Title: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Author: Lori Gottlieb
First published April 2, 2019
415 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781328662057 (ISBN10: 1328662055)
Rating: 4.38
Overview
In Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb takes us on a journey through the intimate world of psychotherapy. As a therapist, she thought she had her life under control until a crisis hits her world.
Suddenly, she finds herself sitting on the other side of the couch, seeking help from a quirky therapist named Wendell. As she navigates her own struggles, Gottlieb also delves into the lives of her patients, including a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen contemplating suicide, and a twenty-something struggling to find love.
With wisdom and humor, Gottlieb explores the truths and lies we tell ourselves, and how we navigate the complex emotions of love, desire, mortality, guilt, and redemption. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is a candid and deeply personal journey that offers a universal tour of our hearts and minds, reminding us of our power to transform our own lives.
About the Author
Lori Gottlieb is a well-known psychotherapist who has authored the New York Times bestseller, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone”. This book is now being adapted for TV with Eva Longoria.
Lori not only practices psychotherapy, but she also writes “Dear Therapist”, a weekly advice column for The Atlantic, and contributes regularly to the New York Times. Her expertise is in high demand, and she frequently appears in major media outlets such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air”.
To learn more about Lori, visit her website at LoriGottlieb.com or follow her on Twitter @LoriGottlieb1.
Editoral Review
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb is a powerful memoir that offers a window into the lives of both a therapist and her clients. The book was first published on April 2, 2019, and quickly gained popularity for its blend of self-help, memoir, and psychology.
Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and author who has written for numerous publications like The New York Times, The Atlantic, and TIME. In Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Gottlieb combines her expertise as a therapist with her own story of being in therapy to weave a compelling narrative that explores the complexities of human connection and the nature of change.
At its core, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone explores the intricacies of therapy, and how it can help people navigate life’s challenges. We follow four primary characters, including Gottlieb herself, who is seeking therapy following a devastating breakup.
There’s Julie, a 30-something cancer patient who is grappling with her diagnosis and the fear of death; John, a wealthy entertainment executive who is both narcissistic and self-destructive; and Rita, a middle-aged woman dealing with feelings of loneliness and regret. Gottlieb’s writing is poignant and reflective, and she skillfully draws the reader into the innermost thoughts of her characters.
She is particularly adept at capturing Julie’s emotional journey as she faces the reality of her illness, and the impact it has on her relationships. While the book is centered around the stories of these four characters, it is easy to see bits of ourselves in each of them.
The themes of love, loss, fear, and regret that run throughout the book are universal, making it easy for readers to connect on a deeply personal level. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is how Gottlieb manages to seamlessly blend storytelling with practical advice.
She seamlessly weaves in snippets of psychological research and offers insights into the human psyche. Her writing is graceful and witty, making the book both enjoyable and informative.
Although there are some minor flaws in the book, particularly in terms of pacing and the uneven focus on each of the four characters, these are minor quibbles. Overall, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is a beautifully written, thought-provoking book that is well worth the read.
I would highly recommend Maybe You Should Talk to Someone to anyone interested in psychology, personal growth, or just a good story. The book is both moving and insightful and offers a sense of hope around the ways in which we can learn to better understand ourselves and others.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
