About this item
Everyone thrives on love, comfort, and the safety of family, friends, and community. But if you are denied these basic comforts early in life, whether through a lack of physical affection or emotional bonding, you may develop intense fears of abandonment that can last well into adulthood—fears so powerful that they can actually cause you to push people away. If you suffer from fears of abandonment, you may have underlying feelings of anger, shame, fear, anxiety, depression, and grief. These emotions are intense and painful, and when they surface they can lead to a number of negative behaviors, such as jealousy, clinging, and emotional blackmail. In Love Me, Don’t Leave Me, therapist Michelle Skeen combines acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), schema therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to help you identify the root of your fears.
About the Author
Michelle Skeen has a doctorate in clinical psychology. She is the author of seven books all designed to enhance relationships by emphasizing the importance of identifying core values and valued intentions, limited thinking, mindfulness, self-compassion, empathy and effective communication and conflict resolution skills. Her passion is coaching individuals in creating and maintaining healthy relationships by bringing awareness to obstacles (fears and beliefs) which often work unconsciously to limit connections with others. Michelle believes that an early introduction and education in core values and healthy communication are essential life skills for success. To that end, Michelle and her daughter, Kelly, co-authored Communication Skills for Teens: How to Listen, Express, and Connect for Success and Just As You Are: A Teen's Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem.Skeen completed her postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco. She co-developed an empirically validated protocol for the treatment of interpersonal problems that resulted in two books, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems: Using Mindfulness, Acceptance and Schema Awareness to Change Interpersonal Behaviors and The Interpersonal Problems Workbook: ACT to End Painful Relationship Patterns. Michelle's work has appeared in more than 30 publications around the world. She hosted a weekly radio show for 7 years called Relationships 2.0 with Dr. Michelle Skeen which aired nationally.To find out more about Michelle Skeen, PsyD visit her website at: www.michelleskeen.com
