In brief. The Hold is a free 37-page book on narcissistic abuse and recovery by Dr Philippe Jacquet, a UKCP-registered psychotherapist, art therapist and Jungian analyst in Central London. It is a PDF, with no sign-up and no email asked.
- What it covers: how narcissistic abuse begins (idealisation, then devaluation and gaslighting), why some people become targets, the body that stops signalling danger, the fear of abandonment, emotional dependency, the panic of separation, how people get out, and when it is not narcissistic abuse at all.
- What makes it different: it is written from the consulting room, from both chairs, including what the clinician sees in the abuser’s own history. Each chapter ends with an art therapy exercise and a blank page.
- Who it is for: anyone who no longer knows whether the problem is them or their partner, men as well as women, and the family and friends trying to understand.
A book given freely, for a precise moment
This book was written for the moment when you type “narcissistic abuse” into a search engine at two in the morning, because you no longer know whether the problem is you or the other person. That confusion, precisely, is the signature of the hold.
The Hold: Recognising Narcissistic Abuse, Understanding the Fear of Abandonment, and the Way Out gathers twenty-five years of clinical practice into eight chapters: the narcissistic abuser and his mechanisms, the perfect target’s profile, high sensitivity, the body that no longer signals, the fear of abandonment, emotional dependency, the panic of separation, the way out, and, out of clinical honesty, when it is not a hold. Each chapter ends with an art therapy exercise, followed by a blank page: the book is read, and it is drawn.
Download it freely
It is free, with no sign-up and no email: download The Hold (PDF). It is a gift.
If you are afraid, for yourself or for your children, your safety comes before any reading: in the UK, 0808 2000 247, day and night; in immediate danger, 999.
To go further
The book’s themes are developed on this site: narcissistic abuse, the fear of abandonment, the highly sensitive person, and the panic attack. And if this book puts words on what you are living, the next step can be spoken. Dr Jacquet works with recovery from narcissistic abuse, in Central London or online, wherever you live. First appointments are usually available within two days: book a confidential appointment.
Édition française : L’emprise, PDF gratuit.
Common questions
Is the book really free?
Yes, entirely, and with nothing asked in return: no sign-up, no email, no newsletter. It is Dr Jacquet's gift to people living through a hold, downloadable in one click as a PDF.
What does The Hold contain?
Eight chapters drawn from twenty-five years of clinical practice: recognising the narcissistic abuser, the target's profile (the highly sensitive person, the body that no longer signals), the fear of abandonment, emotional dependency, the panic of separation, the way out, and when it is not a hold. With seven art therapy exercises and a blank page to draw on after each.
Who is this book for?
For the person who no longer knows whether the problem is them or the other: that confusion is the signature of the hold. Also for family and friends trying to understand, and for anyone rebuilding after a destructive relationship.
Who is the author?
Dr Philippe Jacquet is an integrative psychotherapist, art therapist, Jungian analyst and doctor of analytical psychology. He has practised for twenty-five years in Central London and by secure video, in English and French.