Search

Relative Distance is a powerful memoir of resilience and faith. While it's an unflinching look at brothers being raised by a violent, abusive father and a detached, mentally ill mother, it's also an inspiring account of two distinctive life journeys and an examination of the role played by family and society in individual homelessness. After surviving his tumultuous upbringing, David Pruitt rises to become a CEO in Corporate America, while his brother, Danny, becomes a long-time homeless traveler. As David helps to grow a fledgling North Carolina business into what is at the time the largest specialty bicycle retailer in the United States, Danny sleeps under overpasses, jumps passing freight cars, lives in and out of shelters, faces death more than once—and encounters the best and worst of America in a restless search to find a better place in the world. Yet, despite their differences, a common thread runs through the distinct trajectories of the brothers'lives: each of them struggles with difficult psychological issues stemming from their troubled past. This deeply moving memoir examines the lifelong challenges that often come for those raised in an abusive home, along with the limitless possibilities we open ourselves to when we allow faith and determination to overcome judgment and fear.

A new, hopeful pathway to understanding children's trauma and providing effective interventions to build healthier communitiesEach year at least a billion children around the world are victims of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that range from physical abuse to racial discrimination to neglect and food deprivation. The brain plasticity of our most vulnerable makes the adverse effects of trauma only that much more damaging to mental and physical development. Those dealt a hand of ACEs are more likely to drop out of school, have a shorter life, abuse substances, and suffer from myriad mental health and behavioral issues. The crucial question is: How do we intervene to offer these children a more hopeful future? Neurobiologist and educator Dr. Marc Hauser provides a novel, research-based framework to understand a child's unique response to ACEs that goes beyond our current understanding and is centered around the five Ts—the timing during development when the trauma began, its type, tenure, toxicity, and how much turbulence it has caused in a child's life. Using this lens, adults can start to help children build resilience and recover—and even benefit—from their adversity through targeted community and school interventions, emotional regulation tools, as well as a new frontier of therapies focused on direct brain stimulation, including neurofeedback and psychedelics. While human suffering experienced by children is the most devastating, it also presents the most promise for recovery; the plasticity of young people's brains makes them vulnerable, but it also makes them apt to take back the joy, wonder, innocence, and curiosity of childhood when given the right support. Vulnerable Minds is a call to action for parents, policymakers, educators, and doctors to reclaim what's been lost and commit ourselves to our collective responsibility to all children.

“An inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour.” —RICHARD CROUSE, CTV host and film criticFilm critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario.The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll. They know the boy has been plucked from poverty and resettled into a middle-class family. But they don't know that something worse awaits him there.This is the story of a system that failed, a community that looked the other way, and a family that kept silent. It is also a record of the popular culture of the 1960s — a powerful set of myths that kept a boy comforted. But ultimately, The Wild Boy of Waubamik is a story of triumph, of a man who grew up to become a film critic and broadcaster despite his abusive childhood. It reminds us that life, even at its darkest, can surprise us with moments of joy and hope and dreams for the future.

“Someday Mija, You'll Learn the Difference Between a Whore and a Working Woman is a memoir that turns time on its head, circling through terror and joy with eloquence and becoming its own sacrament of resistance.” —Foreword Reviews, 5-star reviewAt eighteen, Yvonne Martinez flees brutal domestic violence and is taken in by her dying grandmother... who used to be a sex worker. Before she dies, her grandmother reveals family secrets and shares her uncommon wisdom. “Someday, Mija,” she tells Yvonne, “you'll learn the difference between a whore and a working woman.” She also shares disturbing facts about their family's history—eventually leading Yvonne to discover that her grandmother was trafficked as a child in Depression-era Utah by her own mother, Yvonne's great-grandmother, and that she was blamed for her own rape.In the years that follow her grandmother's passing, Yvonne gets an education and starts a family. As she heals from her own abuse by her mother and stepfather, she becomes an advocate/labor activist. Grounded in her grandmother's dictum not to whore herself out, she learns to fight for herself and teaches others to do the same—exposing sexual harassment in the labor unions where she works and fighting corruption. Intense but ultimately uplifting, Someday Mija, You'll Learn the Difference Between a Whore and a Working Woman is a compelling memoir in essays of transforming transgenerational trauma into resilience and post-traumatic growth.

