About Book of the Silenced - Phoenix Rises Acupuncture

I didn’t start out here. I started out hurt.
Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually—in every raw, messy way you can’t fit on a professional business card. Before I was a healer, I was a patient trapped in a rigid, automated medical machine. My own chronic health struggles—the heavy medication regimens, a terrifying, life-threatening hospital stay, and years of feeling completely invisible—taught me one fundamental truth: medicine without humanity leaves people broken.
Years ago, I lived through the kind of bone-deep pain that shakes your entire foundation. I had to stand by and watch modern medicine fail my teenage son after what should have been a “routine” high school sports injury. With all the hope, desperation, and hyper-vigilance only a parent understands, I watched standard, “box-checking” hospital protocols actively make him worse.
Going through that fire humbled me into a life of absolute service. It forced me to realize that true healing is a million miles away from automated checklists, standardized tests, and cold prescriptions.
That realization changed everything. It took me from a desperate mother and turned me into a relentless clinical investigator. It’s the reason I wrote Book of the Silenced.

Book of the Silenced by Dr. Gordana Smith, DAOM

An Award-Winning Memoir & Roadmap for Patient Advocacy
When a system built to heal tells a mother to just “wait and see,” that waiting can tear a child’s life apart in slow motion. This is the story I never wanted to write, but simply could not ignore. It’s the raw, firsthand account of a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) who deeply trusted modern medicine—until it failed her only son.
Book of the Silenced bridges high-level laboratory science with the beating heart of a mother’s love. It lays bare the biological “Perfect Storm”—showing exactly how physical trauma and toxic environmental mold can shatter the blood-brain barrier, shucking it wide open for dormant, stealth infections like Bartonella to invade the central nervous system (neurobartonellosis) and trigger a catastrophic neurological collapse.
I wrote this for the parents who feel incredibly small in big hospital rooms, for the patients fighting invisible battles, and for the clinicians who want to listen better than the system taught us.
“What do you do when the people you trust to save your child are the ones causing the harm?”

Book of the Silenced

What do you do when the people you trust to save your child are the ones causing the harm?

An emotional and moving read that won’t be forgotten.

Carol Thompson / Readers’ Favorite

🏆 National Literary Honors

I am incredibly humbled that Book of the Silenced has been recognized on a national stage for its literary heart and medical advocacy:

2026 FAPA President’s Book Award Medalist – Honored for excellence in non-fiction and memoir.
Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Recipient – Named among the best in family-friendly, inspirational non-fiction.
Amazon Bestselling Author – Reaching and resonating with readers globally.
Kirkus Reviews Recommended – Formally recognized by the industry’s most rigorous critics.
5-Star Readers’ Favorite – Celebrated by readers and reviewers alike.

Why I Wrote This

Some voices never get the chance to be heard.
Too many people are suffering in complete isolation. Too many patients dealing with chronic pain, autoimmune flares, or terrifying neurological symptoms are dismissed with a wave of a hand and told, “It’s normal,” “It’s just your anxiety,” or “Learn to live with it.”
I know exactly what that feels like. I’ve lived it as a patient, I’ve fought it as a mother, and I treat it every single day as a doctor. This book isn’t just a memoir—it’s a definitive witness account written straight from inside the fire. It’s a testament to resilience, meant to be a bridge:
    •    Between pain and understanding.
    •    Between confusion and clarity.
    •    Between suffering and empowerment.
If you are reading these words right now, please hear me: You are not alone. Your voice matters. Your story matters. I wrote this book to give you that message.

From the Pages to the Practice: True Healing in St. Augustine

You don’t have to be my patient to read the book, and you don’t have to read the book to be my patient.
For years, this community has trusted me with their care. Voted the “Best of St. Augustine” Community Award Winner, our clinic, Phoenix Rises Acupuncture, is a space where complex health challenges meet deep, root-cause clinical expertise.
Whether you are seeking relief from chronic lower back pain, structural sports injuries, or navigating complex neuro-immune conditions like Lyme disease, mold illness, and autoimmune disorders, we provide holistic care tailored exactly to you. We listen to the quiet parts of your history, we honor your intuition, and we map out a real path to recovery.
If you’re navigating a complex case and want whole-person care delivered with genuine time, attention, and medical expertise, that is what we do here every single day.

What My Patients and Readers Say

“She was the only doctor that got my diagnosis right.”
“Dr. Smith saved my life! I came to see her after seeing four specialists, numerous visits with my primary care physician, and four visits to the ER for terrible back pain, chest pain, fatigue, heart palpitations, and brain fog. From the very first appointment, she suspected Lyme. She sent me for bloodwork and she was 100% right! I am grateful forever for her knowledge and compassion.”
— Aaliyah, Verified Patient Review

“A true professional and healer.”
“I came to Gordana with my 13-year-old son who had multiple fractures in his feet. Orthopedic specialists told us a long rest was our only option. Gordana helped my son heal, relax, and gave us excellent overall health advice. She works with passion. I highly recommend her!”
— Joanna T., Verified Patient Review

“Love with a spine.”
“What readers receive from this book is relief that someone finally says the quiet parts out loud. A companion for long seasons, a map for questions to ask when answers are slow, and a reminder that advocacy is not anger—it’s love with a spine.”

Where to find it

Digital: Download Book of the Silenced instantly on Amazon Kindle.
Print & Signed Copies: Available directly at our St. Augustine clinic during your regular visit, or by reaching out through our online contact page.

Speaking & Events

I offer heart-centered talks, keynotes, and small-group conversations for parent communities, clinical medical teams, and local organizations. My favorite topics to speak on include: