Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: Daily Practices to Honor Your Emotions and Live with Confidence

Description

From the author of the self-help hit, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, this essential guide offers daily, practical ways to help you heal the invisible wounds caused by immature parents, nurture self-awareness, trust your emotions, improve relationships, and stop putting others' needs ahead of your own. If you grew up with an emotionally immature, unavailable, or selfish parent, you probably still struggle with anger, sadness, resentment, or shame. As a child, your emotional needs were not met, your feelings were dismissed, and you likely took on adult levels of responsibility in an effort to compensate for your parent's behavior. Somewhere along the way, you lost your sense of self. And without this strong sense of self, you may feel like your own well-being isn't valuable. In this compassionate guide-written just for you, not them-you'll find tips and tools to help you set boundaries with others, honor and validate your emotions, and thrive in the face of life's challenges. You'll discover how to protect yourself from hurtful behavior, stop making excuses for others' limitations, forge healthier relationships, and feel more confident in your life. Most importantly, you'll learn how to stop putting others' needs before your own, and manage daily stressors with competence, clarity, and optimism. Self-care means honoring and respecting the self. But when you grow up with emotionally immature parents, you are taught that setting limits is selfish and uncaring. You are taught to seek approval instead of authenticity in relationships. And you are taught that empathy and emotional awareness are liabilities, rather than assets. But there's another way to go through life-one in which you can take care of yourself, first and foremost. Let this book guide you toward a new way of being.

Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice who specializes in individual psychotherapy with adult children of emotionally immature (EI) parents. She is author of Who You Were Meant to Be, and writes a monthly column on well-being for Tidewater Women magazine. In the past, she has served as adjunct assistant professor of graduate psychology at the College of William and Mary, as well as at Old Dominion University. Gibson lives and practices in Virginia Beach, VA.

"Gibson has written another powerful book that captures the reader's interest with her genuine concern that the reader has 'the best possible life.' Although she addresses those primarily affected by EI parents, friends, and families, this book has suggestions and insights that everyone can relate to and learn from. I myself read it two times as a retired therapist, and will certainly suggest it to other colleagues and friends." --Judy K. Snider, MSW/ACSW, coauthor of I Love You, Be Careful--a Mom's Choice Award winner --Judy K. Snider, MSW/ACSW "This book is essentially about love. Lindsay Gibson speaks directly to the reader with healing empathy and love, offering a guide for compassionate and healthy love of self and others. She shares her wisdom in short passages filled with empowering strategies for self-care and hilarious metaphors. Her gems of insights will evoke reactions from rollicking laughter to grief, but ultimately will inspire you with hope and courage." --Julia C. Smith, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist --Julia C. Smith, PhD "A gift to yourself all packaged into a beautifully written book. Lindsay Gibson gives you the skills, and sparks of insight you never knew you needed, to help you along on your journey toward living a happier, more fulfilling life." --Tara Bixby, LPC, founder of courageously.u, and host of The Courageously.u Podcast--Tara Bixby, LPC "Like a warm, gentle, and caring mother who sits us down regularly to teach us how to live a good life, Lindsay Gibson reparents us with this well-written, intelligible book. Self-care is one of the most difficult but rewarding of tasks for the survivor of EI parents, yet Gibson has managed to unfold every layer of it in a way that makes us understand and want to love ourselves." --Andrea Mathews, therapist, speaker, and author of Letting Go of Good--Andrea Mathews "Lindsay has done it again! Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents is the loving advice and instruction that those of us with these types of parents needed but never got. Lindsay offers compassion with application for guiding us on how to reparent ourselves, while throughout, reminding us that we deserve to have better lives! This book is another Lindsay Gibson 'must-have' in everyone's library." --Amee Quiriconi, host of the One Broken Mom podcast, and author of The Fearless Woman's Guide to Starting a Business--Amee Quiriconi "Lindsay Gibson's book is treasure trove of golden nuggets studded with practical insights, wisdom, and inspiration written in bite-size pieces by a serious, experienced professional who has a deep understanding of the human condition. As the child of two emotionally immature (EI) parents, I felt the book was a window into my soul reaching in, offering me a hand and lifting me up." --Arlene Ingram, retired PK-12 school counselor with thirty-five years' experience; and former president of the Virginia Counselors Association, and of Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admissions Counseling--Arlene Ingram "You are worth it, you are enough, you are important, and you deserve to be loved no matter what you have felt in your relationship with your parents. With the guidance of this book, start the healing process by taking care of yourself so you can grow and gain confidence. The only relationship you will be in until the end of your life is the one you create with yourself." --Joanna Gutral, psychologist at SWPS University in Warsaw, Poland; certified cognitive behavioral psychotherapist; psychoeducation leader; and podcaster at Kind Mind--Joanna Gutral