Beyond the Shadows of My Past (paperback)

What is this book about?

Sometimes you learn as a child that it’s better to keep quiet. That it’s safer to hide your feelings and swallow your needs.

For many people who grow up with childhood trauma, this becomes a coping mechanism. You learn to make yourself small, constantly gauge others’ moods, and do everything you can to avoid rejection. On the outside, it may seem like your life is in order, but on the inside, shame, insecurity, and fear of rejection can persist.

René Engel ’s life was also shaped by such patterns. His childhood was marked by abuse, a narcissistic stepmother, and an emotionally distant father. Emotions were ignored and needs dismissed as a nuisance. To survive, he taught himself to put himself last and constantly seek the approval of others. What helped him survive as a child kept him trapped as an adult in insecurity, difficult relationships, and a deep inner emptiness.

That was until he came across Internal Family Systems (IFS), the therapeutic approach developed by Richard Schwartz. According to this method, every person consists of different inner parts that try to protect them from pain. These parts carry old emotions and react out of fear or shame, until you learn to recognize and understand them.

In*Beyond the Shadows of My Past*, René Engel candidly describes how he went through that process. He takes you on a journey through his past and the inner processes that led to trauma resolution, healing, and the rediscovery of his True Self.

As a result, this book is both an inspiring true story about childhood trauma and recovery, and an accessible guide to how working with IFS and inner parts can help you understand and break free from the influence of the past.

Order in advance

Pre-order the paperback edition of *Beyond the Shadows of My Past* by René Engel today. You’ll be among the first to receive it around the release date of April 22, 2026. The book will be mailed via standard post on that date.