The critical importance of parents -- The search for any feeling of home -- Love cannot be forced -- Transforming maladaptive guilt -- Untwisting their demands for respect -- Overcome your self-neglect -- What love based in respect feels like -- Respecting yourself -- Your role in the family system -- Survive the smear campaign -- When the scapegoat fights back -- Start choosing you -- Recovering a source of power -- Healing is a verb -- Your happiness possibility -- Make love your default emotion

"If you grew up with a parent who was self-centered, manipulative, or emotionally abusive, you may still struggle with feelings of anger, sadness, fear, or hopelessness as an adult. You may avoid emotional intimacy with others for fear of being hurt or abandoned. And you may even feel like the abuse was somehow your fault. But it was not your fault, and there are tools you can use to heal and move forward. With this compassionate guide, you'll gain a greater understanding of what happened in your past, transform deep pain into emotional resilience, and build the life that you deserve. You'll also learn how to set boundaries, assert your needs, and overcome emotional avoidance to develop authentic and mutually respectful relationships with others. The pain you experienced growing up doesn't have to define you. Let this book be your guide on the path to healing, wholeness, and self-discovery" -- Back cover