Homecoming by John Bradshaw is a seminal work that shaped many people`s understanding of both co-dependency and inner child work.
The comedian Bill Connelly, who had a rather difficult childhood, once described John Bradshaw as a “genius”. Certainly I for one had not come across the concept of toxic shame, never mind what to do about it, till I came across John Bradshaw`s work.
Another powerful message from Homecoming is the profound effect that being cut off from ourselves creates in every aspect of life. John Bradshaw says that we become ‘spiritually bankrupt’ when this happens. In my experience this is completely true. It cuts us of from our source as we are too filled with a false shame to really let the deeper, wiser and loving parts of our inner world come anywhere near us. Once we resolve that inner shame a new world and a new life opens up before us.
Handling shame is one of the most challenging steps in our spiritual journey. It is an awkward issue to handle with as our own inner defenses can make it hard to accept we even have a problem never mind actually deal with it. John Bradshaw did a masterful job in coming up with Homecoming and making these issues clear and manageable.
One of the things I particularly like about Homecoming is that it is not just theoretical, but offers many practical exercises. John Bradshaw`s Homecoming is still very relevant and offers a bright light in a sometimes dark and dreary part of human consciousness.