Raising Myself: A Memoir Of Neglect, Shame, And... Apr 2026

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. Raising Myself: A Memoir of Neglect, Shame, and...

described it as a "gut-wrenching, cleareyed coming-of-age memoir" with clean writing that serves the heavy subject matter. Engel used her personal history to inform her

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 Core Narrative and Themes Engel recounts severe hardships,

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

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

The book follows her through a "minefield" of childhood characters—including religious fanatics and child molesters—and her struggle to avoid falling into cycles of crime or self-destruction.