Daughters and Mothers: Making it Work

The mother/daughter relationship is one of the most intense relationships a woman will ever experience-it is strong and primary. This first and essential relationship has a powerful, though often subtle, effect on an adult woman's interactions with her mate, children, friends-and herself. Often, this crucial bond, which was initially based in love, turns into one of anger, guilt and resentment, the effects of which can permeate a woman's life; a burden from the past that is haunting, limiting and debilitating. In this profound book, coauthors Julie Firman and her daughter Dorothy Firman, both psychotherapists who specialize in mother/daughter workshops, help readers sift through old behavior patterns, feelings and thoughts to transform their relationships and, ultimately, themselves. For every woman who experiences the pain in her relationship with her mother or daughter, there is the promise of finding the joy. The Firmans will help readers grow beyond their limitations into more integrated, freer and more fulfilled women, using stories from their own lives, case studies of other women, and practical, revealing workbook exercises. Daughters and Mothers is an essential guide for women who want to heal their relationship and achieve greater acceptance, love and harmony. It book is for women of all ages-and one that is never too late to read.

Julie Firman is the mother of two daughters, Dorothy Firman and Frances Firman Salorio, her coauthors on Chicken Soup for the Mother & Daughter Soul, and one son. She and her daughters lead workshops on mother/daughter relationships at conferences around the country.

Dorothy Firman, Ed.D., is a psychotherapist, author, speaker and trainer who has worked in the field of mother/daughter relationships for more than twenty years. The Firmans reside in Massachusetts.