The Emotionally Abused Woman

Book excerpt: “A sensible book, full of insight and hope,”* that offers support and guidance in freeing emotionally abused women from the cycle of abuse and establishing new healthy patterns of relating to others. *Booklist • Does your husband or lover constantly criticize you and put his needs before yours? • Do you sometimes wonder if your best friend is truly a friend? • Does your boss try to control your every move? • Does your fear of being left alone keep you in chronically hurtful relationships? If any of these questions sound familiar, you could very well be suffering from emotional abuse—the most widespread but also the most hidden abuse that women experience. This type of abuse is just as damaging as physical or sexual abuse. But there is help in this invaluable compassionate sourcebook. As a marriage, family, and child therapist who has grappled with these issues herself, Beverly Engel guides you through a step-by-step recover process, helping you shed the habits begun in childhood and take the first few steps toward healthy change. Using numerous examples drawn from case history and her own therapeutic expertise, Engel will show you how to • Recognize and understand the abusers in your life • Identify the patterns that have kept you emotionally trapped • Complete your unfinished business • Decide whether to walk away from an abusive relationship or take a stand and stay • Heal the damage of abuse by building self-esteem • Break the cycle of abuse and open yourself to the promise of healthy relationships