The Emotionally Abusive Relationship

by Beverly Engel

In the bestselling tradition of The Emotionally Abused Woman "A good, solid treatment of an insidious but all-too-common type of relationship...Engel doesn't just describe she shows us the way out." Susan Forward, PhD, author of Emotional Blackmail Emotional abuse is a major epidemic in our culture. In this prescriptive book, Beverly Engel identifies the types of emotionally abusive behavior, providing strategies to help those who are being abused to confront their partners and begin making the necessary changes that will transform their relationships. She also shows emotionally abusive people how to stop abusing and offers help to couples who have slipped into a mutually unhealthy style of interacting. Beverly Engel (Los Osos, CA) is the author of twelve nonfiction books and has been a psychotherapist for over 25 years. She conducts professional training programs and has appeared on many national television shows, including Oprah, Donahue, Ricki Lake, and CNN. Her books include Loving Him Without Losing Him (0-471-40979-0) and The Power of Apology (0-471-21892-8), which was a finalist in the Books for a Better Life Awards competition.

"...important read for those who suspect that their relationship has entered abusive territory, this book is highly recommended." (Library Journal, September 15, 2002)

BEVERLY ENGEL is an internationally recognized therapist with an expertise in women's issues, relationships, sexuality, and abuse. She is the author of several nonfiction books dealing with relationships, abuse, and women's issues, including Loving Him Without Losing You and The Power of Apology, both from Wiley, and The Emotionally Abused Woman. Engel conducts professional training programs, lectures several times a year, and has appeared on many national television shows, including Oprah, Donahue, Ricki Lake, Sally Jessy Raphael, and others.

Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part One: Identifying and Understanding Emotional Abuse; 1. Emotional Abuse-The Destroyer of Relationships; 2. Patterns of Abuse; 3. Not All Emotionally Abusive Relationships Are Alike; 4. Patterns That Begin in Childhood: Why We Abuse and Why We Take It; Part Two: Stopping the Abuse; 5. Action Steps for Those Being Abused; 6. Action Steps for the Abusive Partner; 7. Action Steps for the Abusive Couple; 8. When Your Partner Has a Personality Disorder; 9. When Your Abusiveness Stems from Your Personality Disorder; Part Three: Where Do You Go from Here?; 10. Should You Stay or Should You Leave?; 11. Preventing Emotional Abuse in the Future; 12. Continuing to Recover; Epilogue; References; Further Reading; Websites and Chat Rooms; Index