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Home is Where the Start Is

Home is Where the Start Is

How Your Family Made You, and How You Can Make Yourself Even Better

Summary

The bestselling guide for understanding how your family made you, and how you can make yourself even better.

'Excellent' - Brendan O'Connor, RTÉ

'I loved it' - Síle Seoige, Ready to Be Real

* * *

Our early years at home are when we lay down the blueprint for being a partner, parent, sibling, friend, colleague, neighbour, and even a citizen. Home is where we become who we are.

Even the best of childhoods is imperfect. And if there were difficulties - whether due to simple personality clashes, or issues such as authoritarian parenting, family break-up, illness, loss or addiction - it may be an ongoing struggle to manage our moods and emotions, though we may have no idea why. Psychotherapist Richard Hogan has seen it all when it comes to how the early years shape us - and he knows we can work on ourselves to rewrite the blueprint. In this book he draws on extensive research and thousands of conversations in the therapy room to explain how.

Packed full of eye-opening and liberating ideas, fascinating case studies and practical tools, Home is Where the Start Is also includes a remarkable account of Richard's own challenges as a child and teenager. He knows exactly what it's like to face the past squarely, grapple with the legacy of childhood unhappiness and work on creating a better future.

Home is Where the Start Is will help you become the best version of yourself you can be. And it is an invaluable source of advice for parents to give your child the best possible start.

* * *

'Filled with articulate and fundamentally encouraging advice' - Sunday Independent

'A book of hope' RSVP

'An essential guide for anyone who wants to break free from the cycles of family dysfunction' - Irish Examiner

'Refreshing . . . for everyone who's interested in simply living better, with a little less stress and a little more joy' - Anglo-Celt

Reviews

  • Excellent
    Brendan O'Connor, RTÉ Radio 1

About the author

Richard Hogan

Psychotherapist Richard Hogan has been in practice for over a decade and specializes in working with families. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Award and is completing a PhD exploring the intersection between psychological models of the family and educational theory. He writes a weekly mental health column for the Irish Examiner and makes frequent TV and radio appearances, including as a regular contributor to Brendan O'Connor on RTÉ Radio 1. He lives in Dublin with his family.
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