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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I always struggle with any criticism of someone telling their own story, because why would you challenge an author's reality? That being said, this one struck me as so outlandish that I found it hard to believe it all happened. The relationship between the author and the therapist came off as inappropriate and unethical at times because personally, I have been conditioned to believe therapy is completely confidential. It felt odd to me that seemingly everyone in the City knew the author's therapist and/or personal business. I am glad to have read the book and if I could give it a 3.5, I would.
I really really liked this book. It gets a lot of negativity due to the extreme and unconventional methods the therapist used to get through to the members of the group. Im a huge advocate for therapy and getting out of your comfort zone, but yes - a lot of the techniques and “prescriptions” were appalling, but in the end the main character grew and changed tremendously with the help of Dr Rosen and the group, and that was fascinating to watch.
I noticed quite a few comments questioning the ethics of this book and saw that a number of people refused to read this book based on morals. Of course that made me want to read this book that much more.
A financially strapped law school student struggling through a few life issues ends up in group therapy led by a doctor she remembers from AA.
For me, what flows from the pages of this memoir is an honest account of the struggles all of us tackle at some point in life. The group is there to listen, affirm and hold one another accountable.
One statement that stuck with me was when Christie says “I’ll give this five years” and at another point where she’ll give it 6 months - basically for therapy to fix her issue. I can relate so well to setting a time limit for goals: financial, personal and career wise. I related to a lot in this book and found it compelling, truthful and even cathartic.
While I agree that this type of therapy is not for everyone, I admire the groups openness to share intimate details that, ultimately, may help others through their struggles.
A financially strapped law school student struggling through a few life issues ends up in group therapy led by a doctor she remembers from AA.
For me, what flows from the pages of this memoir is an honest account of the struggles all of us tackle at some point in life. The group is there to listen, affirm and hold one another accountable.
One statement that stuck with me was when Christie says “I’ll give this five years” and at another point where she’ll give it 6 months - basically for therapy to fix her issue. I can relate so well to setting a time limit for goals: financial, personal and career wise. I related to a lot in this book and found it compelling, truthful and even cathartic.
While I agree that this type of therapy is not for everyone, I admire the groups openness to share intimate details that, ultimately, may help others through their struggles.
This book read like a novel and swallowed me whole. I definitely identified with many of Tate's feelings about her life progress in regards to relationships. Her transformation during this process was profound. I think the big lesson here is that anyone can benefit from therapy, no matter if you think you need it or not.
Hmmm it is really hard for me to sum up all of my feelings about this book. Overall the book intrigued me as did the concept. I was very drawn in at the very beginning. Like omg this woman has serious issues, I can't wait to find out how Group therapy helps. And then... it got... boring. And old. And slightly ridiculous. And that could just be me. I just find it odd that being single is this huge deal. And that someone could And would throw legitimate tantrums. But I am emotionally repressed. So maybe it's not so weird. And I am still not really sure the benefits of Group therapy over regular therapy.
Follows a young women's journey to finding intimacy. I enjoyed the transparency and shameful stories that were shared throughout about the protagonist and the group members, they were entertaining and endearing. I thought the lessons in intimacy rang true, I never knew how to describe making friends but it is just sharing embarrassments or trauma back and forth forever. It was kinda slow at points but I did keep coming back.
Christie’s experience with therapy was so interesting and at times… ethically questionable? That aside, this book stands as a testament to her growth and I actually really enjoyed it. She was working on lots of the same things that so many of us are: knowing and expressing your feelings, giving voice to your needs and wants, being honest to build intimacy with others. It’s a pretty explicit tell-all memoir with good arc and growth.
The premise of this group therapy is that secrets are damaging--instead, everyone shares everything with each other and there is no such thing as confidentiality among them. The idea of sharing your deepest issues with people, knowing they are free to talk about it with whomever they choose is super scary but also liberating. It works for the people in this group, and I have to admit I was won over to the idea after reading about it in practice. This one is highly readable, and I enjoyed it a lot.
I'd hoped to pick it for our library book club, but she's a bit too open (which is the whole point) about her sex life for me to feel comfortable discussing it with my patrons :)
I'd hoped to pick it for our library book club, but she's a bit too open (which is the whole point) about her sex life for me to feel comfortable discussing it with my patrons :)
This memoir was like a novel - a realistic one. I enjoyed reading it so much after I finally caught on to what it was about/leading to. I feel like all of us could relate to Christie in some ways. Maybe it’s the group’s doing but the humility of admitting and then accepting and then growing past herself was beautiful. Going back to the first point - this memoir novel was so realistic yet has all the romantic bits that I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
My rating does not mean I necessarily agree with the therapist's approach to support groups.