Author Terri Cole, MSW, LCSW Book review by Christine Gutierrez, author of I Am Diosa
An empowering new take on codependent behavior, revealing the underlying reasons we struggle with doing it all–and the path to recovery and freedom. Are you the person everyone comes to when they're in a jam? Do you regularly accommodate others' needs and preferences? Does it feel like chaos will ensue if you don't handle the travel plans, divvy up the check at group dinners, sort out your friend's latest crisis, and so on? If these questions resonate, the odds are good that you are one of the over-giving, over-extending individuals struggling with what psychotherapist and boundary expert Terri Cole has termed high-functioning codependency (HFC). When you hear the word codependent, you might think of the traditional enabler framework involving a hapless victim and their selfless rescuer. Terri certainly did. However, after years in her therapy practice, she realized that many of her clients were presenting codependent behaviors that fell outside of the classic model. The ironic truth with HFC is that the more capable you are the more codependency doesn't look like codependency.
In Too Much, you'll discover how to identify your HFC blueprint (or why you relate to others the way you do), the source of the attraction between codependents and narcissists, and how to cultivate emotional resiliency, practice real self-care, and much more. Each chapter includes tips, self-assessments, and exercises to help you transform how you see yourself and the world, avoid relapses, and stay centered in your own experience to relate to others more healthily. "How you feel, what you think, what you want matters. Those things need to matter to you the most," writes Terri. "By choosing the path of healing and recovery, you are coming home to yourself." Here is a book for making the shift "from too much to just right," so you can live a life that's full of authenticity, freedom, and joy. Are you the person doing it all for everyone but yourself?
With Too Much, Terri Cole presents a life-saving guide to recovery from what she calls high-functioning codependency (HFC). Each chapter brings you insights and practices to transform how you see yourself and the world, honor your own needs, and reclaim the freedom and joy you deserve.
“Too Much reveals how our deepest compulsions to help and heal others can unexpectedly lead us away from our true selves. A transformative read that offers a pathway to reclaim your personal power and emotional integrity." – Dr. Shefali, New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent and The Parenting Map.
"This is a crash course for anyone who can do it all and suffers because of it. With masterful storytelling and expert techniques, Too Much will teach you how to stop protecting others over protecting yourself." – Elizabeth Earnshaw, author of I Want This to Work and 'Til Stress Do Us Part.
"Terri Cole brilliantly expands the definition of codependency, revealing its hidden impact on high-functioning individuals. Her transformative guidance helps you move from constant over-functioning to true fulfillment and balance." – Minaa B., author of Owning Our Struggles.
"Terri Cole has broken the mold and dared to define a whole new area of codependency--and she's showing us how to break the chains." – Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art.
"This book is everything we need it to be–honest, sincere, and practical. Cole dismantles the misconceptions surrounding codependency, inviting readers into a judgment-free zone where shifts and breakthroughs are possible." – Sara Kuburic, author of It's On Me.
"Too Much can help you get out of the guilt caretaking mode and into your own personal power and self-care. I highly recommend it." – Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.
"This book has become my bible! As someone who didn't know all the nuances and intricacies of being a high-functioning codependent, I feel like this book called me out in the most loving way. Not only does Terri have such actionable and poignant insights, but she approaches it with such levity and grace. I will never be the same after reading this book and suggest it to any modern woman of today." – Krista Williams, cohost of the Almost 30 podcast".
"Too Much is a powerful guide for anyone that has ever fallen into the trap of 'doing too much' at the cost of their own well-being. If you are looking for a psychologically backed book that is grounded with real, actionable steps, this is for you. Let the power of this book transform you to being a better you, living a healthier life, and having balanced relationships that HONOR YOUR needs. Too Much is a must-read." – Christine Gutierrez, author of I Am Diosa.