When the Sonoma Complex fire came to Elisa Stancil Levine's California doorstep in 2017, her world changed overnight. The devastating fire torched thousands of acres, but for Elisa, a world-class decorative artist, it was her reaction that night that cracked her wide open. A loving wife, mother, and grandmother, Elisa thought she had reckoned with her early childhood trauma. But when she fled the midnight firestorm without alerting a single neighbor, she had to ask herself: Who does that?In This or Something Better, Elisa revisits her past and the one force in which she has always found true kinship: the wild river. Nature, her lifelong ally, gave solace. Through teen pregnancy, her baby's stillbirth, and a mystical near-death experience at eighteen, nature shaped her character, and it later informed her wildly successful career. But was there an unintended consequence?The fresh trauma of the firestorm sparked a quest: what treasure awaited if Elisa learned to trust human nature? Vivid, poetic, and intimate, This or Something Better reveals how true healing of deep wounds happens one exquisite layer at a time—and invites us each to consider and embrace our own path toward wholeness and authenticity.

After witnessing a violent crime, Catlin (Kit) McCormick is on the run. She's determined to lie low, find family that's unaware of her existence, and start fresh in the beautiful mountain town of Laurel Ridge. But disappearing is harder than she thought, especially when one of the first people she runs into is handsome U.S. Marshal, Cameron Grainger. There's no escaping the Marshal because he and Catlin are more closely connected than either realizes.Cameron has trust issues and trouble of his own. He's currently on leave and recovering from wounds suffered while on duty. Plus, his service in Afghanistan has left him emotionally scarred and doubting his own judgement. When the mysterious woman with hazel eyes and bruises on her neck collapses on the floor of his aunt's bed-and-breakfast, he's both intrigued and wary. Will Catlin risk her identity being discovered and explore the overwhelming feelings she has for Cameron? Can Cameron trust his instincts enough to let down his guard and follow his heart?Intrigue, danger and the questions of trust and loyalty keep the pages turning in this inspirational romantic suspense— a standalone follow-up to Someone to Trust.

With more than thirty years of experience, Dr. Arlene Drake writes a guide for those desperately in need of a way to break free from the pain of childhood abuse and reclaim their lives. When confronted with an abused child, our first impulse is to drop everything and provide comfort, get him or her out of danger, and find out what the hell is going on at home. It's obvious that the child is helpless, in trouble, and needs protection. Parents or not, we instinctively know what to do: We take care of the child. But what if the child is you? Active and directive, Carefrontation is filled with exercises and the simple, effective tools Dr. Drake has used successfully with her own clients for more than three decades. It lays out a powerful way to repair the damage of childhood abuse and its lasting effects, by teaching you what your parents couldn't: an invaluable set of skills and practices that will give you the resources to live as a healthy, happy adult. With the clear path this book provides, you can finally acknowledge that the suffering and the pain can stop. The destructive patterns can end. You can graduate, at last, into a life beyond “abuse victim” and for the first time take the power back from your abusers and finally be at peace.

“An extraordinary, eye-opening book.” —PeopleNational Health Information Awards winner“A rousing wake-up call.... This highly engaging, provocative book prove[s] beyond a reasonable doubt that millions of lives depend on us finally coming to terms with the long-term consequences of childhood adversity and toxic stress.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim CrowDr. Nadine Burke Harris was already known as a crusading physician delivering targeted care to vulnerable children. But it was Diego—a boy who had stopped growing after a sexual assault—who galvanized her journey to uncover the connections between toxic stress and lifelong illnesses.The stunning news of Burke Harris's research is just how deeply our bodies can be imprinted by ACEs—adverse childhood experiences like abuse, neglect, parental addiction, mental illness, and divorce. Childhood adversity changes our biological systems, and lasts a lifetime. For anyone who has faced a difficult childhood, or who cares about the millions of children who do, the fascinating scientific insight and innovative, acclaimed health interventions in The Deepest Well represent vitally important hope for preventing lifelong illness for those we love and for generations to come?. “Nadine Burke Harris... offers a new set of tools, based in science, that can help each of us heal ourselves, our children, and our world.”—Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed “A powerful—even indispensable—frame to both understand and respond more effectively to our most serious social ills.”—New York Times

