Healing The Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families

it focuses a lot on CoAP.. children of alcoholic parents but it has helped me tremendously understand how my parents were not emotionally there for me and until reading this i never realized my father was an alcoholic nor did i realize how much your parents actions shape the person you are. psychiatrist recommended and id say 10/10 relatable

This is an excellent book, especially if you want to really get to know your inner self. It has been a blessing to me, especially due to the amount of trauma that I went through as a child. It’s very eye-opening. It explains a lot of things, and it gives a lot of understanding. It also answers a lot of questions. All in all it’s very comforting. Have a blessed day.

I cannot rave enough about this book. I thought I would be able to just skim through the book, but it is a lot deeper and informative than I ever imagined. It is an easy read and very paractical. The information is applicable, so it may be best to take each chapter in and not rush through. I think this way you will be able to retain the informaiton. It has really given me a lot of insight about myself, my family of origin, and some answers to why or how people behave in ways that they do. Even if your belief system does not parallel with that of this book, you will still come out with a lot of knowledge about yourself and others. This book is also informative for those who have NOT came from Alcoholic or Drug Abused/Troubled homes. It really is applicable for ANY and EVERY one. I think this book is terrific for those who are trying to learn about themselves, heal from broken relationships or trying to grow stronger relationships, and VERY IMPORTANTLY, if they will one day be a parent themselves. A great gift you can give your child is to heal and help yourself so you can truly be a parent for your child(ren). This will help for dysfunction NOT to continue!!! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Next I want to oder "A Gift To Myself" which is the workbook by Charles L. Whitfield (the same author).

Difficult to review, as the idea is groundbreaking, but old. The first book to introduce the concept of the child within, which today psychologists largely accept as given. The book is not engaging in a way that a typical self-help reader would devour; it is psychological, goes into detail, and cites sources. But if you are unfamiliar with the concept of the child within, it is complex and includes practical examples to help everyone understand it.

This is one of the best books I have on my shelf. It targets the underlying problems of dysfunctional families, and it doesn't center on Alcoholism. I use the knowledge I gained almost daily. It goes over the structure of a healthy family vs. an unhealthy one. It reviews the importance of clear communication and expectations. Explains what is meant my "shaming", and the serious impact it has on how we interact with others throughout our lives; as well as the damage that is incurred when we are led to believe that our feelings aren't right and shouldn't be felt. I can't begin to explain the difference this book made. I never understood why I always felt like I wasn't good enough, I hadn't done enough, and how it was always my fault, not just within my family, but with friends and significant others as well. Now I can see patterns, and start to understand where they came from, and stop blaming myself for everything, and start working on the areas I am actually lacking in. I would recommend this book to about anyone. People who feel bad, who have tough times in relationships, who don't know what to do with themselves, who are work-aholics; as well as those who want to have a healthy family of their own one day. It's really simple. We are mostly products of our environment. This book shows us aspects of ourselves, and how the environment created these aspects. It doesn't put us down, or say we are irreversibly damaged. The "Child Within" is that part of each of us that is playful and happy and infintesimaly hopeful. That part of us has been taught that it is wrong through our years, and we have lost some of our wonder and fascination with the world around us. This book helps us get back to where we were when watching a caterpillar was the coolest thing in the world.

My therapist recommended this book to me, along with the workbook. It definitely gets into some painful stuff, and really makes you think about your inner child, and how to become a well rounded, mentally healthy adult. It can be difficult at times, but if you’re struggling, or just looking to discover/heal your inner child, I highly recommend this book.

That book is one of the most helpful books I've ever read regarding how our past, childhood hurts, develop a "false self" that directs our addictions, distractions, co-dependencies, and things like it without ever knowing it. Things that never work well in meaningful relationships, our jobs, and the "way" we relate to everything are clearly revealed,.There is a tremendous amount of helpful insight to uncover our true self which I have been bringing out with great joy ever since I started reading this. I have recommended this book to family members and some close friends that I know have struggles with life. You will not be disappointed, well worth it. My only regret is that I did not have this information when I was growing up, I would have lived a more full and meaningful life with less relationships going wrong, with others and myself.

I am giving this book 3 stars instead of 1 star because the advice may be helpful for some people. However, it is not scientifically sound. Just as with any 12-step program, it won't work for many people (in research, this means the method is neither valid nor reliable). Additionally, for the author to assert that spirituality is key for healing dismisses those people who are not and never will be spiritual or religious. Professional advice to rely on an outside being to heal any part of the self is merely trading co-dependencies giving the patient another disapproving parent-like entity to try to please. The entity is entirely conjured in the mind of the patient, and is thus likely to be similar to the person / situation / group that were the impetus to the issues the for which the person is seeking help. One problem with 12-step methods is that people who make mistakes are "failures" and have to repeat the steps from the beginning. Demanding perfection, which is supposedly something this book is attempting to fix, from people who can have issues with perfectionism can be counter-productive at best. I am not saying that 12-step programs don't work for some people; rather, I *am* saying that there are problems with this clinically unsound method. In this book, the author dismisses psychotherapy and medication which is outrageous, especially when communicating with vulnerable populations who would often benefit from these services. Whitfield also insists that all inner lives of abused people are inauthentic, naive, and craving spirituality. This may be true for some people some of the time, but stands in stark opposition to most social science research. If you're looking for better mental health, see a mental health professional. They will probably be glad to discuss this book with you, and they will also offer additional and sound means of healing. If you don't have the money to go to a therapist, or if you distrust therapists, maybe this will be a good place for you to start. I wish you the very best.

J’ai trouvé coque ce livre, même s’il n’est pas transcendantal, était cependant utile pour comprendre les mécanismes de nos blessures d’enfance. Par contre, dans la version Kindle, les tableaux sont souvent illisibles, bien trop petits, et c’est vraiment galère pour arriver à les agrandir. De plus, parfois, même agrandis, ils restent difficilement lisibles.

Wer als Kind in einer äusserlich perfekten, aber innerlich kaputten Familie aufwuchs und manchmal mit sich selbst nicht klar kommt - jedoch nicht weiss, wo das Problem versteckt ist, der sollte zu diesem Buch greifen und es wie ein Arbeitsbuch mehrere Male durcharbeiten. Der Erfolg wird nicht auf sich warten lassen!

Beautifully written book, digs deeper in inner hurt

Great for a spritual journey

I find this book easy to read, understand and it makes sense. Although it may seem dated it is one of the best books on this subject that I have read.