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Bradshaw John Biography

American therapist, philosopher and author on methods of healing the inner child and dealing with addictions. He was ten when his alcoholic dad left; Bradshaw was raised by his mom and step-dad, both unresolved incest victims. By the time he graduated from high school, he was valedictorian and a raging alcoholic. Filled with anger, he had been drinking from the time he was 13. Bradshaw sought stability in the Catholic priesthood. He became a novitiate in 1955 and remained that way until he left in 1964. He joined AA, but turned from booze to drugs and was at a life low point when he surrendered in mid-December, 1965. He soon after began to work actively with AA, lecture, do management consulting and teach school. Bradshaw became the host of a talk show that led to fame with the PBS series, "Bradshaw on the Family." He was married from 1969-1989; he and his wife had one child, plus two of hers from a prior marriage. By 1995, he had five best-seller books and had been a lecturer for 30 years on the family. According to Bradshaw, 95% of all families are dysfunctional. Some therapists consider that he puts too much emphasis on childhood woes and too little on adult responsibility, adding to the victim-cult. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less