The word abandonment conjures up images of a mother leaving her baby on the church steps. In actuality, it means that and much more. All of us experience feelings of abandonment, loss and heartbreak from big loss, like sudden death or an unexpected divorce to small losses that chip away at our heart, bit by bit. The losses that we usually minimize or brush away include not being recognized for our successes, being excluded from a party or being ignored when we see a good friend out with someone else. If we do pay attention to these kinds of slights, people often say we’re too sensitive. Because most of us do not want to feel the pain of abandonment, loss or disappointment, we often skip over it or bury it. These unhealthy responses usually result in rage, numbness or depression. Acknowledging that the pain is real and needs to be addressed, sets us on a journey that allows us to feel and heal. Please join us Thursday to learn how to resolve abandonment and overcome self-sabotage.
Susan Anderson is the author of The Abandonment Recovery Workbook, as well as Taming Your Outer Child and The Journey from Abandonment to Healing. The founder of the Outer Child and Abandonment Recovery movements, she has devoted the past 30 years of clinical experience and research to helping people resolve abandonment and overcome self-sabotage. Susan is a psychotherapist who through the abandonment recovery movement, offers a program of support groups and new techniques. She leads workshops across the country and reaches out through her website to bring her message of healing to abandonment survivors as well as clinicians. Please visit her online at http://www.abandonment.net.
