From the Publisher
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
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Lori Gottlieb
Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author who writes the weekly ‘Dear Therapist’ advice column for The Atlantic, where she is also a contributing editor. She has written for the New York Times Magazine and has appeared on Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR. She lives in Los Angeles, USA.
Sudhakar kadiyala –
A good book always goes with entertainment, and also with some takeaways for thereader.What if,if the takeaways are seeing yourself today in some better form than yesterday?What if,the things that were plaguing you for long, like the unfortunate incidents or memories of your childhood or that of your past that comes to the surface through which you were battling for months,years & even decades & where you could see a reason for the cause & effect & through which,stand a chance of triggering a pleasant present and what if, the reader is definitely going to feel some positive vibes after reading the book,then you should read,” Maybe you should talk to someone” by Lori Gottlieb and, I ask & say as, ‘maybe everyone should read’.the book.The writer, who is also a successful psychotherapist, says that most of us are going through many problems in our life and the irony is that we don’t understand that we have a problem and thus, stay remain in that confused state & move on aimlessly, unless we get some good advice or some good therapeutic help. The writer takes examples of different kinds of patients seeking therapeutic help from her, while also putting forward her own dilemma & confusion when her boyfriend left her & which filled her life with void & helplessness. She also couldn’t move an inch about the book she wished to write for long.While being in that state, and luckily, on the suggestion of her therapeutic friend and colleague, she could seek therapeutic help from one “Mr.Wendell”,of whom we learn as one of the best and also a successful therapist during the course of our reading.The conversations between both the therapists that goes in silence with out uttering a word between them looked powerfully therapeutic and besides the humor that goes between them which also says a lot without uttering much.The song by Imagine Dragons,”Top of the world”, gives you the feeling of reading a romantic fiction.The quote of Viktor Frankl,”Between stimulus and…….”mentioned in the book is too good and thoughtful. The vulnerabilities of a patient as a therapist and also that of a therapist with other therapist, along with their sense & sensibilities seeking therapeutic help before and during the course of treatment, are both informative and therapeutic for the reader.The genuineness as a writer,as a therapist & above all as a good human being is reflected in the entire book.As a matter of fact , my own, vulnerabilities also came to the fore & reflected ,after reading the book, which I need to look in.The story of John & Margo, whose son ‘Gabe’,dies in a car accident while on their way to holiday trip during the couples’ argument leaves them guilty & devastated for long and forcing them to seek therapeutic help for both.The last words of Gabe “Daddyyyyyyyyy….”Just before the accident is poignant & reflects emotional feelings of both the patient and therapist.So, also the story of Julie,who dies bravely fighting with cancer and who sought therapeutic help from the writer,is no less heart touching.The progress of the relation turning from therapist- patient to that of a strong friendship between them is down to earth and humane ,before the writer realizes which is reflected when she recalls her memory at her funeral ” I remember her the most in silence”.The stories of Charlotte and the dude are both humorous and interesting.Also, the stories of Rita,her family life, and her struggle of going through multiple marriages and divorces throw good light on the various disputes between a couple and after effects that goes with them.Above all the conversations between Wendell,the therapist and Lori,brings out the best humor,a perfect therapeutic treatment and also reflects the ethics of the profession.Enjoyed reading an outstanding book while taking away the best tips for development of self.
CA –
This was a book I couldn’t get enough of. Loved it!If less alone and more understood is what you want to feel – give this a read!
Sreya Binu –
Nice, good
butterfly pre –
This book is engaging, wonderfully written and full of insights. The author takes us on a journey as a therapist and a client. She was a writer for TV shows and her story telling ability shines through. I took my time reading the book and enjoyed it. It seemed like I was in therapy as I went through someof the pages. Definitely recommend.
Anukriti chaturvedi –
“Besides, aren’t therapists, of all people, supposed to have their lives together?”As I turn the last page of the book, there’s this sort of lightness in my chest and dampness on my face. I can’t help smiling and ruminate about what a therapeutic experienced l’d.As opposed to what pop culture might make us believe, therapy is not about just lying on the couch, spilling out everything to a therapist. Therapy is a process, an arduous journey. There needs to be an establishment of some sort of trust first and a therapist is not a vending machine, that they give an answer on the platter on Day 1.Why are we so scared of discussing our mental state of mind, the invisible storm brewing in our heads but are quick to divulge our physical health issues and even sex lives? is what Lori starts of with.Through the medium of her 4 clients, their lives and painful experiences, along with her own experience with therapy, Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist, weaves an utterly human narrative, peeling back layers in order to help her patients reach the deepest and darkest parts of themselves and the deep rooted insecurities, which they are too afraid to confront. She gently steers them in the right direction, making them make sense of their jumbled up thought processes, helping them overcome the obstacles and convincing them that their worth is not associated with the choices they’ve made. In this manner, she compels the readers to the same.She gives us a glimpse into the nature of a therapist’s workings, as well as what people perceive of her, teaching us a lot about compassion and empathy, not only with others but also ourselves, and making us understand our relationship with others around us. She also touches upon the topic of seeking therapy on the basis of gender, in a patriarchal society like ours.It’s an absolutely riveting and intimate book, eloquently put together, relatable and hilarious, making you either laugh out loud or chuckling ever so often and making you feel all sorts of emotions as you cheer for everyone in the book and is not at all preachy. She even touches upon a few disorders and common terms in therapy, explaining them quite succinctly and theories by certain scholars.”As I heal inside, I’m also becoming more adept at healing others.”In the end I would just like to sayYou are validYou matterYou are enoughYou are appreciated and loved.Whatever you are going through right now, will pass soon so just hang in there and keep fighting and going after things you want.Please do seek help if you feel like.
