The stories of each patient are so insightful that one begins to see parts of themselves in Cathrine Gildiner's analysis'. It is interesting to note that in writing the book there is an "ah-ha" moment in which the book itself lends an element of catharsis for Gildner. She is reminded of her own childhood and the element of strife which in her subconscious helps explain why she chose the patients she did for her book.

Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner | Goodreads Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner | Goodreads

Fascinating. This book contain five case studies on patients this psychologist considered psychological heroes. Their stories are independently horrific. Never having been to therapy, the process of getting to the core of a patient’s problem was interesting. It’s a slow, tedious process where one misstep can lead to disaster. A therapist creates moving portraits of five of her most memorable patients, men and women she considers psychological heroes. A llows one the privilege of seeing the therapist-patient relationship as an essentially human interaction." — JM Coetzee, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Madeline was Gildiner’s last patient, and their work together occurred after Gildiner had officially retired from psychotherapy. Madeline’s father convinced Gildiner to work with her, and Gildiner accepted due to various reasons from her own past, including a similar father figure of her own. All of the cases feature victims of extreme child abuse and sexual violence, and are therefore hard to read. I found the first two stories heartbreaking but inspirational. It was great to see therapy in action, helping people find peace with themselves and their history, and eventually lead much happier, healthier lives. I loved that part, and left those chapters feeling inspired to take a closer look at my own mental health.

In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner’s presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: a successful, first generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age nine with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with “Good morning, Monster.” When I asked whether her sexual partner knew he had herpes, Laura replied that Ed, her boyfriend of two years, had said he didn’t. However, she’d found a pill vial in his cabinet that she recognized as the same medication she’d been prescribed. When I questioned her about this, she acted as though it was normal and that there wasn’t much she could do about it. She said, “That’s Ed. I’ve already ripped a strip off him. What more can I do?” Full Book Name: Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery 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.

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five [PDF] [EPUB] Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five

Minka Kelly takes readers behind the shiny silver-screen facade and reveals just how good an actress she really is.Every one of the 5 cases will be a season. As I said, season 1 has started so be sure to go listen. If you haven’t read the book yet I HIGHLY suggest reading it before listening to the series. It’s just so good. Catherine also wrote Too Close to the Falls which is another book I couldn’t put down. Catherine Gildiner is a bestselling memoirist, a novelist, and a psychologist in private practice for twenty-five years. In Good Morning, Monster, she focuses on five patients who overcame enormous trauma--people she considers heroes. With a novelist's storytelling gift, Gildiner recounts the details of their struggles, their paths to recovery, and her own tale of growth as a therapist.

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A Toronto-based clinical psychologist weighs the travails of mental illness on both sufferer and healer.The urologist recommended Gildiner because Peter’s problem seemed purely psychological. Indeed, Gildiner would come to find it was exactly so. If the authors are serious, this is a silly, distasteful book. If they are not, it’s a brilliant satire. The book was published in September 2019 and has been praised by the likes of Glennon Doyle and Lori Gottlieb.