The daughters'stories touch upon the deepest and darkest of pains: knowing you have a mother... but you don't. Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers: Moving From Brokenness To Wholeness is an intimate exploration into the lives of daughters who were wounded by their mothers and who chose wellness over victimhood. Each daughter's unique story of recovery is a testament to the power of choice, perseverance and resilience. Readers are invited to journey alongside the daughters, grabbing hold of healing lifelines and moving from broken places to whole spaces within. Do you feel your mother did not'show up'for you in the ways you needed? Because of your mother's role in your life, do you feel like you were'not enough?'Do you wonder if it is possible to heal from the brokenness that comes from being wounded by your mother? If you answered'yes'to any of these questions, the'Daughters'warmly welcome you.'There are tears of both sorrow and joy in the beautiful, brave stories of harm and hope. Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers changed my life.'--Charlotte Carson, Editorial Director, ClearLifeMagazine.com'Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers is heartrending and uplifting; dark and optimistic; painful and inspirational. A profound human document.'--Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self-Love: Narcissism Revisited'Powerful, reflective, and reassuring to all who read it, Holli Kenley's Daughters Betrayed By Their Mothers reminds us that no matter what hurt we have experienced, the opportunity to heal and be whole is always possible.'--Cyrus Webb, media personality, author, and speaker Learn more at www.HolliKenley.com From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

No one could have imagined how as a child Beverly Engel could have managed to become who she is today—an internationally known expert on abuse recovery and the best-selling author of twenty-two self-help books. This is the raw, candid story of how she made her way in the world in spite of her mother's neglect, unreasonable expectations and constant criticism; in spite of being sexually abused, first at four years old and then at nine; and in spite of being raped at twelve. Raising Myself takes readers on a remarkable journey, showing us how Engel, who was basically on her own from the age of four, learned how to cope with a neglectful, narcissistic mother while being surrounded by a cast of characters that included eccentrics and misfits, a religious fanatic, child molesters, rapists, and hoodlums. It is a soul-searching memoir about how she came dangerously close to the edge of becoming a child molester, a criminal, and a suicide, and how she battled her inner demons and struggled to keep her heart open and to “reinvent” herself so she could follow her dream of making something of herself. Powerfully inspiring and unflinchingly honest, Raising Myself is a story of remarkable resilience and insight.

Rosemarie Smith has written her autobiography in three parts; Little Molly, Molly II: Am I who I should be? and Molly III: The Untold Story.Having suffered, child abuse she reached a point where she had totally given up on life and felt that the long hard battle to survive just wasn't worth the pain anymore. In Molly III she gives a true account of what it was like suffering severe physical and mental abuse as a child and then to go on suffering throughout most of her life. Just as she had given up on society and every Government body, came a massive break-through and as a result of that, on July 12th 2017, a judge ruled'life in prison'for her childhood abuser and said,'Rosemarie Smith's statement of facts was'so compelling....'he believed abuser, John Wass had committed every single sexual and indecent act that his victims had given evidence on!

