Family Secrets

by John Bradshaw

Book Overview

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You- But it Can Also Lead to Self-Acceptance and Healing. Family Secrets gives you the tools you need to understand your family-and yourself- in an entirely new way. In his bestselling hooks and compelling PBS specials. John Bradshaw has transformed our understanding of how we are shaped by our families. Now join him on this fascinating journey of discovery, which starts with your life today and takes you back through...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553095919
• ISBN13: 9780553095913
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 297 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Family Secrets by John Bradshaw

This is a great book for gaining insight into the damage done by toxic secrets.

Insghtful and powerful

Family Secrets provides powerful tools for understanding the dynamics of families, and understanding how you may have become unknowingly enmeshed in patterns that can persist for generations. The most valuable parts of the book are the techniques for uncovering family secrets, and the method for bringing all the information together in such a way that it makes sense. These techniques are practical and really work. I made several major discoveries about families I am involved with as a result of this book. Bradshaw includes many new insights about how families work throughout the book. Overall, highly recommended.

This book can change your life, your family and your death

I first read this book when the subtitle was "What you don't know can hurt you." Bradshaw and others have finally done research to prove his thesis that generations repeat patterns, events, behaviors--not just personality types and genetic diseases. Reluctantly I had to agree because my observations, although unscientific, confirm what he explains. Understanding Bradshaw's book altered my life and the abbreviated life of my brother, as indicated in the book "Gossip Kills (The 9th/8th? Commandment). The story therein is a case study of what Bradshaw posits in Family Secrets. A "must read" for anyone who understands or suspects that we're only as sick as our secrets.

Get Answers to Questions That You Didn't Know You Had

I first read this book, June 1995, while sitting at the beach, far away from a store, and one month before I was to host a family-reunion.My mind was searching for a way to be who I decide I am, while I do my best to respect each of my family members - a tall order, at best.Usually, while I am reading a book, be that fiction or non-fiction, I have paper to write notes into. But I didn't have them, at this time.One chapter into reading this wonderful book, I had to leave the beach, to buy a notebook, because there are so many powerful tools in this book, ones which I absolutely had to capture in my own written words, as the thoughts and emotions rose up.And once I finished reading this book, and reviewed my notes, I was still amazed at how much more I knew about each of my family members, particularly the one family member who until then I wondered if he even had emotions.You cannot passively read a book like this, and expect to heal what ails you. You must partner with John Bradshaw, to understand who you are, through who you have and may still be surrounded by.I had one challenge, in reading this book: John Bradshaw advises readers to ask relatives about facts about other relatives. In some families, communication is so toxic that no one will tell the truth.And when this is the case, in your family, as you ask yourself the questions, look around you, and expect to find the answer, through holding the question close to your soul.Also, if you haven't read a book like this, and done extensive work, prior, you could look around you, and see who in your life is a mirror of your family members. This will speak volumes to you.Reading this book, prior to hosting my family reunion was so cathartic that my mantra became, "I don't care how many actually show up. I'll do my part to encourage those who do show up to feel welcome."What I noticed, and continue to notice, as a result of having read this wonderful book, is that no matter where we come from, we can use that past to claim our voice. And doing this does require us to admit, over and over again, what was, and what we desire.For those who believe that looking back in the past is blaming those from the past; dangerous; or, is a risk of being trapped by the past, I must say that having studied my past, I am free to look at my notes and see that what I was really doing was accepting who and where I was then.It is in accepting our deepest pains that we automatically enhanced who we are.Read this book to use your past to catapult yourself into your true self.

Outstanding work again by John Bradshaw

This is one of the best works that I have ever read. Honest, with clear direction on what steps to take to improve the state of your life. Highly recommend!