Getting Past your Past

Getting Past Your Past
By Francine Shapiro

A powerful guide to understanding your mind—and gently transforming your life.

Description

Written by the creator of EMDR therapy, Getting Past Your Past offers a clear and accessible way to understand how past experiences shape thoughts, emotions, and behaviours—often without conscious awareness.

At the heart of the book is a simple yet profound idea: many of the struggles we experience in the present are connected to unresolved experiences from the past that continue to influence the nervous system, beliefs, and emotional responses.

Drawing on decades of clinical work and neuroscience research, Dr. Francine Shapiro explains the foundations of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy and how the brain naturally processes—and sometimes becomes stuck in—distressing memories.

Through practical tools, guided exercises, and relatable case studies, the book supports readers in developing greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and healthier ways of responding to life.

Inside This Book, You’ll Discover

• How memories (even unconscious ones) shape reactions and behaviours
• Why certain emotional patterns and triggers persist
• The science behind EMDR therapy
• Practical self-help techniques to process and release past experiences

You’ll Learn How To

• Understand triggers and emotional responses
• Break free from limiting beliefs and automatic reactions
• Improve relationships through deeper awareness
• Create healthier patterns of thinking and behaviour

Why This Book Stands Out

• Written by the founder of EMDR therapy
• Blends neuroscience with practical, step-by-step tools
• Encourages active participation in personal healing and growth
• Accessible, conversational, and deeply grounded

Through real-life stories, simple explanations, and guided practices, Shapiro makes complex psychological concepts feel relatable, empowering, and practical for everyday life.

This isn’t about endlessly reliving the past—
it’s about freeing yourself from the ways it may still be shaping the present.

Product Details

• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• ISBN: 9781609619954
• Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.3 x 22.9 cm
• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Language: English

An insightful and empowering guide for anyone seeking greater emotional freedom, self-understanding, and healing through practical, evidence-based approaches.