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Independent Press Award 

2025 Distinguished Favorite

Katherine Fabrizio

The Good Daughter Syndrome: Help for Empathic Daughters of Narcissistic, Borderline, or Difficult Mothers Trapped in the Role of the Good Daughter

Many self-aware daughters of narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult mothers know they need to stand up to their mothers and set healthy boundaries. Yet, they can't bring themselves to do it and don't know why. They are caught in unconscious traps they can't see or fully understand. Chances are, they have fallen into one or all of the hidden psychological traps that constitute The Good Daughter Syndrome.

Trapped by their difficult mother's needs, the empathetic daughter can't see a way to break free and still feel like a good person.

After helping hundreds of "Good" daughters break free as a psychotherapist, Fabrizio discovered four unconscious traps that cause attuned daughters to put their mother’s needs ahead of their own. She expose the unconscious agreements (made in childhood) and accompanying false core beliefs that give each trap its staying power. Then, using the newest advances in attachment research, trauma-informed practices, and neurobiology, Fabrizio helps daughters trapped in the Good Daughter role escape and break the cycle.

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