Raising Myself: A Memoir Of — Neglect, Shame, And...

Engel used her personal history to inform her thirty-year career as a therapist specializing in abuse recovery. According to Simon & Schuster , she has written over twenty self-help books, including The Emotionally Abused Woman and It Wasn’t Your Fault .

and Amazon highlight the book's "brutal honesty" and its message of hope for fellow survivors.

A central focus is how early neglect and abuse created deep-seated shame, making her feel "unlovable and rotten inside". Raising Myself: A Memoir of Neglect, Shame, and...

is a raw, candid memoir by Beverly Engel , an internationally recognized psychotherapist and expert on abuse recovery. Published in 2018, the book chronicles her traumatic childhood and her ultimate journey toward healing and self-reinvention. Core Narrative and Themes

The memoir details Engel’s experience growing up with a neglectful and narcissistic mother, effectively being on her own from the age of four. Key themes include: Engel used her personal history to inform her

described it as a "gut-wrenching, cleareyed coming-of-age memoir" with clean writing that serves the heavy subject matter.

Later chapters explore her professional success and her eventual ability to view her mother with compassion rather than just fear or anger. Professional Impact A central focus is how early neglect and

Engel recounts severe hardships, including physical and emotional neglect, being sexually abused at ages four and nine, and being raped at twelve.