Healing Relational Trauma: Move Beyond Painful Childhood Experiences to Deepen Self-Understanding and Build Authentic Relationships

by Melissa Fulgieri LCSW

Overview

Heal the pain of your past, so you can build the relationship you truly want today.   

If you felt unloved or unsafe as a child, you may have difficulty trusting others as an adult. You might struggle to maintain healthy relationships, or feel like you are somehow damaged. And if you’re in a romantic relationship, you may have intense fears that your partner will abandon you, experience “fight or flight” moments during disagreements, or avoid intimacy altogether. It’s important for you to know that this isn’t your fault. Beginning in childhood, unmet needs from our caregivers can leave lasting scars, hindering our ability to form healthy connections. So, how can you heal and start building trust in your partner?

Written by a renowned family therapist, this gentle guide offers an evidence-based approach to help you move past relational trauma—the psychological wounds that can result from experiences of abuse, neglect, or betrayal. By building self-awareness, understanding triggers, and improving your communication skills, you can achieve the love and connection you deserve.

With this eye-opening guide, you will:

• Uncover the hidden impacts relational trauma has on your life
• Gain insight into the root cause of your relationship difficulties
• Understand how childhood experiences shape you as an adult
• Discover your own attachment style—how you relate to others
• Establish healthy boundaries in your relationships
• Learn to balance your emotions and improve communication

 

By cultivating the self-awareness needed to understand and heal from your past, you can change the course of your life—starting from within. Because in order to fully love anyone else, you must first love yourself. The skills outlined in this book will help you develop the self-compassion and self-knowledge you need to thrive—in love and in life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648484384
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	05/01/2025
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Melissa Fulgieri, LCSW, is a social worker, adjunct professor, speaker, and author based in New York, NY. She owns a private therapy practice, helping individuals and couples live and love more authentically. She teaches at Fordham Graduate School of Social Service, and Long Island University Graduate School of Health Professions. She has written features for top publications such as Authority Magazine, Women’s Health, and Bustle. She is author of Couples Therapy Activity Book.

Editorial Reviews

Melissa Fulgieri masterfully combines cutting-edge research and actionable strategies to help readers rebuild trust and intimacy. A must-read for anyone committed to personal and relational growth.”
—Laura Caruso, LMHC, NYC-based therapist and relationship expert, and host of the Safe Space with Laura Caruso podcast on Spotify

Laura Caruso

Navigating romantic relationships can be challenging, especially when past traumas—big or small—affect our current struggles. In this guidebook, Melissa Fulgieri emphasizes the significance of recognizing these influences to foster healthier and more fulfilling relationships.”
—Rahim Rahemtulla, MD, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist in private practice in New York

Rahim Rahemtulla

There is no checklist for healing trauma, Melissa Fulgieri reminds us, but there is now this wonderfully helpful book. Outlining the impact of relational trauma and guiding the reader toward healing, Fulgieri weaves together key elements of theory and self-guided practice in a gradual and demystified manner. We rarely know what harm we prevent by healing, she notes, but we can imagine. This book will help readers do their part.”
—Jackson Taylor, PhD, clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Jackson Taylor

Melissa Fulgieri’s Healing Relational Trauma is a practical guide to understanding the effects of childhood wounds on current relationships. With insights and actionable tools, this book empowers readers to recognize their triggers and build self-awareness to foster deeper, healthier connections. It is a must-read for anyone ready to cultivate meaningful, authentic relationships and embrace healing—starting with themselves.”
—Francesca Reicherter, founder of Inspiring My Generation Corporation; host of the Normalize The Conversation podcast; and author of six workbooks, including You Are Not Alone

Francesca Reicherter

Melissa Fulgieri writes with the relatable tone of a human who has explored her own internal world, and an expert therapist who helps us explore ours. She makes the research on how child trauma impacts adult relationships accessible and relatable. Fulgieri offers embodied practices for addressing trauma triggers, while also driving home a key point: healing is not about perfection, but rather about reengaging with practices that bring you back to yourself, so that you can bring that full self to your relationships.”
—Lia Avellino, LCSW, relational psychotherapist, founder of Spoke Circles, and director of Head & Heart at THE WELL

Lia Avellino