God gifts peace of mind, or inner healing,  to those who have experienced hurt, trauma, hopelessness, and  tragic situations. At the time of this edition, which was over 45 years ago, this encouraging read had over 100,000 copies in print.[1]

Inner Healing through Healing of Memories

It is worthy to note, that this read is not academic or cited. It is not a read of apologetic manner or posture. This is not a book of revelation and doctrine (though scriptural evidences are present).  This book, Inner Healing through Healing of Memories, is only about 100 pages, containing stories, experiences, and findings learned from firsthand situations. If you believe God can and does heal, this will be an encouraging and insightful read for you. It is a book meant to take individuals into a deeper understanding of the inner healing work the Holy Spirit brings. If you are looking for scriptural defense and deep exegetical work on how the Spirit of God is involved in healing and revelation, this book will not be for you. I read this book as someone who works with individuals who have often experienced deep hurt, trauma, hopelessness, and tragic situations. It was simply my hope to gleam new insight from others with similar ministries.
One thing that makes this book interesting is that it is not written by a known theologian, celebrity, or even a Pentecostal or Charismatic individual. Rather, this book is authored by Betty Stevens Tapscott, a woman in the Southern Baptist movement, which historically and regrettably does not allow women in such teaching leadership roles, and historically has a gravely limited understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. Though it seems both Betty and Ed have gone home to be with the Lord, Betty writes not only from experience, but also from a learned perspective, as she holds a Bachelors degree and Masters Degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.[2]  Ed, her husband also holds higher education degrees, and is the University Administrator in Houston, Texas. Readers should take heart that they both passionately write from decades of counseling and praying with people for inner healing.
Charles Kraft, perhaps one of the most known voices and theologians on spiritual healing and warfare was both aware and influenced by Tapscott, because he adopts her understanding of inner healing.[3] Kraft, and a friend, are where I first encountered Betty Tapscott. Though not the theologian Kraft is, Betty gives us a practice and paradigm to offer “God’s love and His peace…to lift up [others] in intercessory prayer.”[4] Betty’s testimonies and instructions are a realization that “when a person is willing to forgive and to ask forgiveness and when a person is willing to allow Jesus to “walk” back into[their] past, the person is usually set free and healed of his painful memories.”[5] For her, that walk back involves inner healing and the healing of memories. Betty defines inner healing as “is the healing of the inner man [or woman]: the mind, the emotions, the painful memories, the dreams. It is the process through prayer whereby we are set free from feelings of resentment, rejection, self-pity, depression, guilt, fear, sorrow, hatred, inferiority, condemnation, or worthlessness, etc.”[6] Each chapter, though short, is full of stories that witness to this freedom in many different ways. In each story, Betty uses prophetic wisdom and just discerning conversation to see where a pain or memory is hijacking someone’s life.
Betty’s heart is to see God’s inner peace, instilled in the places we need inner healing. She realizes, that “so many people today do not have that inner peace. Many are Spirit-filled Christians in good physical condition, but yet emotionally crippled. Jesus wants us to be completely whole.”[7] This wholeness comes about through “spiritual surgery,” where Jesus cuts away all the “growths” that have been growing inside of us — the growths of fear, hatred, anger, jealously, self-pity, etc. Then though the prayer for healing of memories, Jesus walks back into our past and heals every hurt; He takes a spiritual eraser and wipes away every painful memory. He may not blot out the memory completely, but He removes the hurt and the sting.”[8] Sadly, and what I have found to be true, many are too fond of living in the past, reliving and going over their past hurts, in a way that they cannot become free and they become a martyr to themselves.
The way to inner healing also needs the individual to do their own work on the brokenness of their inner selves. She writes, “inner healing is not just going into the past and digging up sordid details. It is not seeing how much garbage we can remember; it is throwing away all the garbage that is there. It’s having Jesus shine His divine light in all those dark places where Satan has hidden those hurts and painful memories.”[9] She walks her readers through the way our inner (spirit, soul, body) and memories can encounter Jesus’ healing and release the control that sin, evil and our memories have over us. Betty also explores how to live into an inheritance of peace and joy, and how to constantly forgive and restore ourselves to this inheritance.
If we are honest, with ourselves and others, the truth is that “in all of us is an inner child of the past.”[10] Without a doubt we try to compartmentalize those things that have made us who we are. We must own that “every experience we have ever had has molded our personality and makes us act the way we do. We relate to others out of our past out of our past experiences.”[11] Often, when those hidden and compartmentalized areas of our life and personality are triggered, we “try to use our intellect and reason the fears away, but they become like heavy chains weighing us down.”[12]
“Some trauma comes before birth or prior to conscious memory.”[13]
“Some may need inner healing for deep hurts because of who you are.”[14]
“You may need inner healing because of what you have done.”[15]
“You may need inner healing because of where you have been.”[16]
For this reason, Betty writes that “all of us need inner healing in some way or another. Jesus is waiting for us to let Him heal all our painful memories, hurts, fears, disappointments. It doesn’t matter if the painful memory is an old, old hurt or a new wound, He wants to start the healing process. He wants to go all the way back to the root problem and cleanse and heal us completely. Not only does God want to heal our mind, He wants to renew our mind!”[17] Resources like this help us get to that renewed state, which points with hope to our final state that will one day be fully renewed and transformed. This was cutting edge work in 1975. However, these stories and ideas stand relevant for today.

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My highlights and quotes from the book.


[1] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), Front Cover.

[2] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott),, Back Inside Cover.

[3] Casey, Anthony. n.d. “A NEW REALITY: CHARLES KRAFT’S VIEW of SPIRITUAL WARFARE.” Accessed September 8, 2022. https://cultCasey, Anthony. n.d. “A NEW REALITY: CHARLES KRAFT’S VIEW of SPIRITUAL WARFARE.” Accessed September 8, 2022. https://culturnicity.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/kraft-on-spiritual-warfare.pdf.urnicity.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/kraft-on-spiritual-warfare.pdf.

[4] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott),10.

[5] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories:God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 10.

[6] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories:God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 13.

[7] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories:God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott),13

[8] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories:God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott),13-14.

[9] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 15.

[10] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 21.

[11]  Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas:Tapscott), 19.

[12] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 20.

[13] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 22.

[14] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 24.

[15] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 27.

[16] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 32.

[17] Tapscott, Betty. 1977. Inner Healing through Healing of Memories: God’s Gift - Peace of Mind. 5th ed. (Houston, Texas, Kingwood, Texas: Tapscott), 35-36.

I grew up inspired by Jesus, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the California Raisins, and The Clash. I'm an avid fan of baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books. Additionally, I am currently a doctoral student at Kairos University, and finishing a third master's degree, an MBA in Executive Leadership, at City Vision University. Previously I have earned two master's degrees - one in Theology and Ministry and another in Leadership - both from Fuller Seminary. I also graduated summa cum laude with a Graduate Certificate in Non-profit Management and an Associate Degree in Christian Ministry and Leadership from City Vision University.

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