Showing titles in Dysfunctional Families

The name Armand Hammer conjures up many aspirational ideals. Billionaire. Industrialist. Successful businessman. Philanthropist. Art collector. It sounds like the idealized American success story. However, the reality of growing up Hammer had a very dark side, with very real consequences. Violence. Addiction. Abuse. These are just some of the realities that Casey Hammer, the only granddaughter of Armand Hammer, had to overcome. As dark as her recollections are, Casey's is a story of survival, hope, and inspiration. Lift the veil and see the realities of growing up Hammer.

Abby's Story is the second book in the Thrown Away Children series by author and foster mum Louise Allen. She doesn't want this baby. She can't look after this baby. She will never be able to love this baby. Little Abby's life begins badly, then just gets worse. Now foster mum Louise and her family must help her deal with the truth of her past to give her the chance of a future.

Slave Girls, a new series by bestselling author Louise Allen, reveals a shocking modern-day scandal of County Lines–the single most dangerous form of systematic child abuse prevalent today.

Little Jamey, 2½ years old, is placed with experienced foster carer, Cathy Glass, as an emergency. The police and social services have no choice but to remove two-year-old Jamey from home after his mother leaves him alone all night to go out partying. When he first arrives with foster carer Cathy Glass, he is scared, hungry and withdrawn, craving the affection he has been denied for so long. He is small for his age and unsteady on his feet–a result of being left for long periods in his cot.

The best news on the planet is that your mother doesn't have to change in order for you to be happy. In fact, author Karen C.L. Anderson will take it a step further and say your mother doesn't have to change in order for you to be free, peaceful, contented, and joyful. You can emotionally separate without guilt: Inspired by her own journey, Anderson's Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters shows women how to emotionally separate from their mothers without guilt and anxiety so they can finally create a life based on their own values, desires, needs, and preferences.

In this gut-wrenching account of her early life, author Kat Ward takes the listener through every shade of darkness, whilst never allowing the candle of hope to fully extinguish, so as that truth may indeed find its rightful freedom.

In her new book, the Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author of Damaged tells the story of the Dawn, a sweet and seemingly well-balanced girl whose outward appearance masks a traumatic childhood of suffering at the hands of the very people who should have cared for her. Dawn was the first girl Cathy Glass ever fostered. Sweet and seemingly well balanced girl, Dawn's outward appearance masked a traumatic childhood so awful, that even she could not remember it.

Family scapegoating is an insidious form of "invisible" abuse that is difficult to recognize. It is therefore critical that adult survivors of dysfunctional or narcissistic family systems understand what type of abuse they are trying to recover from. In Rejected, Shamed, and Blamed, licensed psychotherapist and family systems expert Rebecca C. Mandeville uses her research findings on what she named "Family Scapegoating Abuse" (FSA) to help survivors recognize and release the damaging "scapegoat" narrative associated with the family "identified patient" role.

Teenage Sammy has been in care from the age of nine. His mother has tragically spent much of his young life in and out of prison. Sammy has never found a safe haven and has been passed from pillar to post. When he arrives with Casey Watson, he is a closed book, but he slowly begins to open up. Casey realises that he has nobody in his life who he counts as family apart from a neighbour, ‘Uncle Kenny’. Sammy dotes on Kenny, even running away to be with him but having come across similar relationships before, alarm bells star to ring for Casey.

Abused from the age of eight by her older brother and then her step-father, Maureen Wood quickly became numb to the constant suffering. But Maureen’s world crumbled when her own mother started to abuse her too. A Family Secret is the harrowing true story of how one little girl survived sickening abuse by the people who should have loved her most and how an innocent baby finally saved her.

A young girl's life is shadowed by secrets and lies. When Willow arrives in the Allen household, curious things begin to happen. Who is the strange child dressed in outlandish clothes who refuses a mobile phone? What are the mysterious allegations that have been made about her?

This easy-to-understand book explains the standard process from start to finish - through being completely bowled over and convinced that one has found their true soul mate to the games and tests narcissists play once the partner has been successfully seduced. This is a form of narcissistic handbook, essential to keep close at hand when our head is saying one thing but our heart is saying another.

Fourteen-year-old Hannah comes to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley after her mum pleads with Social Services to take her into care, unable to cope with her daughter anymore. Previously a good student, a loving daughter and sister, Hannah is now playing truant, drinking and taking drugs. Angry and mistrustful, it seems that nobody can reach this troubled teenager.

When a fancy car pulls up outside six-year-old Marie's home in 1959, her dad tells her she is going on holiday. But little does she know she will not see her home again for four long years. Her family cannot afford to keep her at home. Marie tells the story of how she was taken away from a poor but happy and loving home life to live in a convent - away from everyone and everything she holds dear. Her hair is bluntly chopped, her clothes are taken away and her name is changed. Then a horrific ritual of physical, sexual and mental abuse begins.

When leaving is not a viable option: Discover how to cope with narcissists while living under the same roof, sharing a workplace, or co-parenting. Psychologists and behavioral experts are still debating the causes of narcissism, but they all agree on one thing: Having a narcissist in your life is extremely harmful to your well-being. Breaking free from that toxic circle of narcissism and codependency is hard, especially when you’re dealing with someone close to you. You’re not alone, and there’s a way to regain your freedom and confidence.

Do you struggle to set boundaries with others in your life? Has your past conditioned you to expect pushback when setting boundaries, or caused you to give up on trying to set boundaries altogether? The prospect of setting boundaries can be scary and intimidating and can put you in a very vulnerable place where your mental health and wellbeing may even be at risk. There is a science to creating boundaries—one that will empower you, deepen your connection with others, and improve your self-esteem. Setting Boundaries That Stick offers a scientific, neurobiological approach to boundary work.

The Trouble with Kim: On Transcending Despair and Approaching Joy is a poignant collection of true stories about growing up poor in a troubled family, and struggling to heal past childhood wounds toward wholeness and manhood. A gifted storyteller, Seth David Branitz manages to move and entertain as he explores even the most difficult of themes.

Unspoken Wounds: Healing Childhood Trauma Through the Lens of Culture, Identity & Belonging is a powerful, affirming book for listeners who never saw themselves represented in traditional healing narratives. Written for people whose trauma was shaped by cultural silence, family loyalty, systemic oppression, or generational pain, this book offers a deeply compassionate path toward healing. If you grew up in a home where emotions weren’t safe, where love had conditions, or where survival came before softness, this book will speak to your soul.

Are you an empath struggling to heal from narcissistic abuse? Ready to transform your pain into power and reclaim your authentic self? This comprehensive audiobook is your compassionate companion on the journey from trauma to triumph. Written with deep understanding and practical wisdom, it offers a complete roadmap to healing and personal transformation.

The unapologetic survival manual for anyone who's ever been manipulated, gaslit, or emotionally drained by a narcissist. Narcissistic abuse doesn’t always scream — sometimes, it whispers. It flatters. It future-fakes. And then it dismantles your reality one subtle lie at a time. If you've ever questioned your sanity, walked on eggshells, or felt like love was used against you, this book is your wake-up call.