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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I’m glad the author found what she needed and built the life and community she wanted. This book should be called Enmeshment instead of Group.
Seriously as a therapist this one was tough for me. I believe whole heartedly it’s the therapeutic relationship that heals. I certainly don’t want to dismiss her experience. But at the same time I can’t imagine recommending this to someone who has never been in therapy.
Seriously as a therapist this one was tough for me. I believe whole heartedly it’s the therapeutic relationship that heals. I certainly don’t want to dismiss her experience. But at the same time I can’t imagine recommending this to someone who has never been in therapy.
An amazing nonfictiin read at the level of Educated. I couldn’t put it down. The author's experiences with gut-level trust and love resonated deeply. So well-written and emotional. Highly recommend.
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I liked the first half, maybe a little bit more, of this book. I enjoyed the self-realization for help, I liked the strides that were made, comfort zones pushed, progress made. I kind of liked the idea of o-secrets between group members, because that does seem like a lot of weight to carry around and not share...But then it began to feel cultish. At least it eventually said that some group mates left, but it caught me off guard when it mentioned that a lot of the group members were in multiple groups. It was also cringey when Dr. Rosen seemed to keep the author in bad relationships and compare her sex dreams and boyfriends to himself. Then, knowing that the author has resisted keeping her daughter out of her blogs when asked (by her daughter) doesn't sit right to me. You can write things without hitting publish. I know I wouldn't like all of my potty-training stories on the internet - especially as a soon to be teenager. I wouldn't probably like all of my mom's sexual encounters in a book either. That being said, I appreciated how honest this book was, but in retrospect, I think it could have been just as effective with slightly less details.
3.5 stars. honest about her journey in group therapy, which I respect. didn’t love all pieces/language of it but enjoyed it overall
A classic case of should have read the reviews bedore purchasing
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
It takes a lot for an author to be as open and honest as this. I knew after reading a couple of pages that this was going to be nothing short of deeply raw, but probably a little uncomfortable along the way.
I do agree that there were times where the therapist came across as unethical and inappropriate - it certainly wouldn’t fly in our times today. However, I had to keep reminding myself that this was over 20 years ago and treatment of mental health was much different. It was wonderful to see this story come full circle in the end, and I love that she built lifelong friendships with her co-patients.
All that being said, I was a little disappointed that it seemed like all she was searching for was a man to save her. I really wanted the ending to be her finding herself and coming to the realization that she didn’t need a relationship or a man to fulfill her. I was upset that the resolution seemed to just be “find the right man”. I understand it’s a memoir, but I still don’t think that needed to be the ending message.
If you enjoy memoirs, self-help, and emotional stories than this is a great read. Just know that there’s no dancing around the truth and some of the messages (and treatment) may not be the best to carry into your life.
I do agree that there were times where the therapist came across as unethical and inappropriate - it certainly wouldn’t fly in our times today. However, I had to keep reminding myself that this was over 20 years ago and treatment of mental health was much different. It was wonderful to see this story come full circle in the end, and I love that she built lifelong friendships with her co-patients.
All that being said, I was a little disappointed that it seemed like all she was searching for was a man to save her. I really wanted the ending to be her finding herself and coming to the realization that she didn’t need a relationship or a man to fulfill her. I was upset that the resolution seemed to just be “find the right man”. I understand it’s a memoir, but I still don’t think that needed to be the ending message.
If you enjoy memoirs, self-help, and emotional stories than this is a great read. Just know that there’s no dancing around the truth and some of the messages (and treatment) may not be the best to carry into your life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content