Tens of thousands of children are removed from home each year due to some form of child maltreatment, usually physical neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse, although sometimes for emotional abuse as well. An additional significant number of children are victims of child maltreatment but remain in their home. Extensive research reveals the far reaching and long lasting negative impact of maltreatment on child victims, including on their physical, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. One particularly troubling and complicated aspect is how the child victim forms (and maintains) a “traumatic bond” with his abuser, even becoming protective and defensive of that person despite the pain and suffering they have caused. This book will provide the reader with the essential experience of understanding how children make meaning of being maltreated by a parent, and how these traumatic bonds form and last. Through an examination of published memoirs of abuse, the authors analyze and reveal the commonalities in the stories to uncover the ways in which adult victims of childhood abuse understand and digest the traumatic experiences of their childhoods. This understanding can inform interventions and treatments designed for this vulnerable population and can help family and friends of victims understand more fully the maltreatment experience “from the inside out.”

For three decades, Laurie Kahn has treated clients who were abused as children—people who were injured by someone whom they believed to be trustworthy, someone who professed to love them. Their abusers—a father, stepfather, priest, coach, babysitter, aunt, neighbor—often were people who inhabited their daily lives. Love is why they come to therapy. Love is what they want, and love is what they say is not going well for them. Kahn, too, had to learn to navigate a wilderness in order to find the “good” kind of love after a rocky childhood. In Baffled by Love, she includes strands from her own story, along with those of her clients, creating a narrative full of resonance, meaning, and shared humanity.

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author and child abuse survivor reveals the challenges that he still faces as an adult, as a husband, and as a father. In the blockbuster autobiography A Child Called “It”, Dave Pelzer shared the story of his childhood—one of the most dramatic and extreme stories of child abuse ever prosecuted in the state of California. As a child, Pelzer was beaten, starved, and abused both emotionally and physically by his alcoholic and mentally unstable mother. As a man, Pelzer went on to have love, happiness, a fulfilling career, and a family of his own. To many, Pelzer seemed to have found his happy ending. But for a child abuse survivor, living a normal adult life carries challenges and complications above and beyond those faced by most people. This book, the fifth in Pelzer's nonfiction series, provides an honest and courageous look at the difficulties inherent in marriage, parenthood, work, and life from the perspective of someone who survived horrific physical and emotional terrors as a child—and who seeks to meet the responsibilities and complications of adult life with love, strength, and an open heart.

Shame is one of the most destructive of human emotions. If you suffered childhood physical or sexual abuse, you may experience such intense feelings of shame that it almost seems to define you as a person. In order to begin healing, it's important for you to know that it wasn't your fault. In this gentle guide, therapist and childhood abuse expert Beverly Engel presents a mindfulness and compassion-based therapeutic approach to help you overcome the debilitating shame that keeps you tied to the past. By following the step-by-step exercises in this book, you'll gain a greater understanding of the root cause of your shame. And by cultivating compassion toward yourself, you will begin to heal and move past your painful experiences. Recent studies show that trauma survivors, particularly those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from abuse, can greatly benefit from incorporating elements of self-compassion into their treatment. Furthermore, the practice of self-compassion has been shown to decrease PTSD symptoms, including, self-criticism, thought suppression, and rumination. This book is based on the author's powerful and effective Compassion Cure program. With this book, you will develop the skills needed to finally put a stop the crippling self-blame that keeps you from moving on and being happy. You'll learn to focus on your strengths, your courage, and your extraordinary ability to survive. Most of all, you'll learn to replace shame with its counter emotion—pride.

When Time Stood Still, perhaps the first book that presents a'living picture'of the effective use of creative art therapy in treating child sexual abuse, will help professionals to better understand the uniqueness of this abuse, the resulting trauma, and the healing process. The therapeutic dialogue between Prof. Rachel Lev-Wiesel and Ziv Koren, a 36 year-old social worker, who was sexually abused by her uncle, from ages 6 till 16, is given, with Ziv's drawings of associations, narratives about the drawings, and Prof. Lev-Wiesel's analysis of the drawings'symbols. This full presentation enables the reader to dive into the therapeutic process and follow Ziv, as she moves from a state of dissociation and detachment from her past, to a full confrontation with her memories, and then finally to integrating her physical, emotional, and cognitive selves into one whole human being. The second part of the book summarizes the current knowledge on the uniqueness of childhood sexual abuse, in particular, the 5 traumagenic constructs that Professor Lev-Wiesel introduced to the field: Soul's Homelessness, Captured in Time, Entrapped in Distorted Intimacy, Betrayal Entrapment, and Reenactment. Therapeutic principles for interventions are drawn, based on the constructs. Professor Rachel Lev-Wiesel, PhD., founder and head of the Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies & the director of The Emili Sagol CAT Research Center at the University of Haifa, has been a therapist helping survivors of child sexual abuse for over 30 years. She has published 130 scientific papers and chapters on trauma, child abuse, sexual abuse, and using drawings for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Ziv Koren, MA, is a social worker and art therapist at the unit for treatment of released prisoners in the Ministry of Social Welfare, in Israel.

