Healing Begins With Us is the story of two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. Ronni and Jennie grew up in a home with addiction, mental illness, and abuse issues that generated unhealthy dynamics and often pitted them against each other. In this book, they tell the raw truth about their childhood experiences, including the abuse that occurred between them. As they moved toward adulthood, they managed to come together and chart a path that allowed them to heal their relationship, and break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and abuse in creating their own families. Using their personal and professional experience, they offer advice to help others who are looking to heal from their own painful upbringings, or heal their sibling relationships.
Ronni Tichenor has a Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in family studies, from the University of Michigan. Jennie Weaver received her degree from the Vanderbilt School of Nursing, and is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience in family practice and mental health.
There was a lot in this book that reminded me of my family of origin, and I think a year or so ago I would have been two overwhelmed to continue to read it. But now I can, I am in a much more honest place about the abuse in my family of origin, and I feel that I have to some extent escaped it.
There is a lot of honesty and love in this book and I had to keep reading until I finished it.
This book (Healing Begins with Us) is my first book where I was reading the account of two sisters who lived under an abusive and dysfunctional family till their late 20s. In a sense, their childhood was traumatic and suppressed. However, the other side of the book reinstates that no matter how much pain and misery grips your life, there is a way you can heal. And most importantly, it begins from within.
It’s a work of non-fiction, sort of memoir of two sisters who narrate their painful experiences while living in a family that showed they were good and conducive, but in reality it wasn’t. Psychologically, the book provides deep insights about many aspects that perturbs upbringing. Ronni Tichenor and Jennie Weaver bring forward issues of abusive grooming through conversations. Both are sisters. Ronni, the eldest one, and Jennie the youngest one in the family. The book touches upon many aspects that can have an adverse affect on an individual if grown under abusive parents who are eccentric, drug addict, mentally unstable that tend to care about themselves, and vents anger and blame on their children. As the book chugs ahead, the authors keep explicating various conditions while narrating their own ones with a possibly healing approach for readers. They meant to express that they were a part of an abusive bad family but they weren’t waste or unworthy.
The book delivers its message that one can break the cycle of trauma and abuse and resurrect with themselves and others. It’s possible but equally hard as one finds themselves facing the conflict of interests with others, identity crises, and much more.
Among all content, I sighed in appreciation for the authors for their coverage on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Much population of the world goes through ACEs that stirs isolation, fear, and insecurity in them.
Nearly each chapter, topic, discussion and conversation brims with tales and anecdotes that can either raise hope and love in your life, alternatively can also break your heart. The narrative was personal; you may empathize with them if vestiges of an abusive family still haunt you. The language of the book was lucid and flowed easily. However I felt that the students of psychology can consider this book for something additional resource.
I appreciate this book very much. My dad went through alcoholism and the process for recovery wasn't an easy road. Today he proudly talks about how he over came his struggles and I couldn't be more proud. Hence when I started reading this book I was in tears because these characters were touching.
Despite its heft, this book gets through its message that recovery and reconciliation are always within reach. Addiction and the forms of trauma discussed in the book often seem insurmountable from the outside, making it hard to comprehend what it would be like to actually live through them. Being a bystander is hard enough, but having your sibling bond strained on top of that is unimaginable. It's exciting to see people overcome obstacles like these and establish happy partnerships as adults.
I appreciated how the author approached the subject matter openly and analytically. The book was especially touching because of the sisters' love for one another. Despite the fact that it is occasionally challenging to read, I believe that a large number of individuals would benefit from reading this book. A very inspiring story that everyone should read.
This book is quite heavy but is still able to convey the overall message about the always possible option of rehabilitation and healing. Dealing with addiction and the types of trauma mentioned in the book can seem so overwhelming from the outside, it’s very difficult to imagine to actually live it. Going through it alone is bad enough but having the relationship with a sibling affected by trauma is certainly unthinkable. Being able to move past all these and build a healthy relationship in one’s adulthood is so incredibly inspiring.
I think the way it was written was very honest about the topics yet thoughtful. And again, the relationship between the sisters was so moving to read about throughout the book. It can seem difficult to read and it is at times; however, I think a lot of people should give this book a chance. They won’t regret it.
HEALING BEGINS WITH US: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond Kindle Editionby Ronni Tichenor (Author), Jennie Weaver (Author) - is such a well-written and great book that will possibly help a lot of people. The book opens with a bit of background about the authors' lives as children. Dealing with an alcoholic family member is always challenging as the children tend to develop roles that deal with the often unpredictable undercurrent. You will find this such a helpful book, it exposes so much, but through the revelations, you can heal too. You can learn to overcome your battles and rebuild sibling relationships. Truly a heart-rending book but one that is totally necessary. Recommended.
