Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Couch Fiction: A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy by Flo Perry, Philippa Perry

2 reviews

aprettybookshelf's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is most suited to someone interested in therapy, perhaps a trainee therapist. It’s a fun graphic novel that succeeds in being insightful and reflective in few pages. I liked the illustrations, enjoyed the humour and there was a poignant message about allowing yourself to be honest with yourself, to dig deep and take accountability for your growth (the patient). From the therapist perspective it was interesting to have an insight into her thoughts during the therapy process. It was heartfelt and a joy for me to read.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content

correna_cunningham's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

Similar to Ellen Forney's Marbles, this book is a digestible exploration of what really goes on in therapy. The book is multi-layered and allows the reader to set their own pace. As the afterword points out, the form of a graphic novel works so well because it shows us what is being said aloud and pondered privately so clearly. Perhaps it is because the reading experience is so engulfing that we ourselves come to feel involved in Pat and James' relationship as it develops.

From the offset, the characters feel surprisingly familiar and Flo Perry's lovely illustrations fully flesh out the environment of Pat's office. When it comes to audience, I find it hard to pinpoint an exclusive group that would enjoy this book. Whilst the impulse is there to push it into the hands of talk-therapy sceptics, I'm not sure that they would be persuaded by James' journey. Although for some it could be useful to dispel the mystery around what to expect from sessions, again, I would hesitate to give it to someone who needs therapy but is apprehensive about starting. This is mainly due to 

James experiencing a sexual fantasy about Pat.

I think they might find it rather jarring and may be taken less casually than it is presented.

With all that said, this was a brilliant book for me. I enjoyed the depth inside a quick read, and I liked the premise of following a full year of sessions. Perry doesn't leave any messy endings or over-simplify for the sake of finishing up. If you are drawn to this book, I would recommend you pick it up. It will definitely satisfy anyone with even a passing appetite for popular psychology.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content