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laurenzott's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Cancer and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
miak2's review against another edition
5.0
Our training has taught us theories and tools and techniques, but whirring beneath our hard-earned expertise is the fact that we know just how hard it is to be a person. p. 7
As a psychology nerd (and also a human being), this book was a delight. That isn't to say that it was fun necessarily, because a lot of it was emotional and challenging. But Gottlieb mixed nerdy psych principles with touching stories and powerful takeaways. However, as helpful as these wisdoms were (the most powerful for me being that there's meaning even in things that I might prescribe as pointless, if those things bring me joy), the biggest takeaway is definitely that every can and would benefit from therapy. Because, after all, we're all dealing with things and there's no threshold of suffering that makes it acceptable to go to therapy.
Gottlieb's stories about her patients were really powerful. It was really special to see their individual growth as they progressed through therapy, and how, while their problems might not have been 'solved' (because many things in life can't be), they developed the tools to handle life's complications. I felt like I was developing relationships with them too - getting frustrated when they engaged in self-destructive habits, and cheering for them as they made positive changes or learned to accept what they couldn't change. Gottlieb's own experience with therapy was also insightful. It was comforting to peel back the curtain and see how an accomplished therapist also struggles with the experience of being human - how she was also irrational and angry and deflective at times. And how she, too, developed ways to cope with the help of her own therapist.
Overall, this was a really memorable book, and I know that many of her wisdoms will absolutely stick with me as I struggle through my own life.
Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Child death
tnociti's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Child death, and Car accident
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
lily1304's review against another edition
3.25
I'm interested in how the author normalizes therapy by showing how it can help people with things like grief, marital problems, or feeling "stuck" - things that basically everyone experiences at some point in their life. She briefly mentions suicidality and personality disorders, but otherwise doesn't focus on more serious, less universally relatable reasons someone might see a therapist. I hope that the de-stigmatization from stories like Gottlieb's also extends to people with more serious mental illness whom Gottlieb glosses over.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse
miaaa_lenaaa's review
5.0
I dont remember the exact quote, but she was talking to julie about time travel and they said that theyd never travel to the future because thats where the hope is and if you go to the future the mystery of hope disappears
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
moon's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Miscarriage
michelle_het's review against another edition
3.75
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism
breeoxd's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Child death and Child abuse
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. A vulnerable discussion about what it means to be human; how we connect with our inner selves, and others.poppymopey's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Cancer