Why do some families thrive in adversity while others fragment? How
can families weather difficult transitions together? Why do our families
so often exasperate us? And how can even small changes greatly improve
our relationships?
In Every Family Has a Story, bestselling psychotherapist Julia Samuel
turns from her acclaimed work with individuals to draw on her sessions
with a wide varietyof families, across multiple generations. Through
eight beautifully told and insightful case studies, she analyzes a range
of common issues, from loss to leaving home, and from separation to
step-relationships, and shows how much is, in fact, inherited--and how
much can be healed when it is faced together. Exploring the
relationships that both touch us most and hurt us most, including the
often under-appreciated impact of grandparents and siblings, and
incorporating the latest academic research, she offers wisdom that is
applicable to us all. Her twelve touchstones for family well-being--from
fighting productively to making time for rituals--provide us with the
tools to improve our relationships, and to create the families we wish
for. This is a moving and reassuring meditation that, amid trauma and
hardship, tells unforgettable stories of forgiveness, hope and love.
