About the Author

Susan Forward, PhD, was an internationally renowned therapist, lecturer, and author. Her books include the number one New York Times bestsellers Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them and Toxic Parents, as well as Betrayal of Innocence, Obsessive Love, Emotional Blackmail, When Your Lover Is a Liar, and Toxic In-Laws. In addition to her private practice, she served widely as a therapist, instructor, and consultant in numerous Southern California psychiatric and medical facilities. She appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows, and hosted her own nationally syndicated program on ABC talk radio for six years. Though Susan passed in 2020, she has left a lasting legacy.

Reviews

"I know so many women who will feel enormously grateful for Mothers Who Can't Love, and rightly so. This thoughtful and thorough book will validate their feelings and their stories, and even more important will offer invaluable and empowering wisdom for how to cope with the damage and heal themselves and even in many cases heal their relationships with their mothers. The women who need this book know who they are, and for them it is a must read." - Mira Kirshenbaum, author of I Love You but I Don't Trust You and Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay
"I know so many women who will feel enormously grateful for Mothers Who Can't Love, and rightly so. This thoughtful and thorough book will validate their feelings and their stories, and even more important will offer invaluable and empowering wisdom." - Mira Kirshenbaum, author of I Love You but I Don't Trust You and Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay
"Once again Susan Forward has identified an important issue that has been calling out for her expertise and unique perspective. This landmark book is powerful, accessible and extremely supportive - just what women need! Her case examples are riveting, her techniques are brilliant and her wisdom is poignant." - Beverly Engel, author of Healing Your Emotional Self and The Nice Girl Syndrome
"A useful challenge to accepted wisdom about the normally taboo subject of mother love, with helpful tips on how to jump-start the healing process." - Kirkus Reviews
"A riveting, compassionate guide to helping women transcend the wounds inflicted by their rejecting or abusive mothers." - Janis Abrahms Spring, Ph.D., author of How Can I Forgive You? The Courage to Forgive, The Freedom Not To
"Susan Forward has saved millions of lives with her profound wisdom that children raised by abusive parents need not "forgive and forget" to heal and move on to happy, healthy lives. Mothers Who Can't Love enables daughters who were taught to blame themselves for their lifelong sense of failure, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and inability to see clearly--that none of the pain they endured was ever their fault! And that all too many mothers are simply unable to love. A powerful guide to self healing." - Carole H. Brower, Distinguished Research Professor, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA
"Susan Forward has saved millions of lives with her profound wisdom that children raised by abusive parents need not "forgive and forget" to heal and move on to happy, healthy lives. . . . A powerful guide to self healing." - Carole H. Brower, Research Professor, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA
"Forward validates the reader's feelings and presents effective coping mechanisms, offering suggestions on setting boundaries, negotiating for a better relationship, [and] being assertive . . . Highly recommended." - Library Journal (starred review)