It had been years since I had seen any of the children with whom I had grown up. When I left the children's home, I promised myself that I would have nothing to do with them, I was sure that my only chance of living a good life would be to put the past behind me, even though that meant saying goodbye to some of the people I loved the most - as well as the ones I hated...it turned out that six of us had died, several by slow suicide in the form of heroin abuse, and at least two by faster means. When two police officers arrived out of the blue at Paul Connolly's door, he learned the shocking news that, out of the eight children with whom he shared a dormitory in care, only two were still alive. The revelation unearthed painful memories of a childhood that, until this point, Paul had tried desperately to put behind him. Abandoned at two weeks old, Paul came of age in the infamous St Leonards's Children's Home in East London. The children there were routinely abused, often over the course of many years. All were underfed and unloved and told that they would amount to nothing. Angry and frustrated, Paul channelled his rage into boxing - but when an accident shattered his ambition to turn professional, he found his true calling and became a successful trainer, even working as a consultant on the pilot of a top model's fitness video. Paul has finally found peace and fulfilment beyond anyhing he could have imagined all those years ago. He has found happiness with his wife and children and now helps to heal broken bodies, build confidence and transform lives - but he will never forget his past and the unnecessary victims of broken society...

Originally published: New York : Meridian, 1997.

Michael Seed's childhood was nothing but a daily ordeal of unspeakable neglect, misery, and abuse from a father whose tyranny of fear stole Michael's formative years from him and drove Michael's mother to suicide. After years of silence, he now feels ready to tell a story that, though shockingly painful, is a testament to one human's remarkable ability to triumph over the most appalling of circumstances. Living with his adoptive parents, life for Michael was hell from the start. Long before his school days, the only lesson he learned was to try and avoid being noticed by his alcoholic father. More often than not, though, his dad would find time to ensure that both Michael and his mother felt his wrath together. Then, one awful night, Michael realized that the abuse was escalating to another level when his father began the sexual abuse that would continue for years. The abuse did not stop at home. Once he began school, Michael once again fell victim to terrible bullying and a teacher who violated him repeatedly. Michael, it seemed, was destined for a life of inescapable misery. Yet, despite the horror of these years, Michael was ultimately saved by his own will to live and which inspired him to move on and seek a better life. This is the remarkable story of an individual who, against all the odds, managed to preserve his own dignity and finally escape the horrors of a stolen childhood.

This is the true story of one little girl's fight to survive while growing up in a home filled with violence, abuse, and neglect. In this insightful and heartfelt account, Sue Owen reveals what happens when a child cannot rely on the family home to be the safe and respectable refuge it should be. Neglected and bullied by her step-mother throughout her formative years, and abused by her father in her teens, Sue somehow survived to tell the tale and have a family of her own. Determined that her own children would grow up in a happy, loving, and stable environment, Sue began facing her demons thr.

