Untangle: How to Create Big Possibilities Through Small Changes

For many of us, "the good stuff" like success, intimacy, visibility, money, and joy can be even more triggering than managing “the bad stuff." So, we tend to tune it all out and then get stuck in survival mode. Avoiding, ignoring, or hiding protects us, but also prevents us from discovering our authentic sense of purpose.

While we can't undo the past, we can address our most persistent roadblocks and gather resources that help us feel safe and grounded in order to start thriving. In this inspirational, practical, empathetic collection of lessons, stories, and exercises, Angela McKinney—an expert on habit formation and addiction recovery—demonstrates how small stressors can trap us in self-destructive patterns, and how "untangling" them is our key to freedom.

This daunting prospect of self-improvement is accessible through a holistic approach that intertwines psychology, neuroscience, behavioral therapy, and nature exploration to reconnect us with our innate desires to express and create. Those who embark on the journey won't be alone, as McKinney shares her story about recovering from childhood trauma as well as insight gleaned from decades of helping others overcome adversity. Untangle acts as the ultimate guide through the frightening, exhilarating, and game-changing process of reclaiming our lives and our joy.

“Angela has deep insights into how we get in our own way of thriving. With compassion and care, she writes from the heart.”
—Helene Lerner, founder of Womenworking.com

“Untangle is more than a self-help book—it is a work of art.”
—Deborah Henson-Conant, Grammy-nominated composer and performer

“This book has the potential to change lives and the world. Angela’s story is a triumph for anyone struggling. She has found true freedom and shows us how we can as well."
—Carolina McFarland, CEO of Discovery of You

For the past twenty years, Angela McKinney has been transforming people's lives- including her own. As an expert in the psychology of habit formation and addiction recovery, as well as a speaker focused on decision-making and continuous improvement, she created her three-step system of healing - The Untangle Method - using research on the neurobiology of trauma with a creative approach on how to improves one's quality of life. She has appeared in the NY Times, The Fix, Showtime, and CBS. Angela lives with her husband and two sons in New Jersey, and this is her first book. Learn more at