Talking to Your Parents

A guide to really get to know your parents

To know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from. This simple idea is the starting point of René Diekstra’s immensely popular course in life cycle psychology and the basis for Talking to Your Parents. This practical self-help guide is a must-read for anyone who wants to get to know their parents.

Think about your father or mother and ask yourself: ‘What do I know about you? Of your life path, as a child, teenager, young adult, of the events that shaped you as a person and as my parent and of the dreams you cherished and maybe still cherish?’ If you don’t know the answer or realize that it’s ‘little’, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of talking to your parents. The story of your parents is a crucial determinant of your own story, your life’s path. The more you know and understand about them, the better you’ll know and understand yourself.

This book is based on life cycle psychology and helps you interview your family members in-depth, on the foundation of a scientifically determined interview chart. It is full of practical tools for beginning a conversation and keeping it on track. It also includes a handy fill-in part.