Freedom from Toxic Relationships: Moving on from the Family, Work, and Relationship Issues that Bring You Down

In this mix of psychotherapy and New Age principles, transpersonal psychotherapist Carruthers (Let Your Past Go and Live) examines how unhealthy relationships form—and what readers can do to heal them, or “cut the cord.” The author maintains that “etheric cords” are formed by those in intimate relationships, whether they happen to be parent/child, romantic, or unhealthy friendships or working situations. She is frank about the requirement of hard work: “clearing a cord is not a matter of simply imagining a giant pair of scissors, cutting the imaginary cord and being miraculously free thereafter.” Using exercises such as “etheric sensing,” “experiencing the astral body,” and explorative self-awareness techniques, Carruthers provides useful healing suggestions, although she responsibly advises seeking the benefits of professional therapy in detaching from and healing the wounds inflicted by these toxic relationships. It’s heavy on New Age–speak, but if one can get past that aspect to the core ideas, it’s a worthy addition to any self-help collection. (Jan.)