Embracing Your Father: How to Build the Relationship You Always Wanted with Your Dad [Hardcover]

Linda Nielsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

An expert in father-daughter relationships shows daughters how to forge a new path to communication with their fathers

Psychologist Linda Nielsen shows readers how every daughter can transform her relationship with her father--if she is willing to be the adult who does the emotional embracing rather than the angry, hurt little girl waiting for Daddy to embrace her. Based on her popular Fathers and Daughters course--the first in the country devoted to exploring father-daughter relationships--Nielsen shows every woman how to:

• Go first and initiate a better relationship
• Examine her expectations regarding her relationship with her father
• Cultivate self-reliance
• Get to know her father as a person
• Explore her mother's role in the relationship
• Stay connected, even through divorce

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Placing the burden of the father-daughter relationship squarely on the daughter’s shoulders, Nielsen argues that women who believe dads should always take the first step towards friendship "haven’t moved beyond seeing themselves as a little girl." The psychologist, who teaches a class on father-daughter relationships at Wake Forest University, offers many helpful suggestions to her readers, including tips on how to start seeing dad as "more than a wallet" and how to stop playing the innocent virgin daughter. Chapters on handling the turmoil of divorce and remarriage and on getting to know dad as a person (and not just as a father figure), round out this useful, if somewhat guilt-tripping, self-help guide.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A serious, multi-layered look at the last unexplored relationship in families, Nielsen's work on fathers and daughters is important." -- Clea Simon Author of "Fatherless Women"

"Excellent chapter on divorce for general readers and college students. Deals creatively with complex problems, leading to forgiveness, understanding,reconciliation." -- Mel Krantzler, Ph.D. Author of "Creative Divorce" and "Moving Beyond Your Parents' Divorce"

"Groundbreaking book, summarizing cutting edge research in clear terms, giving hordes of practical suggestions. I can't recommend it highly enough!" -- William Pollack, Ph.D, Harvard University. Director of Centers for Men & Young Men. Author of "Real Boys" and "Real Boys' Voices"

"Nielsen delivers important messages to daughters who yearn for connection with their divorced fathers, showing how to repair old wounds." -- Constance Ahrons, Ph.D., Author of

"Nielsen knows father-daugher relationships like nobody else. Fathers will also find piercing insights. A practical, funny, poignant, inspired book." -- Neil Chethik. Author of FatherLoss: How Sons Come to Terms with the Deaths of Their Fathers.

"Remarkable! Thoughtfully weaving research,sensible advice, psychotherapy & personal stories - immense promise to alleviate estranged daughters' & fathers' pain. Amazing." -- Sanford Braver, Ph.D, Psychology Professor, Arizona State U., Author of "Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths"

"Terriffic! I will be recommending this book to fathers & daughters whose relationship is not all it could be." -- Dr. Richard Warshak, Professor, U.T. Southwestern Medical School, Author of "Divorce Poison: Protecting the Parent-Child Bond from a Vindictive Ex"

"Wow! Nielsen's chapter on divorced fathers is a refreshing, academic account with a wonderful handle on the real world." -- John Sims, Sociologist & Director of Single and Custodial Fathers' Network

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071423036
• ISBN-13: 978-0071423038
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Never Too Late, May 18, 2004

By 

Anne Dickason (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Embracing Your Father: How to Build the Relationship You Always Wanted with Your Dad (Hardcover)

A wonderful relationship with your father is truly one of life's greatest joys. But how can we find this if we don't already have it? Dr. Nielsen's book provides many practical and creative suggestions for doing just this. We did not choose our father or the life we had as a child. However, we can choose to change the way we interact with our dad once we are adults. Dr. Nielsen uses a variety of interesting techniques: short questionnairss to focus on specific problems; "Eye Opener" research summaries to provide perspective; and sample dialogues to help us get started talking with our dad. Dr. Nielsen's academic credentials give her the credibility to write this ground-breaking book. And her warm, encouraging voice and helpful ideas give us the courage to actually try to reconnect with our dad. I am recommending this book to all of my friends who are puzzled, angry, or disappointed with their father. It's never too early, or too late, to start.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help without guilt, April 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Embracing Your Father: How to Build the Relationship You Always Wanted with Your Dad (Hardcover)

As a former student in Dr. Nielsen's Fathers and Daughters course at Wake Forest University, I completely disagree with Publishers Weekly's review of Dr. Nielsen's book. This book is not about guilt. It is, like Dr. Nielsen's course, about helping fathers and daughters to develop positive relationships. Taking Dr. Nielsen's course and reading her book was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. By using Dr. Nielsen's approach, my father and I have developed a very close relationship--one that I never thought would be possible. Based on my conversations with other former students of Dr. Nielsen's, they have had very similar experiences. I wish that every daughter had the opportunity to take Dr. Nielsen's course. For those who can't, her book is a must.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for mothers as well as fathers and daughters, April 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Embracing Your Father: How to Build the Relationship You Always Wanted with Your Dad (Hardcover)

Since my daughter became a teenage, she and my husband have had a difficult time. All too often I found myself getting in the middle of things. Realizing that I might be contributing to the problem, I began a search for materials that might help all of us. A search on Amazon.com led to Dr. Nielsen's book. After reading this book, I came to understand how my stepping in might have actually made the situation worse. Dr. Nielsen offers a lot of good ideas about how to deal with the father/daughter relationship--some of which are especially helpful to mothers. My husband is now reading the book and is willing to make use of many of the strategies and ideas presented by Dr. Nielsen. Getting my daughter to read the book will be a little more difficult, but my husband and I believe it will be worth the effort. As you can see, I highly recommend this book.