Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery

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I found it refreshing that the author did not shy away from pointing out her own mistakes during treatment. Most doctors will rather cut off a body part than admit fault. If you're going to choose to read this book, realize that it has many things discussed in detail that could be triggering and traumatic. One of the cases in particular is pretty detailed with the sexual abuse of a child and it was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching for me and I'm not personally affected by it. I was hooked immediately, and my interest did not flag for a single second. This book is gold. Every one of the five individual journeys proved to be highly inspirational and incredibly interesting. I learned so much about the power of the human subconscious and the ability of psychotherapy to break through. These types of issues are not something that can be untangled in a couple of weeks; all of the patients were in therapy for 4-5 years. But if you ask any one of them, it was worth it. First of all, Good Morning, Monster is heart-breaking, because the book tells the stories of real people and the horrors they had to endure over long periods of time. There are so many abysmal things these men and women went through that I found it hard to read on at times. The book made me cry more than once, and since the stories told are at times rather detailed, it is sometimes a long way in each story until you see the success, if you want to, you can call that the happy ending.

Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner | Waterstones

I loved Gildiner’s three memoirs and was excited to see she had another book coming out. Because I worked as a counselor for several years, reading a Gildiner memoir about her years as a therapist seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, not only was I disappointed, I actually found a large swath of the book distasteful. I recently wrapped up my 3-star review of the uber-popular Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by saying maybe I should talk to someone…else. Well, I found her, and she’s a monster. The book’s subtitle - A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery - is the perfect content summary. I was actually surprised to find that the patients she profiled weren’t psychopaths given the “monster” in the primary title. Rather, they were just people trying to be functioning adults after horrible (HORRIBLE) childhoods. Case in point, a woman whose hateful mother greeted her each day with, “good morning, monster.” I chose this book after reading Lori Gottlieb’s “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” another winner. Anyone who liked that one will surely love this one. I think it hasn’t gotten the attention Ms. Gottlieb’s book did at this stage of the game because of the odd title (which I finally understood in the last chapters). Don’t let that deter you from grabbing a copy of this truly inspirational and educational book that will make you think about yourself as well. Recommended for all.At times, I had to swallow my gorge (with immense difficulty) and struggle not to vomit during Alana's tale of survival and the near incomprehensible suffering she triumphed over. And the lesson was especially pertinent to her work with another heroic patient, one who had built strong emotional barriers within himself to survive. We’ll discover his story in the next section!

Good Morning, Monster on Apple Podcasts ‎Good Morning, Monster on Apple Podcasts

Heart-wrenching stories... [that] inspire awe for the ways people who suffered horrific abuse were able to find a measure of recovery." — Publisher's WeeklyAlthough this book centers on the healing of Gildiner’s patients, it is also about her own gifts and growth as a therapist... Hats off to Gildiner for doing a heroic therapeutic job and for writing about it so eloquently." — New York Journal

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories

This also makes me question the book’s theme. It makes me wonder if the hero angle was an afterthought-a way to justify the use of all those personal details. Gildiner says she received each client’s consent to write the book. My guess is that they agreed based on the idea that there would be more focus on the hero, less on the trauma and victimization. The patients Dr. G discusses in her amazing book are heroes; psychologically, emotionally and mentally. In the tradition of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and shows such as In Treatment, a riveting look behind the closed door of the therapist's office.One of Peter’s biggest realizations throughout his work with Gildiner was that although his mother did what she thought was best for their family – and indeed, did better than her relatives had done for her when she was young – she had still abused and neglected him. THE DAY I OPENED my private practice as a psychologist, I sat smugly in my office. Fortified with the knowledge I’d acquired, taking comfort in the rules I’d learned, I looked forward to having patients I could “cure.”

Good Morning, Monster - Penguin Random House Canada Good Morning, Monster - Penguin Random House Canada

One such patient was a pianist, Peter. Initially, the musician was working with a urologist because of erectile dysfunction. However, the urologist could find no reason why Peter – who could masturbate to completion and had no physical impediments – couldn’t achieve an erection during sex. Peter was attracted to women and wanted a sexual relationship, but even the strongest, most reliable drug the urologist had didn’t help. Since reading Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed last year, I've been so eager to find something similar. I fell prey to the marketing for Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life, and, for some twisted reason, I actually finished that awful book despite it being one of the most cringey reading experiences I've ever had the displeasure of going through. Not only did it not quench my thirst for another Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, it nearly put me off of the idea of books centering around therapists for good. Book Genre: Autobiography, Biography, Biography Memoir, Health, Memoir, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Psychology But lo and behold, there was ANOTHER book about a therapist being released around the same time as Group, it's just that the Whiskey in a Teacup lady didn't choose it for her book club and the publisher didn't rain copies down on Bookstagrammers so it didn't get half the hype as Group did. Friends, this one is worlds better than Group. I enjoyed her explanations of certain therapies and theories (which reminded me of all I had studied in college) and how she learned that each patient is different and adapts multiple therapeutic strategies for each person.Have you or a loved one ever participated in therapy? If you have, you know it can be extremely challenging! Confronting your unsavory characteristics, wading through a mess of pain, suffering, and trauma from childhood, or even working through problems with loved ones with the support of a neutral third party – these are not easy tasks. I totally agree! Maybe that's why I love to read mysteries/thrillers and why I enjoyed studying psychology in college. My streak of outstanding reads continues. Though I have only read 31 books this year, the number of 5 stars books amongst that lot is remarkable. And the streak continues with Good Morning Monster. Gildiner chose fascinating people to include in her book. She had the luxury of being able to see her clients for years, something that’s sometimes prohibitive in America due to insurance and HMO restrictions. Of course, wealthier clients can private pay. Peter was one of Gildiner’s most heroic patients. She also learned important lessons herself in her work with him, especially related to how layered therapy ends up being sometimes.