Helping Survivors of Authoritarian Parents, Siblings, and Partners

Helping Survivors of Authoritarian Parents, Siblings, and Partners considers the notion of the authoritarian personality in a family context and examines the extent to which authoritarians traumatize the people closest to them. Building on primary research, Dr. Maisel presents first-person accounts of life with authoritarian family members and provides clinicians and other professionals with tactics and strategies for helping clients who struggle with the impact of these experiences. This unique look at authoritarians at home serves to redefine the authoritarian personality, expand our understanding of family trauma, and give voice to the silent epidemic of authoritarian wounding.

1. Updating the Concept of the Authoritarian Personality 2. The Aggression Cluster 3. Please Break My Rules! 4. Walking on Eggshells 5. I. Hate. My. Mother. 6. Perfection Was the Minimum 7. Whole Scarred Families 8. The Exploitation Cluster 9. Exploiting Ignorance 10. Exploiting Religion and Religiosity 11. Some Cat Toys and Freedom 12. My Hansel and Gretel Life 13. The Narcissism Cluster 14. Narcissism, Conventionality and Passivity 15. Killing the Family Dog 16. Consequences: Depression 17. Consequences: Anxiety 18. Consequences: Addiction 19. Consequences: Physical Complaints 20. Consequences: Repetition Compulsion 21. What You Can Expect 22. Bringing Up Authoritarian Wounding 23. Trauma-Informed Care 24. Existential Care 25. Interpersonal, Relational and Family Help 26. Tips for Dealing with an Authoritarian Parent 27. Supporting Physical and Emotional Separation 28. My 15 Learnings. Appendix: Authoritarian Wound Questionnaire