This was really insightful and meaningful - should be mandatory reading. It is easy to disregard people's thoughts and feelings when it comes to gaslighting. but this really brings to light a lot of the challenges

Am amazing book with a five star review. Video review which the author herself is sharing on social media.

https://youtu.be/TRyGNBHLKyU

As a woman you do not know how crucial this book is until you read it. Don’t think Gaslighting just happens in your relationships no it’s Gaslighting from work, doctors, and people all around us. This book is broken down what Gaslighting is easily. It’s not giving you some overcomplicated definition and it helps you identity it in all areas of life. This way you can take back your control. The exercises in this book are helpful in understanding ourselves and again taking back control in all aspects of our lives.

This book is very insightful and provides a lot of knowledge about what gaslighting is, and how to recognize it and recover from it. Gaslighting is extreme manipulation which is difficult to break free from. This book provides insight into what gaslighting behavior can consist of, and red flags to be aware of. Additionally, recommendations are provided for how to preserve self-esteem and self-worth for after the gaslighting has occurred. The book provides exercises, real life examples, and resources which makes it invaluable. As a reader, if you’ve experienced gaslighting, you will recognize that you are not alone and help is available. This is a must read for any woman who has experienced this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received access to a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review. That being said, let's dive into my thoughts on Gaslighting Recovery for Women:

I thought I knew all there was to know about gaslighting, and WOW was I wrong about that. Dr. Kelley has written a well-resourced and referenced text that feels approachable and easy to understand without coming across as condescending. Her tone is gentle, informative, and empowering to the reader.

The first portion of this book covers the definition of gaslighting, the common tactics, how the cycle of gaslighting can affect the victim of it, and the various types of relationships (with real-world examples) in which gaslighting can happen -- spoiler alert: it can happen in ANY type of relationship, and knowing what it can look like in various settings can be a priceless tool in your kit!

The exercises in the later 2/3 of the book require time, patience, and space for yourself, so this is not a book you should cruise through. While reading and interacting with this book, I discovered a lot more about myself and the relationships I have with others than I ever expected to. Doing these exercises has made me feel so empowered, not just because some of them are self-love and self-esteem boosting; but also because the exercises about trauma and relationship evaluation has opened my eyes to things I thought I knew, but really only saw the tip of the iceberg. I fully plan to bring the notes I took while reading this book and engaging with the exercises into my regular therapy sessions, and am excited for the progress I'll make now that I know these things.

If you have ever been, or suspect that you've been, gaslit by someone; have a tumultuous relationship with someone in your life (romantic or otherwise); or want to feel empowered to not be gaslit by someone in the future, this book is _absolutely_ for you. Truthfully, this book would be a benefit to any and every woman, as women are the most likely demographic to be victimized by gaslighting techniques. This book is definitely worth the read!

There should be more books like this one!
I wish there was a way for everyone affected by a toxic relationship in their past to get a book like this. It is such a validating read, not just a tool for healing.
The book is prefect. Absolutely perfect.

Gaslighting Recovery for Women is such an important book.

There is so little information about this form of abuse, I am so glad this book is being published!

It's organized well, and gives you the information to recognize, avoid, and recovery from gaslighting.

So glad this book exists and I got to read it!

Amelia Kelley's GASLIGHTING RECOVERY FOR WOMEN is an essential read. Man or woman, we can all learn from this thorough and compassionate discussion of the ones who manipulate and how to recover one's own voice, heal from abuse, and thrive in one's own right. I especially appreciated the authority she brought in excellent writing, organization, exercises, and thought-provoking points. This important book is timely, relatable, and supportive of anyone on the journey to being themselves. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I thought this was a good book for someone recovering from any sort of experience that might be seen as gaslighting. This term can be somewhat subjective, but the ideas in here are relevant and informative. The activities suggested can be helpful but I think people in a relationship where gaslighting happened sometimes wind up going from one 'leader' to another. This was touched on in the book, so just wanted to mention that. People leave one person/group relieved to get out but then latch onto another, which may or may not be safe/healthy - hence trust issues with oneself and others, also mentioned in the book.

Overall, a good resource for women who've picked up this book, since they are likely at the point where they acknowledge their feelings of being gaslighted, are ready to move forward, but still likely feeling some shame and vulnerability.