This is a great book written by two sisters, Ronni Tichenor and Jennie Weaver, impacted by childhood trauma that should have made bonding impossible for them. But, they beat the odds. Sometimes life will force you to take a step back and really examine your patterns and experiences. In fact, these two sisters didn’t even realize the abuse they had gone through until well into adulthood and trying to have families of their own. Like many of us, they were in denial at first but then embarked on a 30 year journey of healing. This journey was spiritual in nature as well. Their story is heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time. I have learned so much from this book and I’m looking forward to implementing some of the tools that they mentioned.
"Healing Begins With Us" by Ronni Tichenor and Jennie Weaver and found it to be an insightful and transformative self-help book. The authors expertly guide readers through a journey of personal healing, providing practical exercises and relatable anecdotes. Divided into three sections, the book explores understanding our past, embracing the present, and creating a better future. I particularly appreciated the authors' vulnerability in sharing their own stories and struggles, which added authenticity and connection to the reading experience. Overall, "Healing Begins With Us" is a powerful and empowering book that I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a path toward a healthier, more balanced life.
This book is so emotionally compelling but at the same time, tremendously instructive! Healing Begins with Us, tells the story of two sisters who grew up in a chaotic environment where they were exposed to addiction, mental illness and abuse from an early age. Like so many others who have similar childhoods, these issues just keep repeating themselves, so many destructive beliefs and behaviors being passed down from one generation to the next. If you are like so many that have unresolved traumas from childhood that still impact you to this day then this book is for you! Ronnie Tichenor and Jenni Weaver share relatable stories of the abuse they suffered and then show the reader things you can do to deal with these past traumas and recover your sense of wellbeing.
Sisters Ronni Tichenor and Jennie Weaver detail their shared history, childhood experiences and the trauma in their day to day lives. What could have caused permanent damage to their relationship bonded them in a way that still evident today. Together, they walk us through the habits that form from generational trauma and abuse, highlighting the path to healing.
This isn't a book you sit through and read with ease. It's heartbreaking, heavy and so very raw. The sisters lay themselves bare, to create connection with the readers and show how they have grow from their past and found their paths to healing. This book is so relevant to today and as the conversations about generational trauma and mental health have never been more popular, this book would help so many.
This story of two sisters brings forth the unhealthy relationship patterns, violence, and abuse faced while growing up. Drawing on their own experience, the book redefines healing from childhood trauma and transforming interpersonal relationships in adulthood. The book not just reignites hope but also offers practical solutions to recover from childhood trauma. Though this book might come off as a little heavy for some people, it stores invaluable insights on moving on from childhood abuse and dysfunctional family patterns. I would highly recommend this to everyone looking to move past their trauma and get a practical healing solution.
This was not an easy book to read, and I saw myself within its pages and relieved experiences I would rather have kept forgotten. Reading Ronni and Jennie's journey through their relationship's several phases is enlightening. It has brought me some form of closure and made me understand some things that I thought were very normal amongst siblings were most certainly not and, more importantly, the reason why they were not. Thanks to this book, I have rekindled hope for myself and my siblings, and I will not let it go.
Healing Bevins With Us is an awesome story of how two sisters. Enamel closer after realizing and recognizing their dysfunctional f dynamic as youngsters. Unfortunately, they had to end up severing ties with some family members, bringing them closer together in their adult lives. This book is so relevant to those of us who deal with controlling family members. This is a must read for the one The is not sure where to go from here with a dysfunctional relationship with parents or other family.
Ronnie Tichenor, Ph-D and Jennie Weaver, FNP-BC's book, HEALING BEGINS WITH US: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse Rebuilding the Sibling Bond, is a must-read for someone who spent their childhood in a dysfunctional family and needs to heal since they became an adult. This book discusses how trauma from your childhood could damage your health both physically and mentally in your adulthood. The sister authors speak from their own experience of growing in a dysfunctional home themselves as well. If you ever have any childhood trauma they is messing up your adult life, then this book is for you.
They really went through the wringer... It's one of those stories that's hard to swallow, but you're relieved they could make it through. I'm glad for them that they were able to overcome so much and recover from their upbringing.
Wow! An honest, compelling memoir about surviving family violence in childhood and breaking the cycle of violence. So powerful! A must read for anyone who has or is trying to break the cycle of abuse...
If you are in the mood for a tough but informative read, pick up this book. In Healing Begins with Us, the story is about two sisters who grew up with a rough childhood. From struggling with mental illness to abuse and addiction, they had to learn to overcome their past, heal from it and move on with their lives. That is not a simple thing to do and to not continue the cycle into the next generation. I found this book insightful to anyone but also a book that touches on a hard topic that can be hard to discuss. It is not an easy book to read and anyone looking to read this book should be aware of that, but once you read it you will understand the message and struggles in the book.