How to Cope with Difficult Parents

by Windy Dryden, Jack Gordon

A guide for adults who suffer from problems in their relationships with their parents, yet feel that family links should continue. This book advises how problems can be faced and resolved in a mature way so that cycles of confrontation can be broken. The authors believe that all behaviour is learned from people around us, so it is vital that problems in the family group are resolved before they begin to affect the next generation of parents and children. The book deals with emotional blackmail, rejection, manipulation, constant demands, guilt, jealousy and abusive or critical behaviour. It aims to prevent people reverting back to childhood reactions and help people to avoid repeating destructive patterns in their adult behaviour. The authors have also written "Think Your Way to Happiness" and "Beating the Comfort Trap".

Paperback

First published January 6, 1995

About the author

Windy Dryden is one of the leading practitioners and trainers in the UK in the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) tradition of psychotherapy. He is best known for his work in Rational-Emotive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (RECBT), a leading CBT approach. He has been working in the field of counselling and psychotherapy since 1975 and was one of the first people in Britain to be trained in CBT and has trained with Drs. Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck, and Arnold Lazarus.

He has published over 200 books and has trained therapists all over the world, in as diverse places as the UK, the USA, South Africa, Turkey, and Israel.

He is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Reviews

[Peter Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this a difficult read. I get the idea that it is sensible not to react to difficulties as if they are catastrophic/disastrous but how does it help if Sally feels remorse rather than anger? Surely remorse involves acknowledging actual wrongdoing but the point is that Sally has done nothing wrong!