The Emotionally Abusive Relationship How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing

A step-by-step guide to help both victims of emotional abuse and their abusers escape unhealthy patterns originating from childhood abuse and neglect

In the second edition of The Emotionally Abusive Relationship: How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing, internationally recognized therapist Beverly Engel walks readers through a proven program designed to help readers get to the core of their unhealthy behavior patterns.

This book was written specifically for two types of couples—those who mutually abuse each other and those with abusive partners who are willing to honestly look at themselves to and make the necessary changes to stop abusing. Unique among books of this type, Engel focuses on both the abused person and the abuser, offering non-judgmental advice to both groups. She offers effective strategies, techniques, and information to end abusive behaviors, including:

• Why some people are attracted to abusive people and vice versa
• Patterns created from childhood neglect and abuse and how to break them
• Determining if you or your partner suffers from a personality disorder such as Narcissism or Borderline Personality Disorder
• How to decide whether to continue the relationship or end it
• The importance of healing shame caused by childhood neglect and abuse
• How self-compassion can help heal both victims of emotional abuse and the abusers themselves

The Emotionally Abusive Relationship is essential for those involved in unhealthy relationships or who have loved ones trapped in an emotionally abusive situation. Therapist recommended, this book is also a must-read resource for students of psychotherapy.

Beverly Engel, LMFT, is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and an acclaimed advocate for victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. She is the author of twenty-three self-help books, including Loving Him without Losing You, Healing Your Emotional Self, and The Nice Girl Syndrome. Beverly frequently lends her expertise to national television shows and has appeared on Oprah, CNN, and Starting Over. She has a blog on the Psychology Today website and has been featured in publications including O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.

Introduction

Part One Identifying and Understanding Emotional Abuse

1. Emotional Abuse—The Destroyer of Relationships

2. Patterns of Abuse

3. Not All Emotionally Abusive Relationships Are Alike

Part Two: Healing Your Childhood and Your Unhealthy Patterns

4. Patterns That Begin in Childhood: Why We Abuse and Why We Take It

5. Completing Your Unfinished Business (For Both Victims and Abusers)

6. Healing Your Shame through Self-Compassion

Part Three: Stopping the Abuse

7. Action Steps for those Being Abused

8. Actions Steps for the Abusive Partner 

9 Action Steps for the Abusive Couple    

10 When Your Partner Has a Personality Disorder

11 When Your Abusiveness Stems from Your Personality Disorder

Part Four: Where Do You Go from Here?

12 Should You Stay or Should You Leave?

13 Preventing Emotional Abuse in the Future

14 Continuing to Recover

Epilogue

References

Further Reading

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.