Best Of You (Hardcover)

As a counselor, Dr. Alison Cook has met with thousands of women who feel stuck in an endless cycle of people-pleasing and permission-seeking. Even after learning to say no more frequently or after setting better boundaries, many women still feel lost and unsure of how to create the whole-hearted life and authentic relationships they crave. In response, Dr. Cook developed transformative strategies to help them discover what they really need and want.

In The Best of You, Dr. Cook reveals the hurtful impact of childhood wounds, the negative effects of certain church messages, and the misguided influences of cultural biases.

Readers walk with her through these tough questions:
• How can I find my God-given voice and begin to express my needs?
• How do I put a stop to painful patterns that keep recurring in my life?
• How do I trust myself to make healthy decisions when I'm in the midst of difficult circumstances?
• How do I stand up for myself and yet still be a loving person?
• How do I deal with a toxic parent, friend, or spouse?

With real-time reflection that prompts readers to embrace their own stories--even the painful parts--Dr. Cook points women to a loving God who truly sees them and wants their good. With God's help, they discover a path to healing that includes the holy, sacred work of learning to pay attention to themselves. The Best of You teaches women how to move from the exhaustion of managing perceptions to the joy of true connection with themselves, God, and other people.