Books for Tough Times: Family

Sherrie Campbell provides compassionate guidance for adults who have experienced trauma from emotionally abusive parents. Drawing on evidence-based treatments such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy, Campbell offers tools to understand past experiences, transform pain into resilience, and build loving relationships with oneself and others.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are at the root of nearly all mental health disorders. In this innovative workbook, trauma specialist Glenn Schiraldi presents practical, evidence-based skills to help you heal from ACEs. In addition to dealing with the symptoms, you'll learn to address the root cause of your suffering, change the way your brain responds to stress and the outside world, and soothe troubling memories.

Melissa Urban has helped millions of people transform their relationship with food. Now, in this powerful and practical guide, she shows how boundaries—clear limits you set to protect your energy, time, and health—are the key to feelings of security, confidence, and freedom in every area of your life.

This book explores how to hold onto deep convictions while maintaining relationships with loved ones who hold problematic beliefs. Through personal stories and research, it offers a path toward justice, accountability, and growth without sacrificing values or causing harm.

In this empowering guide, licensed therapist and bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to breaking the cycle and moving forward.

Addresses the painful reality of family estrangement, a common yet under-discussed issue affecting over 65 million Americans. Drawing from his ten-year Cornell Reconciliation Project, Pillemer combines personal stories of people who successfully reconciled with research-backed insights from social science, offering a unique guide to healing fractured relationships. Through in-depth interviews and expert advice, the book provides hope and practical guidance for those seeking to mend broken family bonds.

Reclaim your power from narcissists, manipulators, and other toxic people. This book teaches evidence-based skills grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you recognize and shut down the common manipulation tactics used by toxic people, such as gaslighting, stonewalling, projection, covert put-downs, and love bombing.

Harnessing the latest scientific research, Dr. LePera teaches us to recognize how unmet needs from our earliest relationships create our current, dysfunctional relationship patterns, and leave us in a state of constant internal threat, even with those closest to us. Whether you struggle to maintain the kinds of relationships you want, or are facing a specific challenge with a spouse, partner, parent, sibling, child, friend, or colleague—Dr. LePera teaches us how to break painful cycles and reconnect with the wisdom, appreciation, and compassion that lives in each of our hearts.

Offers a transformative journey into understanding and overcoming wounds from our Family of Origin, providing tools to break free from negative patterns that stem from childhood experiences. Through introspection, personal anecdotes, and practical exercises, Pharaon guides readers in rewiring their programming to enhance relationships and live more fulfilling lives. Whether new to therapy or experienced, this book empowers individuals to liberate themselves from family dynamics and forge a path to personal growth and healing.

Does your other half have Asperger Syndrome or do you suspect that he or she is on the autism spectrum? This title explains Asperger Syndrome, discusses whether or not seeking an autism diagnosis will help, and offers simple strategies for coping with a range of relationship challenges including communication, social, and intimacy difficulties.

Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them--in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do "healthy boundaries" really mean--and how can we successfully express our needs, say "no," and be assertive without offending others?

Written by an autistic mother who experienced a mental health crisis following a poorly supported pregnancy and childbirth, she gives voice to the experiences of many autistic parents in order to address the issues they collectively and uniquely face. The outcome is a practical, insightful, and solution-focused guide to empower autistic parents from pre-conception right through to the first few months with baby, and to inform health and social care staff whose job it is to offer support and to meet their needs at these critical times.

Are you having trouble deciding whether or not to become a parent? Are you under pressure from family and friends? Unsettled by feelings of guilt or ambivalence? Unsure whether you will regret your decision in later years? The Baby Decision offers a clear path to finding the answers to all of these questions.

Rebecca Fox Starr shares her personal story of marriage, motherhood, prenatal anxiety and depression, severe postpartum anxiety and depression, recovery process and hope for the future. Woven throughout the narrative, Dr. Amy Wenzel, a specialist in the field of Perinatal Mood Disorders, provides readers with clinical information and advice, addressing risk factors, warning signs, definitions and recovery options.

