Family Values: Reset Trust, Boundaries, and Connection with Your Child

Sophy (Side by Side), best known for his numerous appearances on Dr. Phil, is a physician, parent, and former medical director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). He starts with the lofty claim that readers have just opened the last book they’ll ever need to create the family they’ve always wanted. A family unit is only as strong as its weakest member, the author opines, and many parents struggle to live as role models owing to a lack of resources and emotional tools in their own formative years. Sophy attempts to teach parents how to hit the reset button by including case studies gathered during his many years working at DCFS. Each chapter concludes with questions designed to help the parent reflect, evaluate, and determine how to bring about change. Putting family values first and in action is the focus of the second half; it urges parents fulfill their own needs first to best meet those of their children. Factors affecting a variety of families, including LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC, are not sufficiently addressed in this manual.