Surviving Relationships

Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships draws on current research, a wide variety of clinical modalities, and 30 years of clinical work with stepfamily members to describe the special challenges stepfamilies face. The book presents the concept of "stepfamily architecture" and the five challenges it creates, and delineates three different levels of strategies - psychoeducation, building interpersonal skills, and intrapsychic work - for meeting those challenges in dozens of different settings.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? is a survival manual, a guidebook, and a shot of reality. Some people will never change, and kissing frogs is the stuff of fairy tales, not real life. The Beast never turns out to be a nice guy (or gal). This is a book that breaks down what mean people do to us, how they do it, and what we can do to survive.

Now a self-help classic, Disarming the Narcissist is a practical, step-by-step communication guide to help you cope with and confront the narcissist in your life. Based on fan feedback, this fully revised and updated third edition features new information on shame, hypersexuality, and infidelity in narcissism; legal information to help you if you are divorcing a narcissist; and the impact of narcissism on children.

Debra Newell is nothing if not a survivor. By the time she met John Michael Meehan online, she lived through a near-fatal childhood illness, an attempted rape in her 20s, the traumatic death of her sister at the hands of her brother-in-law, four failed marriages, and a litany of dating disasters. But despite those tragedies, she seemed to have it all: adoring children, a successful business, a fabulous penthouse apartment.

The name Armand Hammer conjures up many aspirational ideals. Billionaire. Industrialist. Successful businessman. Philanthropist. Art collector. It sounds like the idealized American success story. However, the reality of growing up Hammer had a very dark side, with very real consequences. Violence. Addiction. Abuse. These are just some of the realities that Casey Hammer, the only granddaughter of Armand Hammer, had to overcome. As dark as her recollections are, Casey's is a story of survival, hope, and inspiration. Lift the veil and see the realities of growing up Hammer.

Leslie Vernick, counselor and social worker, has witnessed the devastating effects of emotional abuse. Many, including many in the church, have not addressed this form of destruction in families and relationships because it is difficult to talk about. With godly guidance and practical experience, Vernick offers an empathetic approach to recognizing an emotionally destructive relationship and addresses the symptoms and the damage with biblical tools. 

Jazz Thornton first attempted to take her own life at the age of 12. Multiple attempts followed and she spent time in psychiatric wards and under medical supervision as she rode the rollercoaster of depression and anxiety through her teenage years - yet the attempts continued. Find out what Jazz learned about how her negative thought patterns came to be and how she turned those thoughts - and her life - around.

The causes of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder range from severe neglect to monstrous abuse. Many survivors grew up in houses that were not homes-in families that were as loveless as orphanages and sometimes as dangerous. If you felt unwanted, unliked, rejected, hated, and/or despised for a lengthy portion of your childhood, trauma may be deeply engrained in your mind, soul, and body. This book is a practical guide to recovering from lingering childhood trauma. It is copiously illustrated with examples of the author's and his clients' journeys of recovering.

Part memoir, part self-empowerment guide, this book is designed to provide resources for anyone experiencing abuse. Listeners who are survivors of abuse, those struggling to recognize if their relationship is unhealthy or dangerous, and those wondering how to leave an abusive relationship safely will all benefit from this powerful book. What I Wish I Knew can also serve as a valuable resource for those in helping professions or for loved ones supporting someone in an abusive relationship.

Using the written word as her witness statement, Jessica Willis Fisher tells a lacerating story of finding her voice after two decades of silence and an unforgettable story of risk and faith.

Although relatively common, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often overlooked or misdiagnosed by therapists and clinicians and denied by those who suffer from it. If you were raised by a BPD parent, your childhood was a volatile and painful time. This book, the first written specifically for children of borderline parents, offers step-by-step guidance to understanding and overcoming the lasting effects of being raised by a person suffering from this disorder.

Becoming a step-parent is one of the toughest journeys anyone could ever take, but the rewards can be immeasurable. In this insightful and reassuring book, Australia's leading parenting expert, Michael Carr-Greg, offers practical advice. Surviving Step-Families is an invaluable resource that will help to give your new family the greatest chance of success.

Do you feel as though your relationship with your parents is seriously limiting your potential? Have they made you feel worthless in the past? Did you or do you have to constantly be there for them and their problems? If so, the chances are high you are dealing with a toxic parent. This can be a hard pill to swallow at first, but from here on, everything will begin to get better.

You don’t have to feel like your best isn’t good enough. Take back your voice and start leading a life that aligns with your own values instead of someone else’s. If you yearn to make a change and end years of abuse and toxicity, then you are already a step ahead of your abuser. Perhaps you question if there was something in you that attracted the narcissistic abuser to your life. Yet narcissists are attracted by strong, talented, empathetic people—and you were one of them. The good news is that they are powerless without you.

What were you doing in your life before you got sick? This is a common question Dr Izabella Wentz asks her clients when trying to get to the root cause of symptoms such as low energy, sleeplessness, caffeine dependency and poor memory. More often than not, she found they developed their symptoms after a period of acute or chronic stress: starting a new business, having a baby or living through a global pandemic - these can all destroy our once-resilient stress response.

Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too. A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most and how an innocent baby finally saved her.

One morning in June, Abi had her to-do list—drop the kids to school, get coffee and go to work. Jacob had a bad headache so she added 'pick up steroids'. She returned home and found the man she loved and fought and laughed with for 20 years lying on the bathroom floor. And nothing would ever be the same again. But this is not a pity memoir. It's about meeting your person. And crazed late-night Google trawls. It's about the things you wished you'd said to the person who matters then wildly over-sharing with the barista who doesn't know you at all.

With her trademark no-nonsense voice and building on the principles developed during her long career as a licensed therapist, New York Times best-selling author Dr. Laura shows listeners how to survive enemies - traitors, backstabbers, and saboteurs - at work and at home.

One moment you're teaching your child how to take their first steps then, in the blink of an eye, you're watching them walk into a new era of life. Are you struggling with the transition from a bustling home to an empty nest? If you are one of the many parents sending their child off on a new adventure, you've come to the right place! Surviving and Thriving the Empty Nest is your key to embracing change, rediscovering purpose, and cultivating joy once your children leave home!

In Surviving an Affair, Drs. Harley and Chalmers describe the most common types of affairs, the reasons they begin and end, the best way to end them, and the best way to restore a marriage after an affair. But most importantly, they help listeners survive the ordeal by providing them with step-by-step guidance that minimizes suffering and offers hope for rebuilding a loving and trusting marital relationship.