Physical needs, basic safety, and emotional security are all at risk. As John Bradshaw (1990) a leading writer in the field of recovery, explains, “Every child needs desperately to know that a) his parents are healthy and able to take care of him, and b) that he matters to his parents.” This dependence is why children will sustain their loyalty to parents despite abuse. Rejecting even a truly dangerous family situation is simply not possible to children who usually lack options. In working with clients on recognizing their childhood realities and developing compassion for themselves, I often
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