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Healing from a Dysfunctional Family: A Workbook to Break the Generational Cycle, Navigate Complex Dynamics, and Move Forward
A step-by-step workbook to overcome the trauma of your past, break the cycle of dysfunction, and unlock your full potential.Did you grow up in a “dysfunctional” family environment? Perhaps your parents were emotionally absent, immature, or experienced their own mental health struggles. If these family dynamics feel all too familiar, you may have difficulty setting boundaries as an adult, or struggle with anxiety, depression, and profound feelings of shame and guilt. So, how do you cultivate the self-compassion needed to heal from the past and nourish healthy relationships?This compassionate workbook offers proven-effective skills to help you gain a deeper understanding of how your upbringing has negatively affected your life, your relationships, and your ability to thrive as an adult. You’ll learn how you adapted to the dysfunctional behaviors of your family, and how to break free from these destructive cycles.Discover empowering skills to help you break free from the feelings of anger, resentment, and unworthinessImagine and cultivate healthier relationship and family dynamicsLearn techniques for coping with anxiety, depression and other mental health strugglesReconcile your traumatic history with your current strugglesAvoid making the same mistakes with your childrenReach your full potential and live a life of meaning and purpose
It’s time to take charge of your life’s story. If you’re ready to let go of the past and embrace a future that’s filled with hope and healing, this powerful workbook can help you get started now.
It’s time to take charge of your life’s story. If you’re ready to let go of the past and embrace a future that’s filled with hope and healing, this powerful workbook can help you get started now.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2026
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Book Review: Healing from a Dysfunctional Family by Kara Lissy
Rating: 4 Stars
If you grew up in a household where emotions ran wild or were practically invisible, and family dynamics left you feeling stuck or overwhelmed, then Healing from a Dysfunctional Family by Kara Lissy might just be the book you didn’t know you needed. This workbook is a thoughtful, step-by-step guide designed to help you untangle the complex web of trauma from your upbringing and move toward a healthier, more purposeful life.
Kara Lissy dives deep into how growing up with emotionally unavailable or struggling parents can lead to challenges like anxiety, depression, and difficulty setting personal boundaries. What really stands out is how the book breaks down these heavy topics into manageable lessons, helping readers understand not just what happened in their past, but how those experiences still influence their present relationships and self-worth. The workbook doesn’t stop at awareness—it offers practical exercises that teach you how to process anger, heal shame, and create new, healthier family patterns moving forward.
What I appreciated most about this book was its balance between empathy and action. It’s like having a supportive guide walk with you through the healing process, providing tools that are easy to understand and truly helpful.. The exercises are straightforward yet powerful, giving you tangible ways to reclaim your life from the shadows of dysfunction.
If you’re someone who has ever felt trapped by the weight of your family history or struggled to break free from repeating harmful patterns, this book offers hope and real strategies to change your story. I’m giving it four stars because while it’s incredibly helpful and insightful, some sections could benefit from a bit more depth or additional examples. Still, it’s an invaluable resource for anyone ready to embrace healing and unlock their full potential.
In short, Healing from a Dysfunctional Family is a compassionate and practical roadmap for anyone looking to transform pain into growth and finally live a life filled with meaning and healthy relationships. Highly recommend!
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
Rating: 4 Stars
If you grew up in a household where emotions ran wild or were practically invisible, and family dynamics left you feeling stuck or overwhelmed, then Healing from a Dysfunctional Family by Kara Lissy might just be the book you didn’t know you needed. This workbook is a thoughtful, step-by-step guide designed to help you untangle the complex web of trauma from your upbringing and move toward a healthier, more purposeful life.
Kara Lissy dives deep into how growing up with emotionally unavailable or struggling parents can lead to challenges like anxiety, depression, and difficulty setting personal boundaries. What really stands out is how the book breaks down these heavy topics into manageable lessons, helping readers understand not just what happened in their past, but how those experiences still influence their present relationships and self-worth. The workbook doesn’t stop at awareness—it offers practical exercises that teach you how to process anger, heal shame, and create new, healthier family patterns moving forward.
