Your Family Revealed

“A clear, easy-to-read guide on ‘how families work’―for anyone who wants to understand themselves better.” ―Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, couple therapist, founder of the PACT Institute, and author of Wired for Love

“A fascinating, warm-hearted guide to understanding how our families shape our personalities, relationships, and emotions. Elaine Gibson’s book teaches us how to explore the most important dynamics in our lives, giving us powerful insights into our own everyday patterns and habits. Your Family Revealed is an invaluable resource that offers readers the gift of self-awareness―as well as a few hundred ‘aha’ moments.” ―Jackson MacKenzie, author of Whole Again and Psychopath Free

“It is rare to find a self-help book that takes difficult psychological concepts and puts them in a form that is helpful to everyone’s daily living. By providing workbook exercises, this book is an excellent resource for anyone who is doing their own therapeutic work, anyone who wants to know more about how to understand their family dynamics, and clinicians who want a succinct review of fundamental psychological theories. It offers helpful hints on how to handle family emotional triangles, family secrets, and dysfunctional family patterns while using wonderful real-life case examples. It is a ‘must read’!” ―Michael L. Chafin, M.Div, MEd, LMFT, former president of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

“It was my honor to read Elaine Carney Gibson’s Your Family Revealed. Gibson’s knowledge of family systems theory, years of clinical experience and wisdom, and generous sharing of personal stories and insight are woven together with her warm and gently guiding voice. Your Family Revealed uniquely combines clinical theory in an accessible format with opportunities to apply and explore the reader’s own family experiences. This work is a gift to the counseling professional and beyond to anyone wishing to grow through insight about the family.” ―Erika Pluhar, PhD, EdS, LMFT, LPC, CST-S

“This book is packed with key issues, explained from both personal and professional perspectives, related to understanding one’s family system. Garnering wisdom distilled from her 50 years of clinical work and over 35 years of training family therapists, Elaine Carney Gibson has written an engaging, intelligent, accessible book for both the lay and professional reader. It is an important book for our time, and I highly recommend it.” ―Catherine McCall, author of the internationally bestselling memoir Never Tell, retired family therapist, and contributing writer for Psychology Today magazine

“In her book, Your Family Revealed, Elaine Carney Gibson has managed to synthesize numerous concepts from the history of marriage and family therapy into a highly readable and applicable volume. Each thematic chapter offers theoretical perspectives gleaned from years of experience that is supported by intriguing and often entertaining examples. This is a truly helpful book for anyone who could benefit from a more enlightened understanding of the systems that we grow up in and those we create. It provides meaningful insights into the dynamics of human relationship and helps reveal the motivations and origins guiding many familial and relational challenges. Whether the reader is a therapist, an educator, or simply someone who wants a better understanding of the intricate relationship between ourselves and the systems we inhabit (as well as those that inhabit us), this accessible and informative book has much to offer.” ―Stuart D. Smith, LPC

“As a recently retired family law attorney, I regret that I did not have access to the caring insights into couples and families presented so beautifully by Elaine Gibson. The relationships she describes in Your Family Revealed clearly illuminate familial struggles, helping to give direction to solutions for ways forward, even in conflict, whether in divorce or child custody cases. This superb book should definitely be in the library of every domestic relations attorney.” ―Carol B. Powell, attorney-at-law, Atlanta, Georgia

“I've finally found the book that I would wish for every person exploring their path of self-discovery. Elaine Gibson’s book, Your Family Revealed, provides us with nuggets of wisdom that help us understand ourselves and our families. If one book can widen your mind, deepen your heart, and inspire your spirit, this is it!” ―Rev. Cameron Trimble, CEO of Convergence, author of Searching for the Sacred

“Elaine has created an illuminating work that is truly a reflection of her five decades as a psychotherapist and educator. At a time when people’s curiosity about their ancestors is growing, this book can help individuals, couples, and families decipher their relationships with greater clarity and understanding. This book explains powerful concepts usually reserved for textbooks in ‘user friendly’ language that results in an inspired guide for one’s own life.” ―Janet Mainor, MS, LPC, NBCC, CPCS, executive director of The Link Counseling Center