In A Child Called'It,'David Pelzer shared the harrowing story of his abusive childhood. Now, his brother Richard reveals a horrifying glimpse behind closed doors -- and shares a message of strength and resilience. Mom has no one like David around to beat on anymore. I am more afraid of her than ever...I get in more trouble for anything I do or say. Now I find that I'm always in trouble and I don't know why. Now that David is gone, I'm afraid that she will try to kill me, like she tried to kill him. I'm afraid that she will treat me like an animal like she did him. I'm afraid that now I'm her IT. The Pelzer family's secret life of fear and abuse was first revealed in Dave Pelzer's inspiring New York Times bestseller, A Child Called'It,'followed by The Lost Child and A Man Called Dave. Here, for the first time, Richard Pelzer tells the courageous and moving story of his abusive childhood. From tormenting his brother David to becoming himself the focus of his mother's wrath to his ultimate liberation-here is a horrifying glimpse at what existed behind closed doors in the Pelzer home. Equally important, Richard Pelzer's touching account is a testament to the strength of the human heart and its capacity to triumph over almost unimaginable trauma.

This book presents poems, stories and journal work spontaneously written by people, young and old, who have suffered serious abuse. The editors'explanations and commentaries suggest how health and social care workers can facilitate creative writing as a potential contribution to emotional healing in work with both individuals and small groups.In addition to individual contributors, the book records the activities of groups developed by Barnardos for children and young people and by Beyond Existing for adults. Although not written as a training manual per se, the book offers photocopiable exercises and an appendix of writings for use in staff training.Can You Read Me? illustrates the great potential for applying our creative imaginations and personal qualities like sensitivity in work with survivors of abuse and those with mental health and disability problems..

Title from ebook title screen (viewed on Jan. 24, 2004).

More than twenty years ago, a little-known Swiss psychoanalyst wrote a book that changed the way many people viewed themselves and their world. In simple but powerful prose, the deeply moving Drama of the Gifted Child showed how parents unconsciously form and deform the emotional lives of their children. Alice Miller's stories about the roots of suffering in childhood resonated with readers, and her book soon became a backlist best seller. In The Truth Will Set You Free Miller returns to the intensely personal tone and themes of her best-loved work. Only by embracing the truth of our past histories can any of us hope to be free of pain in the present, she argues. Miller uses vivid true stories to reveal the perils of early-childhood mistreatment and the dangers of mindless obedience to parental will. Drawing on the latest research on brain development, she shows how spanking and humiliation produce dangerous levels of denial, which leads in turn to emotional blindness and to mental barriers that cut off awareness and the ability to learn new ways of acting. If this cycle repeats itself, the grown child will perpetrate the same abuse on later generations -- a message vitally important, especially given the increasing popularity of programs like Tough Love and of'child disciplinarians'like James Dobson. The Truth Will Set You Free will provoke and inform all readers who want to know Alice Miller's latest thinking on this important subject.

Therapy with adults who were abused emotionally, physically or sexually in childhood is difficult and harrowing. The therapist may experience frustration, disillusion and disappointment, which often give away to a realisation and admiration of the endurance and creativity which these people displayed as children in surviving such abuse. Therapists need little motivation to develop new approaches for these clients, and Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is such an approach. CAT is a brief, collaborative, client-centred approach which is gaining support for the understanding and treatment of man.

A Man Named Dave, which has sold over 1 million copies, is the gripping conclusion to Dave Pelzer's inspirational and New York Times bestselling trilogy of memoirs that began with A Child Called'It'and The Lost Boy.'All those years you tried your best to break me, and I'm still here. One day you'll see, I'm going to make something of myself.'These words were Dave Pelzer's declaration of independence to his mother, and they represented the ultimate act of self-reliance. Dave's father never intervened as his mother abused him with shocking brutality, denying him food and clothing, torturing him in any way she could imagine. This was the woman who told her son she could kill him any time she wanted to—and nearly did. The more than two million readers of Pelzer's New York Times and international bestselling memoirs A Child Called'It'and The Lost Boy know that he lived to tell his courageous story. With stunning generosity of spirit, Dave Pelzer invites readers on his journey to discover how he turned shame into pride and rejection into acceptance.