I'm really not sure that someone who is being gaslighted can actually perform some of the helpful therapies mentioned in this book. Afterall, a gaslighter is about control and so the author's advice to "get a job, sign up for after-school or after-work activities, leave home for exercise purposes...and spend time with other friends or family" would have never worked in my case.

There was a good list of phrases for boundary setting, e.g., "I respect your opinion, but I have my own as well" and many of the exercises were available for download as PDFs. I appreciated the step by step instructions for meditation, nostril breathing, power poses, directive writing, EMDR and tapping that the author provided as alternate ways to deal with stress. There is also a comprehensive list of resources and references at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for an advance reader's copy.

I am a brat who does whatever she wants, so this wasn't completely relevant to me, but I remember my first husband trying to convince me that I was losing my mind and I believed him for a second because who knows you better than your spouse?
This is an important book for women struggling with this issue. We are conditioned for this.
I love this way this book is laid out. It is perfect. With all the facts bulleted.

I needed a book like this in my life. It helped me realize several things about how I am gaslighted and how I even do that to myself! Kelley did a fantastic job with the structure and outline of this book. The content is well researched and useful. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

Gaslighting Recovery for Women
By Amelia Kelley, PHD
Pub Date: August 15, 2023
Zeitgeist
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The term gaslighting was introduced to me on morning TV with Hoda and Jenna, I had no idea there was a term for this destructive form of emotional abuse.
This therapist wrote a great book to help women detect and protect themselves. Her guided approach helps women establish self worth and esteem, manipulation can occur in all key areas of life - family, intimate relationships, work, academics, and healthcare.
Good book!
5 stars

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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A complete gaslighting recovery guide for women to regain control and reclaim their lives.

Gaslighting is one of the most destructive forms of emotional abuse that women can experience, causing them to distrust their own realities and perceptions and even believe they have a mental illness. In Gaslighting Recovery for Women, trauma-informed therapist Amelia Kelley, Ph.D., offers evidence-based therapy and tools to help women detect and protect themselves from manipulation that can occur in all key areas of life—family, intimate relationships, work, academia, and healthcare. Her guided approach to healing from abuse helps survivors establish a greater sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and empowerment.

• A THREE-PART RECOVERY PROGRAM designed for understanding gaslighting, healing from trauma, and reclaiming your reality
• REAL-LIFE COVERT GASLIGHTING CASES from all aspects of a woman’s life that help validate realities and perceptions that have been otherwise distorted by a gaslighter
• ACCESSIBLE THERAPY EXERCISES, ACTIVITIES, AND TECHNIQUES rooted in DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy), mindfulness, and self-love, among others, to facilitate personal healing from past traumas and guide women to embrace who they truly are
• SIGNS OF MENTAL MANIPULATION FOR PREVENTION AND RECOVERY that enable women to be self-aware and fully trust their instincts when they sense something is wrong

Notice how this book is FOR WOMEN??? That is because we are easy targets and gaslighters know it. (I am not a feminist ... yuck ... ugggh... but this is true!)

I am going to mail a copy of this book to my ex, who, thirty years later, is still taking up too much real estate in my head. STILL. It really runs deep and hard and my husband loves me for me, and I don’t understand why he would as all I heard for YEARS was
- No one will love you but me!
- You are difficult to love but I will do it, no one else will!
- What are you talking about??? I never ……. (add in a million things and occurrences)
- You are going to burn in hell unless you become a Catholic and I will only marry a Catholic who will learn to speak Polish as my family only speaks Polish. (BTW – they had all been in Canada for 30+ years by then!)
- My parents don’t like that I am marrying a girl who is not Catholic, Polish and older than me but I will marry you because no one else will ... and have at least four children.
- Etc etc etc
- I broke up with him. He was SHOCKED. He tried to get me back. Didn’t Taylor Swift write a song about that? (We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together!) And BTW, he is still single and lives at home and he is 52 years old so who "won"??? lol)

Will this book help me close that chapter of my life? I hope so – it looks like it makes sense and as I am a huge fan of DBT (CBT makes me craaaaaaazy) I have serious, serious hope that this book will work for me and the ladies (it’s almost always ladies) who are coming to me admitting that they have been gas-lighted and only are realizing it now.

Highly recommended. Read this book for yourself or if someone you know is going through this.

#shortbutsweetreviews

Very powerful and insightful book. Brought more awareness to me to better deal with and comprehend when such gaslighting abuse happens. Would highly recommend this to ladies dealing with such abuse or from previous times in order to really heal. Definitely a 5 star!