We don't all come from happy families. The reality is that families are a mixture of positive and hurtful experiences. Families are all about bringing children to a place of independence, so that as young adults they can fly the nest. However, some families are difficult to leave and offspring can remain unhealthily enmeshed. No two families are the same but each has the potential for being the most fertile ground for self-realisation and self-fulfilment.

Leaving the Nest is a new book by Tony Humphreys and is broadly based on his bestselling The Family, Love It and Leave It. It is aimed particularly at parents because although they are the family 'architects', they rarely have had any training for their role. But it is also for young adults who are struggling to find their own identities and establish their independence.

Attitudes to family life have changed dramatically in recent decades; the need for sympathetic understanding and sound guidance has never been as great. Leaving the Nest provides invaluable insight for everyone who wishes to question or re-assess their role as a family member.