G. Thakre –
Currently Reading this book… It’s about a Therepist telling her POV as well as silly and serious encounters she had in past… Also about the view or can say life through her eyes… Definately a Must Read I would say
Namita –
“The nature of life is change and the nature of people is to resist change“Reading ‘Maybe you should talk to someone‘ felt like resonating with my innermost feelings and the thoughts that often get neglected. Whenever we pause and take a moment to relax and reciprocate our own sentiments and stances, most of the time we fail to acknowledge our fears and agony, and the worst thing that we can do is tag most of them as immaterial. Those immaterial fears and hidden feelings surfaced at the top of this book. Different strangers, anguishing and suffering, seeking help in the form where they can be heard without being judged and confronted for their authentic feelings is the whole crux of this book.Non-fiction, written by psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, shares the vulnerabilities and fears of people drowning into melancholy, watching their life slipping away day by day in choked desolation. This will tell you how difficult and destructive our feelings can be and how tricky life is. You will see patients coming with their own set of insecurities, griefs, and resentments. You will witness people getting destroyed, emotionally. But still, you will register hope, hope that we are capable of the fight. We are capable of taking charge of the not so uncomplicated life. Hope that everything is going to be fine, you just have to hang in there.It throws light upon how therapists restructure their own beliefs and assumptions in order to provide unbiased help and comfort to their patients. Knocking down many of the mental health related beliefs and letting you observe the emotions and thoughts from both sides of the table, this book tells you that accepting your fragility is not a luxury but a necessity and the actuality that the therapists themselves seek therapy when they fall into the vicious trap of feelings, comes as a thumbs up.It was a delightful read with lots of insights being lodged about fear, emotions, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This book made me happy, sad, compassionate, and hopeful. This book challenged me to acknowledge my fears and vulnerabilities and explore my emotions and beliefs and respond to my flow of thoughts in a structured way and yet keeping the air calm and light.
Surbhi Sinha –
I started reading Maybe You Should Talk to Someone to be a part of a read-along and participate in it’s discussions. Here’s a thing I’ve realized about read-along’s – while they’re really good for you to read through a book quickly and have in-depth conversations about them, sometimes it may pull you out of your depth and turns out that this one was a bit too ambitious for me. As I read the book it occurred to me that that’s okay and I’m quite glad to have finished the book at my own pace. It’s also the first time that I was reading two books simultaneously and now I have come to know myself better and also understood why I am a mono-reader – it’s because I enjoy savoring the story of an entire book before I move on to the next.Despite what the title may suggest, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is NOT a self-help book. It isn’t a book where the author imposes their idea of something on you AND it definitely is NOT a book asking you to go see a therapist! It’s rather a memoir of the author and therapist – Lori Gottlieb. It’s a narrative about her sessions with her therapist along with the journey of some of her patient’s – an obnoxious TV show writer, an alcoholic, a dying newly wed and a 70 year old depressed artist.This week is mental health awareness week and the title of the book subtly addresses the stigma around mental health, subtly suggesting that if you feel like you need help, there’s nothing wrong in asking for it. Who you ask that help from is entirely up to you.There were many enlightening moments in the book for me. The emotions that one faces in life are quite similar to those faced by many other’s as well. We’re different people but all human, different OS on similar hardware. At times, the questions and feelings expressed by each patient and Lori had me subconsciously acknowledging that emotion too or it had me asking the same questions to myself. Some times it would also feel as if the author was calling me out on some of my toxic behaviors too.In my opinion, the book is not to convince anyone to go see a therapist; rather it’s to help us question and understand our own entire humanity through the author’s journey. As the patient’s progressed in their journey’s I too became more affirmed that whenever I do need help, I will always have an option, and more importantly the choice, to to ask for it – which to me seems like the secondary intent of this memoir. I could be wrong about all of this but what I really want to say is that after quite a prolonged period, I’ve found a profound read and I am giving it nothing less than 5 bookmarks!
Lakshmi –
It’s one of those books that feels like a warm tea on a rainy day. It’s soothing and it makes you wonder. Wonder about your own life and the lives of the people around you. It makes you realise that we’re all fighting our own battles, struggling to stay alive. I think I’ll come back to this book once in a while when I’m going through tough times.
Anushka G. –
“A therapist narrates her life and the lives of her patients as she leaves us with wisdom and helps the readers find themselves in between the pages.”This book is probably one of those well narrated books you can never get enough of. The author/narrator who is a therapist too, has a lot to say and a lot to give you in the form of this book. You will probably wish that the book never ends. But it does end and you close it with heavy emotions as if you have spent a lifetime in it. It has stories to narrate from the author’s pov and how her patients feel about life which hits you like a train at times. The words in this book have the potential to make you feel less alone and also to shatter you (not in a wrong way) at the same time.It’s rare to find such a vulnerable piece of art nowadays, the way our lives are revealed in the book makes it worth the read. The book has tons of wisdom to offer. You are not going to get over this book with empty hands. Sometimes, I have found myself relating my life with the events in the book. None of the character is hard to relate. None of the story seems like far fetched. It’s all very real and very pure. This book is the definition of perfection in my opinion. Apart from that, it is valuable for the people working in the field of psychology. So many insights, so many wonderful details.This book came as a blessing in disguise for me. I needed this book and I am glad that I read it at the right time in my life. I wouldn’t have understood or related to a single word had it not been for this year.I’d rate it a 5/5. Do read it some day in life, if you get time. I promise you won’t regret it.Especially in the times we are living in, where there is just so much to grieve about, I would suggest you to please read this book.Thank you to the author for writing this book! I really look forward to the next book by her!! ?