In Creating Sanctuary, Dr. Sandra Bloom argues that our society is sick: we are emotionally numb, addicted to violence, alienated from ourselves and each other, and trapped in a vicious cycle of destructive behavior. By applying the successes from her treatment programs with severely traumatized individuals to larger group and social organizations, Dr. Bloom offers insights into how we can create safe environments that promote well-being.

“Anyone who had a troubled childhood ought to read this book.”—Anne H. Cohn, D.P.H., Executive Director, National Committee for Prevention of Child AbuseDo you have trouble finding friends, lovers, acquaintances?Once you find them, do they dump on you, take advantage of you, or leave?Are you in a relationship you know isn't good for you?Are you still trying to figure out what you want to do when you grow up?Are you drinking too much, eating too much or trying to numb your pain with drugs of any kind?These are just a few of the problems abused children experience when they become adults.You may not realize you were abused. You may think your parents didn't mean it, didn't know better, or that others had it much worse. You may not even have made the connection between the past and your current problems.Outgrowing the Pain is an important book for any adult who was abused or neglected in childhood. It's an important book for professionals who help others. It's a book of questions that can pinpoint and illuminate destructive patterns. The answers you discover can lead to a life filled with new insight, hope, and love.“The best book available to help survivors cope and understand.”—Dan Sexton, Director, Childhelp's National Abuse Hotline“An invaluable aid for adult survivors of child abuse.”—Suzanne M. Sgroi, M.D., Executive Director, New England Clinical Associates

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Dr. Susan Forward's Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them.When you were a child...Did your parents tell you were bad or worthless?Did your parents use physical pain to discipline you?Did you have to take care of your parents because of their problems?Were you frightened of your parents?Did your parents do anything to you that had to be kept secret?Now that you are an adult...Do your parents still treat you as if you were a child?Do you have intense emotional or physical reactions after spending time with your parents?Do your parents control you with threats or guilt?Do they manipulate you with money?Do you feel that no matter what you do, it's never good enough for your parents?In this remarkable self-help guide, Dr. Susan Forward drawn on case histories and the real-life voices of adult children of toxic parents to help you free yourself from the frustrating patterns of your relationship with your parents -- and discover an exciting new world of self-confidence, inner strength, and emotional independence.

The authenticity of memories of childhood sexual abuse has become one of the major social controversies of the 1990's. As persons who report histories of abuse have sought remedies in civil and criminal proceedings in the courts, the accuracy of their memories--particularly when they have been recalled after a period of time--has been subject to intense scrutiny. This volume brings together many of the leading participants in the debate to provide a comprehensive picture of the psychological, physiological, and legal aspects of trauma. Beginning by defining the opposing positions in the debate, the contributors then offer a variety of perspectives on the nature of memory, including reviews of some of the most exciting recent developments in this fast-growing area of investigation. Next, consideration is given to the impact of trauma on memory, both in adults and in children. With this framework in place, the authors turn to an examination of the variety of treatment approaches available to victims of trauma, who are trying to cope with the painful consequences of those events. The book argues against a unidimensional approach to trauma, calling instead for a multidisciplinary synthesis that includes developmental, neurobiological, cognitive, and psychodynamic perspectives. Chapters address the legal dilemmas for patients, mental health professionals and society as a whole that have arisen from the trauma and memory controversy. Most importantly, the editors shift the focus of their discussion from the laboratory to the courtroom and from the research journal to the psychotherapist's office, looking at the issues from every relevant angle. This is the only book in the field to treat the trauma and memory controversy comprehensively, from basic research on memory processes through clinical approaches to legal and policy issues. Trauma and Memory is a valuable tool for clinicians treating patients with traumatic memories. It is also intended for psychologists, physicians, social workers and lawyers who need a comprehensive reference on trauma and sexual abuse during childhood.

Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You destroys our complacency about who among us can commit unspeakable atrocities, who is subjected to them, and who can stop them. From age four to eighteen, Sue William Silverman was repeatedly sexually abused by her father, an influential government official and successful banker. Through her eyes, we see an outwardly normal family built on a foundation of horrifying secrets that long went unreported, undetected, and unconfessed.