The Absent Father Effect on Daughters: Father Desire, Father Wounds

I bought this book on a whim as I’m very interested in the topic. The book, although repetitive throughout about the importance of a masculine figure in a daughters life, this book really digs deep into the mindset of daughters who have suffered under the loss of the father figure whether it’s emotionally, mentally, or physically. Highly recommend for someone’s healing journey.

Although Jungian psychology has broken much new ground with its explorations into sensitive subjects, the impact of absent fathers on their daughters is one about which little has been written. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, (2020 ), one in four children live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. And this in no way means that the fathers of the other three give their daughters the kind of loving attention, respect, and healthy guidance they need to feel valued and worthy of love from themselves and others. Every psychotherapist who has ever treated a daughter is aware of the emotional and physical wounds that a father who is physically present but emotionally absent can inflict. The lack of scholarly research into this vitally important relationship has left a huge empty space in personal and collective awareness. This book is a valuable first step toward filling that space.With numerous case studies and fairy tales, Schwartz explores a wide range of negative effects, both psychological and physical, that the absence of a good-enough father can have on a daughter. These range from low self-worth, armoring, despair, loneliness, lack of confidence, the lack of warmth at the heart of narcissism, passivity, the inability to find adequate voice or expression, dismissiveness and defensive to themselves and others, loss of energy and passion, fear of intimacy, and the inability to feel or express emotions, all the way to compensatory behaviors like perfectionism, over-idealism, a relentless drive toward heroism and fame, and a compulsion to sacrifice her true self to earn the father’s favor by always being good and obedient.Many other effects are explored in this excellent, well-researched book. An additional bonus is the chapter on the dialogue of therapy which addresses the issues involved in forming a client-therapist relationship that can help the daughter find her individuality. Highly recommended for therapists and laypersons interested in understanding and healing the daughters of absent fathers.

I knew I had absent father pain, but I didn’t realize how complex and deep the effect of an absent father truly goes…. I’m three chapters in and cannot believe how eye opening this book has been thus far. It’s life changing, mind-blowing and has been able to explain things about myself I had no clue were affecting me because of my biological fathers absence. Transformational read!

The book cover caught my attention immediately and so did the title. I am reading the book very slowly as every sentence carries deep truths. I've noticed changes in me since I began reading the book. I feel like it is helping me to process and integrate that which I have struggled with (shadow). Thank-you so much for writing this book. I hope it finds its way into the hands of daughters like me who have felt the pain and confusion of father absence. In my case it was through early separation through the divorce of my parents, relocation; then his remarrying someone with daughters; and then finally his early death. of Note: I loved my father very much and I know he loved me. The book however is addressing the effects of the absences. Extremely well written and thoughtful. Highest praise.

Very invaluable quality. Quality of the wrapping was splendorous. Good delivery.