Perhaps you had a difficult birth. Hopefully, you have a healthy baby. That, after all, is the most important thing. Or is it? So why are you struggling to move on? Perinatal clinical psychologist Mia Scotland explains clearly what can be harmful about birth, how birth trauma can affect mothers, fathers and health professionals, and why it seems to be on the rise.

The essential guide to understanding fertility and improving your pregnancy chances.

When prenatal testing reveals that a baby is expected to die before or shortly after birth, many parents choose to proceed with the pregnancy and embrace the time they are able to have with their baby, before birth as well as afterward. With compassion and support, A Gift of Time walks these parents step-by-step through this challenging and emotional experience―from receiving the diagnosis to coping with the pregnancy and making plans for the baby's birth and peaceful death.

If you have experienced trauma during your reproductive journey, from conception through your postpartum recovery, you are not alone. This workbook was written to help you build resilience and navigate difficult feelings.

A wryly personal and deeply relatable graphic memoir skewering the "traditional" parenting book to chronicle the absurdities, frustrations, and soaring joys of new parenthood—from the acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and author.

This newly updated book includes information on everything from healthy lifestyle habits to the latest technologies in prenatal care and childbirth. Any parent-to-be looking for accurate and authoritative information from a reliable source will surely appreciate this illustrated, easy-to-understand book.

Presenting the most up to date information for every day of your pregnancy—from conception to the first two weeks of your newborn's life. Information has been gathered and included from a wide body of healthcare professionals, including midwives, doctors, obstetricians, and pediatricians, offering balanced and evidence-based advice so that parents can make the right decisions for themselves.

This groundbreaking, up-to-date fertility guide from trusted queer and trans midwife Kristin Liam Kali is perfect for every queer family seeking pregnancy. It’s also the first evidence-based, transgender inclusive, and body-positive fertility resource for our community.

Most new mothers bring their infants to the doctor but ignore any distressing feelings or sensations they might themselves have―that sense of being "rattle" at many moments throughout the day and night. In Rattled, Dr. Nicole Pensak shares her own experiences and those of her patients to help new mothers feel informed, validated, and guided through matrescence.

From an expert counselor, a compassionate, comprehensive guide to healing, conception, and pregnancy after loss of a baby.

After decades of research into how babies develop in the womb, Susan J. Fisher, PhD, shares her expert advice to empower expecting parents. Complete with helpful illustrations, practical tips, and the essential questions to ask healthcare providers, here is everything you need to take charge of your health and your baby's.

A guide to navigating a second pregnancy when the first did not go as planned—with Dr. Nathan Fox, maternal fetal medicine specialist.

Many women who want to breastfeed often stop sooner than planned, leading to feelings of guilt, grief, and frustration. Society often overlooks these struggles, affecting mothers' mental health. This book explores what breastfeeding means to women, the emotional toll when it doesn't go as expected, and how to better support future mothers, offering valuable insights for anyone involved in the conversation.

An enlightening and practical guidebook for mothers to help them navigate mental health challenges during and after pregnancy--based on cutting-edge science by one of the world's foremost researchers of maternal mental health.

Drawing on nearly twenty years' experience, a developmental psychologist, providing expert advice and strategies, helps parents chart a manageable course for raising good humans that's aligned to their own values and their children's unique temperaments.

Every baby- and toddler-care decision sends parents scrambling to do the right thing, and often down into the rabbit hole of conflicting advice. Dr. Tina Payne Bryson has sifted through the reliable research (including about all those old wives' tales) and will help you make a manageable molehill out of the mountain of information and answer more than sixty common concerns and dilemmas.

Blending cutting-edge research with engaging storytelling, The Breakthrough Years offers readers a paradigm-shifting comprehensive understanding of adolescence.

Offers parents tips and tools to help boys move beyond persistent gender stereotypes to full humanity.

Written by a dietician and mindful eating expert, End the Mealtime Meltdown serves up the familiar, yet largely unexamined phrases parents say to kids at mealtime, and shows readers that what they say to their kids can actually sabotage their efforts to instill healthy habits. With this practical guide, parents will find the communications skills they need to end conflict at the dinner table-for good

Written for parents of children from toddlers to teens, this book gives parents a science-based plan to help their children grow up to be emotionally healthy adults.

Dr. Becky shares her parenting philosophy, complete with actionable strategies, that will help parents move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Offering perspective-shifting parenting principles and troubleshooting for specific scenarios—including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more—Good Inside is a comprehensive resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of self-regulation, confidence, and resilience.

A deeply researched, evidence-based primer that provides a fresh, often surprising perspective on parenting issues, from toddlerhood through the teenage years. First, Melinda outlines the traits we want our children to possess and then she provides scientifically-based strategies that will help parents instill those characteristics in their kids.

What do you do when your child comes to you with a question about anxiety, death, divorce, beauty, or race? Poised to become the quintessential conversation resource for parents, How to Talk to Kids About Anything provides powerful words, actionable steps, inspiring real-life stories, and pivotal advice to tackle these difficult conversations with kids.

Be the calm and collected parent you aspire to be with this powerful, neuroscience-based guide. This book will show you how to replace parental anxiety with parental effectiveness.

Written by a mother, expressly for other parents, this work supports parents as they help their kids manage life with mental illness. It offers insight into the various life "hurdles" every mom or dad must guide their children over—but which loom higher and more frightening when a child's emotional disorder is thrown into the mix.

For new parents, those thinking about becoming parents, and old pros, this new title brings together informative and helpful information about parenting styles and strategies for infants, toddlers, school-age children, pre-teens and teenagers.

Filled with easy-to-use strategies, backed by science, to overcome challenges and strengthen parent-child interactions. Brief, targeted exercises can teach ways to recognize and replace unhealthy thoughts, improving emotions and behaviors.

Speaking from a wealth of experience as both a mental health expert and an autistic parent, Pooky Knightsmith guides you through the joys and challenges of raising children in a neurotypical world. Always authentic, always practical, sometimes funny, and never judgmental, this book is an essential read for ADHD and neurodivergent parents (and future parents!) looking for advice from someone who's been there and made it work.

Three mental health professionals cut through the "parenting advice" noise with this accessible, easy-to-skim book filled with actionable strategies and tips to build a child's capacity to thrive where they are planted, in good times and bad.

Robyn decodes the latest brain science into easy-to-understand principles and metaphors to help you become an expert in your child's behavior. She reveals simple ways to help you regulate and connect with your child, with brain-, body- and sensory-based strategies to overcome day-to-day challenges. She also provides you with the knowledge to understand and regulate your own brain so that you don't flip your lid when your child flips theirs.

Helps you navigate the complicated world of foster and step-parenting with better awareness and greater empathy, providing real-life solutions for forging strong relationships in extraordinary circumstances.

Navigate work successfully as a first-time parent. Your first year as a working parent will be hard, but it can be truly affirming.

Written in an accessible Q&A format, here, finally, is the go-to resource for parents hoping to understand and communicate with their gay child. Filled with real-life experiences from gay kids and parents, this is the book gay kids want their parents to read.

Twenty-first century how-to advice embracing and celebrating the nonbiological parent and his or her "bonus" children.

There's a quiet epidemic in our culture: The fastest-growing type of family unit is grandparents charged with the task of raising their children's children. Experienced author Rick Johnson details both the challenges and solutions these heroic seniors face, offering strategies and resources (including real advice from other grandparents) to deal with major areas of stress—incorporating humor, common sense, and practical advice along the way.

Offers strategies and guidance to building a happier family life by doing less not more, and parenting smarter not harder. Focusing on the quality of time and not the quantity, parents can learn to cultivate better family wellbeing and happiness.

Military spouse education is an often overlooked topic. There are numerous programs and benefits that a spouse may have access to, but they are difficult to find and navigate properly. Balancing Life and Education While Being a Part of a Military Family attempts to highlight these possibilities and inform and assure this population that attaining an education is possible regardless of location or current circumstances.

When a partner or spouse returns from war, it is a time of joy; but it is also a time of transition, challenges, and uncertainty. The truth is that the process of reintegration can last for years, and it can be a particularly difficult time for both returning heroes and their families. If your partner has recently returned from war, or if they will be returning soon, you should be prepared for the unique challenges that lay ahead.

Any separation from loved ones is an emotionally difficult time for all concerned, especially when children are involved, but separation is now a modern day military reality. Military families must learn to adapt to long-distance relationships, as well as how to adjust and positively cope with separations for various training deployments and real-life exercises. Moore and Philpott cover the basic challenges military families may face before, during, and after deployment.

This useful, concise guide effectively introduces new service members and their families to the culturally relevant and need-to- know information required to survive and thrive in the ever-evolving military lifestyle.

Offers advice and guidance for couples with members of the military on marriage and relationships, discussing the challenges of being in a relationship with military personnel, counseling options that are available, deployments, financial issues, domestic violence, jobs, starting a family, depression, and other related topics.

Military life places unique demands on military families with children including frequent moves, disruptions in schooling, family separation, health care issues, loss of friends, financial hardships, underemployment of military spouses, and the ever present threat of risk of injury or death of loved ones deployed. Here, the authors have assembled information about common problem areas and have included detailed information about solutions and resources available.

Written by experts with decades of experience caring for individuals with memory loss, Alzheimer's, and other dementias, the book is widely known for its authoritativeness and compassionate approach to care. Featuring everything from the causes of dementia to managing its early stages to advice on caring for those in the later stages of the disease, it is widely considered to be the most detailed and trusted book available.

When caring for someone with dementia, your own mental stability can be the single most critical factor in your loved one's quality of life. The Caregiver's Guide to Dementia brings practical and comprehensive guidance to understanding the illness, caring for someone, and caring for yourself.

Hospice care is available to patients and families dealing with terminal illness. People often do not avail themselves of hospice care because they don't understand what it entails. Demystifying Hospice describes through stories good news about end-of-life issues.

Many people seek the comfort and dignity of dying at home. Advances in pharmacology and hospice care allow the dying to remain at home relatively free of pain and symptoms, but navigating professional services, insurance coverage, and family dynamics often compounds the complexity of this process. This book provides essential information that caregivers and dying persons need to navigate this journey.

A positive antidote to the negative narrative on caregiving, Positive Caregiving helps those who are caring for older adults connect with their care partners and enjoy life together through positive emotions and engaging activities.

Self-care is vital to caregivers maintaining stamina and a positive outlook for both themselves and the people they care for. But being so busy caring for others can make it hard to find time for yourself. In Self-Care for Caregivers, you'll find short, easy-to-read—and often easy-to-do—ways to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.

Age-proofing an older relative's living space, figuring out powers of attorney, spotting and dealing with signs of dementia, asking them to give up the car keys or consider assisted living . . . the first step toward tackling these concerns and more is an honest, informed discussion. Here are prompts and road maps for twenty-seven essential conversations with your parent, other family members, and health care providers

Designed to help caregivers understand how to cope with and overcome the overwhelming challenges that arise while caregiving for a loved one—especially an aging parent—Role Reversal is a comprehensive guide to navigating the enormous daily challenges faced by caregivers.

No matter your parents' age or stage of life, this comprehensive guide walks you step-by-step through developing a flexible, proactive plan that will allow you to make the best, most informed decisions-for your parents' well-being and your own.

Whether you've been looking forward to it or dreading it, the experience of coming home to an empty nest brings with it a well of emotions, realizations, and one gigantic, all-consuming thought: now what? Jim Burns combines his personal experiences with his expertise as a family educator to help you navigate your new life as an empty nester and find joy in this new season of life.

An empty nest does not have to be an empty life. Judy Holland shows you how to get back in touch with yourself, your partner, your life, AND your kids when the house is less-populated.