What I appreciated most about this book was its balance between empathy and action. It’s like having a supportive guide walk with you through the healing process, providing tools that are easy to understand and truly helpful.. The exercises are straightforward yet powerful, giving you tangible ways to reclaim your life from the shadows of dysfunction.
If you’re someone who has ever felt trapped by the weight of your family history or struggled to break free from repeating harmful patterns, this book offers hope and real strategies to change your story. I’m giving it four stars because while it’s incredibly helpful and insightful, some sections could benefit from a bit more depth or additional examples. Still, it’s an invaluable resource for anyone ready to embrace healing and unlock their full potential.
In short, Healing from a Dysfunctional Family is a compassionate and practical roadmap for anyone looking to transform pain into growth and finally live a life filled with meaning and healthy relationships. Highly recommend!
⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️
April 5, 2026
Healing From a Dysfunctional Family is a workbook designed for anyone seeking to better understand and work through the lasting impact of dysfunctional family dynamics. The workbook is comprehensive and intentional. This is not a surface-level exploration, but rather a structured, in-depth guide that encourages meaningful self-reflection.
The workbook addresses a wide range of trauma-related patterns that often emerge from dysfunctional family systems, including emotional dysregulation, perfectionism, people-pleasing, difficulty with boundary setting, and the presence of co-occurring mental health challenges. Each of these topics is approached with clarity and care, helping readers not only recognize these patterns in themselves but also begin to unpack where they come from and how they continue to show up in daily life.
The author integrates multiple evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The self-reflective prompts encourage readers to slow down and engage in the process of self-discovery with their thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns.
While the workbook is accessible and clearly written, the topics it explores are complex and can bring up difficult emotions. Because of this, I would strongly recommend using this workbook alongside the support of a qualified therapist or mental health professional. Having that additional support can help readers process what comes up and work towards change.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The workbook addresses a wide range of trauma-related patterns that often emerge from dysfunctional family systems, including emotional dysregulation, perfectionism, people-pleasing, difficulty with boundary setting, and the presence of co-occurring mental health challenges. Each of these topics is approached with clarity and care, helping readers not only recognize these patterns in themselves but also begin to unpack where they come from and how they continue to show up in daily life.
The author integrates multiple evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The self-reflective prompts encourage readers to slow down and engage in the process of self-discovery with their thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns.
While the workbook is accessible and clearly written, the topics it explores are complex and can bring up difficult emotions. Because of this, I would strongly recommend using this workbook alongside the support of a qualified therapist or mental health professional. Having that additional support can help readers process what comes up and work towards change.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is an absolute game-changer for anyone who grew up feeling like they had to walk on eggshells. Kara Lissy has a way of making complex psychological concepts feel incredibly accessible and validating.
What I loved most was the practicality—it’s not just theory; it’s packed with actionable exercises that actually help you set boundaries and break old patterns. It felt like having a session with a very kind, very smart therapist who just "gets it." If you’re ready to stop carrying the weight of your family’s past, this is the guide you need.
What I loved most was the practicality—it’s not just theory; it’s packed with actionable exercises that actually help you set boundaries and break old patterns. It felt like having a session with a very kind, very smart therapist who just "gets it." If you’re ready to stop carrying the weight of your family’s past, this is the guide you need.
April 2, 2026
I’ve had the privilege of watching Kara show up for people as both a therapist and a human, and this book reflects exactly who she is: insightful, compassionate, and incredibly grounded.
Healing from a Dysfunctional Family is not just informative, it’s deeply validating. It helps you make sense of patterns that can feel confusing or overwhelming and gives you real tools to move forward in a healthier way.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles you don’t fully understand, this book will help you connect the dots, and start rewriting the story.
Healing from a Dysfunctional Family is not just informative, it’s deeply validating. It helps you make sense of patterns that can feel confusing or overwhelming and gives you real tools to move forward in a healthier way.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles you don’t fully understand, this book will help you connect the dots, and start rewriting the story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews