To combat physical nasties we need a strong immune system. To combat negative life events we need resilience. Here award-winning therapist Sally Baker gives us a practical guide to developing a wider understanding of resilience and to fostering it so that we have the essential perseverance and drive to emerge successfully when confronted with life's inevitable and often unexpected challenges. Sally explores some of the key family dynamics that can result in unhelpful ways of thinking about oneself which may undermine the natural development of resilience and in its place impose a cycle of self-sabotaging behaviour. Coping strategies such as heightened anxiety, non-confrontational behaviour, people-pleasing habits, along with 'adult failure to thrive', are just a few of the learnt strategies often originally forged out of powerlessness in response to less than ideal early life experiences. These strategies however can be re-assessed and the misplaced guilt, shame and self-blame that have affixed these behaviours, often for many years, can be resolved and released, making way for the getting of resilience from the inside out. Based on extensive experience and case studies from Sally Baker's own therapy practice, working with many clients over the years, this book provides gentle, perceptive insight along with tried and tested self-help therapeutic tools, free additional online resources and the expert guidance needed to take the reader through the stages from negativity to self-empowerment.
