Healing From Family Rifts : Ten Steps to Finding Peace After Being Cut Off From a Family Member (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "Whether you've been cut off by your family, or you've cut off a family member because of circumstances you find intolerable, you invariably undergo a..." (more)
Key Phrases: family that cuts, family cutoff, family estrangement, Mother's Day, New York, Father's Day (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sichel encourages his reading audience to discover their family roles,… [keep] ‘a gratitude list,’… [and] talk about it." -- Meg Nugent, The Star-Ledger

"Sichel makes his feelings clear: Those who have been cut off from family have it bad." -- Devin Rose, Knight Ridder

"This book is sure to be read eagerly by those in difficult family situations." -- Kay Brodie, Library Journal

Product Description

Ten steps to surviving a family rift, finding peace, and moving on

A family rift is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can face. It can have a profound effect on virtually every aspect of life, causing depression, relationship problems, and even physical illness. Healing From Family Rifts offers hope to those coping with a split in their families. Family therapist Mark Sichel addresses the pain and shame connected with family rifts and offers a way through the crisis and on toward healing and fulfillment. Uniquely, Sichel does not assume that every rift will or even should be mended. Instead, he offers ways to recover from any outcome, including:

A 10-step process to come to terms with the family dynamics that led to the split
Methods to find peace and personal reconciliation
Skills that help to build a second family of people whose values are in line with one's own
Techniques to fight feelings of guilt when faced with a family rift

Includes inspiring and instructive stories drawn from the author's patients that help readers put their own situations in perspective.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071412425
• ISBN-13: 978-0071412421
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must-read, October 14, 2004

By	D. Blume "David" (NY,NY) - See all my reviews

Mark Sichel's book offers practical and helpful advice from the first chapter to the last. I read about the book in the Ask Amy column in my newspaper (she replaced Ann Landers), bought it here, and have devoured it. His insight, compassion, and courage to share his personal experiences helped me to not feel crazy about the situation with my own family, and his practical suggestions for repairing a fractured family are like a Bible for the dysfunctional family. I highly recommend this book. I think other readers who have been suffering as I had will feel relieved, calmer, and saner after reading Sichel's book. If you're having estrangement issues or chronic feuding with your family, this is the book for you.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help the Healing!, March 31, 2004

By	acmeharpoon (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This book allowed me to go on with my life.  I felt like a total flop as a mother  because my son and his wife haven't spoken to me and won't return calls or letters or allow me to see my grandchildren. As I read the book, I learned I need to focus on all the succesful relationships in my life. I finally feel okay knowing I made every effort to mend things and they refuse to do so.   I highly recommend it to anyone who's got a relative who's said that they're never again speaking to them, especially to a parent who's going through a tragedy like mine. The author is smart, compassionate, and gives many practical tools for moving on and feeling better about yourself, whether you can heal the relationship or not.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concrete and constructive help, June 13, 2005

By	D. Krous "historyteach15" (Warren, RI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are experiencing a rupture in the family,I hope you do get Mark Sichel's book, Healing from Family Rifts. I did. I wish I had it years ago. After 11 years of learning to deal with my only child's addiction, and surviving a divorce after 24 years of marriage, Mark's book is opening up new avenues of exploration for my own life.

There is great information and concrete ideas throughout Sichel's book. There are ideas to implement that help us deal with the problems involved in family estrangement. We discover ways to make meaning out of our experience - a meaning from which we can grow as individuals. Mark's ten step program gives us a way out of the trauma we have experienced. It will make you think. And thinking about our lives is always a positive good. As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Mark helps us examine our lives.

I highly recommend Healing from Family Rifts for anyone dealing with family dysfunction and fracture. We've got nothing to lose but that pain we are feeling. We do have everything to gain - most importantly, our lives.