6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families

Dr. Magdalena Battles is a writer and conference speaker whose specialties include parenting, child development, family relationships, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She shares her real-life experiences and professional insights on her website, LivingJoyDaily.com, and on Lifehack.org, where she was named one of their top writers. She is also the author of Let Them Play: The Importance of Play and 100 Child Development Activities (September 2019). Dr. Battles earned a bachelor’s degree in child psychology and a master’s degree in professional counseling, both from Liberty University, and a doctorate in clinical and academic psychology from Walden University. She has also completed post-graduate studies on technologies in education at Harvard University. While she may seem all business, in her spare time, she enjoys camping with her family, visiting national parks, reading nonfiction, decorating, organizing, shopping, spending time with extended family, and incubating/raising Silkie chickens. She is also an active volunteer in her community and church. Dr. Battles and her husband, Justin, reside in Texas, where they are raising their daughter, Brielle, twin boys, Alex and Charlie, a dog named Max, and a Silkie chicken named Marshmallow.
  http://www.LivingJoyDaily.com
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/DrMagdalenaBattles/
  https://www.lifehack.org/author/dr-magdalena-battles
 

Every Family Has Issues

There is no such thing as a perfect family…or an easy family. We all make mistakes that hurt our family members and we’ve all been hurt by those we love. 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families by Dr. Magdalena Battles addresses the top conflicts that cause relationships to become strained or broken. These hidden behaviors are:

• A failure to forgive or apologize
• Criticism
• Gossip
• Deception
• A lack of inclusion
• A failure to accept differences

While every family has issues, what really matters is how we deal with them. Are we working in a way that resolves problems? Or are we allowing them to fester and explode? The healing in your family can begin with you. It often takes just one person to make the changes needed to make relationships more positive. Dr. Battles provides you with practical tips based on research, biblical principles, and her own observations of what has worked in families—including her own. Here are essential tools to restore the damaged relationships in your life. Families can function in a way where love and support are practiced daily. It is a process, but the result will be happier lives and more fulfilling relationships.

I wish every member of my family had read this book years ago! Dr. Magdalena Battles cuts right to the heart of the most paralyzing and divisive issues that harm our family relationships. In 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families, she offers both compassion and conviction, empowering readers to build healthy communication and interactions with one another. A must-read!
—Amber Lia
Best-selling coauthor, Triggers, Marriage Triggers, and Parenting Scripts
 
6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families by Dr. Magdalena Battles is a practical tool for families of all sizes. Dr. Battles goes to great lengths to give practical instruction and specific examples that anyone can follow. The book is honest and presents real issues that families face, but it also gives deep encouragement for those willing to do the relational work. I love that one of the main themes I was left with was that all a family needs is one member to be the change!
—Kendra Hunt
Women’s pastor
Author, Encouragement Between Loads of Laundry
 
Dr. Magdalena Battles hits it out of the park with 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families. Her practical advice and scriptural references are spot-on. I couldn’t agree more with her tips on how to be a good listener. My clients have seen their relationships transformed as they have followed Dr. Battles’s advice on listening for understanding. I highly recommend this book!
—Emily Eichstadt
Speaker and certified life coach
 
In 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families, Dr. Magdalena Battles uses her voice as a storyteller to walk alongside families as they navigate real-life struggles. Like the benefit of having regular fire drills, when we become familiar with the six major behaviors that destroy families and practice understanding them, we will become better equipped to deal with these issues if and when they flare up in our lives.
—Shontell Brewer
Author, Missionary Mom
 
Dr. Magdalena Battles illuminates systemic family issues that need to be proactively addressed in healthy and productive ways. I am grateful to have her wisdom, wit, engaging writing style, and relatable stories packaged in practical advice and counsel that can be a resource to families. 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families is an easy read that gives clarity and definition to common family struggles, with a goal of repairing, reconciling, and fostering new, healthy dynamics. Dr. Battles has a heart of stewardship to help extended family members communicate and work through their issues in ways that foster meaningful connection.
—Dr. Shannan Crawford
Licensed psychologist, leadership consultant, conference speaker, and adjunct professor
 
Dr. Magdalena Battles’s new book, 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families, is an important work, offering practical solutions and biblically based teaching to foster a pleasant and supportive family environment. An expert in child development and a doctor of psychology, Dr. Battles knows her stuff. But more than that, she’s a mom and a wife, a daughter-in-law, and a compassionate family member. Her personal story of struggle and the comfort she received from God as she learned valuable lessons give us hope that we can all achieve happy and healthy extended family relationships.
—Paula Scott
Author, Farming Grace: A Memoir of Life, Love, and a Harvest of Faith
 
6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families is an easy but impactful must-read! On a personal note, I consider Dr. Magdalena Battles a friend and a woman of high character and calling. It was a privilege and joy to read her book because it was thought-provoking and challenging in the best possible way! As I read the wisdom she offers for navigating the challenges of relationships—with both family members and friends—I related to every chapter, and multiple stories in my own life came alive to me. One of my favorite features of this book is that it doesn’t leave you a victim but instead equips you with practical tools to be the change agent in your life and in your family.
—Stephanie Kelsey
Groups pastor, Gateway Church, Southlake, TX
 
In 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families, Dr. Magdalena Battles provides readers from all walks of life with a biblical worldview on how to develop effective relationships with their family members. She has a unique background as a professional psychologist who also has a spiritual understanding that we humans are created as three-part beings. We have a spirit, body, and soul, with the soul being the seat of our mind, will, and emotions. With this understanding, she is able to provide real solutions for family conflict that are built on the foundation of effective communication.
—Paul Lodato
General manager, Christian Television Network Southwest Florida
Florida Pastors Network
 
Dr. Magdalena Battles has laid a solid foundation and framework for healthy families. Her passion for unity in extended families is evident throughout this book, and her insight is valuable for any member of any family. If you have concerns about or issues with your family relationships, I highly recommend 6 Hidden Behaviors That DestroyFamilies.
—Kristin Lemus
Founder, Brave Moms
 
I wish I’d had 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families when I got married! And had kids! And became a supervisor! Both personally and professionally, I’ve had great success using the advice on mending and building relationships that Dr. Magdalena Battles gives in this book. Thank you, Dr. Battles, for helping us all by providing this resource in a format that is so easy to understand and apply.
—Molly Lee
Founder, Glory Gals
 
In her latest book, 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families, Dr. Magdalena Battles uncovers the secrets behind a healthy family system. Through the real-life situations, biblical truth, and researched solutions she presents, you will learn how to have a family that functions in the way God intended it to—with peace and joy. I highly recommend this book for anyone in a family system, which is everyone!
—Rachael Gilbert
Marriage and family therapist, speaker, and author
Host, Real Talk with Rachael podcast