A review by whatchareadingheather
How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera

5.0

This is probably THE most important self-help book in current existence. Not only does it make you think about your past traumas and how to move past them, but it also makes you take a look at the people that surround you (whether it be familial, plutonic, or romantic). I learned an immense amount about myself (someone who believed had a normal and happy childhood) and while I may have felt uncomfortable with my thoughts, they needed to happen in order for me to actively want to make positive changes in my life and grow past what my inner child has been used to. I personally avoided self-help type books because so many of them felt like 'If you read this book then all of your problems will go away,' but this book is open and honest about how 'doing the work is pretty much going to take the rest of your life and it's ok to have setbacks because we are all human. Dr. LePera also makes it a point to mention that access to therapy is a privilege and that not all of the solutions in this book will work for every type of person. The tone is very much portrayed as a regular person who happens to be a doctor as opposed to textbook heavy jargon and it is greatly appreciated since the goal is to be motivated to want to change for the better. I will be recommending this book to as many people as possible.

Note: I did end up purchasing a hard copy because I would like to incorporate the journal prompts into my life as well as reread at different points of my adult life.