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

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

and Amazon highlight the book's "brutal honesty" and its message of hope for fellow survivors. Raising Myself: A Memoir of Neglect, Shame, and...

A central focus is how early neglect and abuse created deep-seated shame, making her feel "unlovable and rotten inside". Engel used her personal history to inform her

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 . Key themes include: Later chapters explore her professional

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:

Later chapters explore her professional success and her eventual ability to view her mother with compassion rather than just fear or anger. Professional Impact