One of the only non-fiction books that I've read from cover to cover. I thought Lori Gottlieb did an excellent job in outlining the nuances of therapy -- sitting on both sides of the couch. I enjoyed the wide range of emotions experienced from tears to laughter. Thank you for broadening my range of books enjoyed!

In a sliding doors version of my life I’d have gone to ASU and studied Psychology instead of Pepperdine to study theatre... and this book reminded me of all the reasons why I thought the only thing outside of theatre I’d want to dedicate my life to is clinical psych... so many stories and even random vocabulary or psych principles brought me right back to my AP class in high school with one of my favorite teachers of all time- so maybe my rating is a little biased given all the emotions running high, but I loved it. Highly recommend.
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I went into this thinking it was nonfiction, and it wasn't until halfway through that I realized this was in fact fiction, written by someone with a Hollywood background who knows how to tell a great story (and also happens to be a therapist). I feel like I really embraced this book once I was able to frame it as fiction, even though I feel like I got a lot of insight into therapy from the practitioner perspective.

I think sometimes she's too general and does readers a disservice by not talking more about different types of therapy, making it clear she isn't speaking for all therapists. I'm dying to ask the therapists in my life what they think of it. Her personal story didn't resonate with me and memoir isn't my genre of choice, but I was very moved by her patients. And I think if this book does anything to lessen the stigma and get people into therapy to do the work, (which, given it's popularity, I think it has) then it's a huge win.

I really enjoyed this memoir by Los Angeles based psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, who shares her experience as both a therapist and a patient in therapy. Her writing is very conversational and I like the way the book moves back and forth between Gottlieb’s life and time in therapy, as well as the sessions with a handful of clients over a period of time.

I love hearing about others’ career paths, so I especially enjoyed learning how Gottlieb came to be a therapist. After earning an undergrad degree in English she worked as a writer in Hollywood. It was her work on the 90’s TV series "ER" that sparked her interest in people’s stories and well-being, leading her to start medical school and eventually to train as a psychotherapist.

Gottlieb, mid-career and middle-age, had an unexpected break-up with the man she thought she would marry. Blindsided by this, she writes of crying for days at a time and struggling to make sense of the end of the relationship. She talks frankly about her work in therapy and how she moves toward greater self-awareness.

Gottlieb’s book demystifies therapy. She offers insight into the process of therapy, how therapists train and what they consider when working with clients, and, as a patient herself, what the experience feels like from the client side. It is an open and thoughtful take on mental health, self-care and emotional wellbeing.
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Started reading this because it was the #2 option (behind JD Vance's Hillbilly Elegy) when I put the filters "available now" and "most popular" on my Libby app. 

This was a solid read. Interesting insight into what therapy can be. Would I read it again? Probably not. However, I am glad to have read it once.
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Expand filter menu Content Warnings

I almost stopped this book several times during the first half…the author’s sharing of her story felt irritating and self-serving and trite (what does that say about MY psychology….). By the last page my hear was wrapped up in the “characters” and I am deeply glad I stuck with it.
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