John Bradshaw takes concepts of psychotherapy from a variety of sources and puts them into practical exercises the reader can do to discover things that happened at certain developmental stages of their life. These things continue to have influence on people into adulthood.

If you like the works of Eric Berne and Erick Erickson, you will like this book. It takes you on a journey from your past to your present and points you in a different direction for your future. You will explore your “inner child” at various stages of development. Bradshaw has the reader write a series of letters to the parents in the head and to the inner child as well. These letters offer insights and help to heal painful unresolved conflicts from the past. Some of the concepts of “here and now” thinking are utilized in helping the reader get control of feelings from the past that influence present reactions to things.

I spent many years studying Transactual Analysis, and Gestault theories. I found the book put these together well and added developmental theory. Bradshaw puts it all into layperson terms so anyone inclined to delve into the dark corners of their past to clean up and get on with life will be able to use this book to do so.