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A review by kelly_e
Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
Title: Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life
Author: Christie Tate
Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir
Rating: 3.25 stars
Pub Date: October 27 2020
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Raw • Unconventional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Having just been named the top student of her law class and having control over her disorder eating, Christie Tate couldn't figure out why she was fantasizing about her own death. Group is Christe's memoir recounting her journey through group therapy and a group of stranger what would change her life forever.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I want to start out by saying I understand there is much controversary surrounding this book, from ethical boundaries to privilege to oversharing, there are certainly issues here that deserve to be recognized and discussed. At times the book left me feeling extremely uncomfortable in some of the therapy practices used and the disclosure of personal information of some of the author's groupmates.
Controversary aside, I have to commend the author for staring vulnerability in the face and sharing her story. I certainly hope the process of writing it was therapeutic in itself. What I personally want to take away from this is the power of connection. When Christie started group, all she wanted was to be 'fixed' but what she will learn is the need to put in hard work, all the time knowing her groupmates will always be there to support her through whatever goes on in her life.
If this book can do anything, I hope it is that it helps normalize therapy and helps remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Therapy, though proven beneficial, remains inaccessible to many for both financial and shame culture reasons.
If you do decide to embark on the journey of reading this book, keep it mind it must be taken with a grain of salt. After reading reviews and more about the author, I've come to question whether the content truthful or not. In no way is this an accurate portrayal of what group therapy always looks like or is like for everyone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"You don't need a cure. You need a witness."
Author: Christie Tate
Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir
Rating: 3.25 stars
Pub Date: October 27 2020
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Raw • Unconventional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Having just been named the top student of her law class and having control over her disorder eating, Christie Tate couldn't figure out why she was fantasizing about her own death. Group is Christe's memoir recounting her journey through group therapy and a group of stranger what would change her life forever.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I want to start out by saying I understand there is much controversary surrounding this book, from ethical boundaries to privilege to oversharing, there are certainly issues here that deserve to be recognized and discussed. At times the book left me feeling extremely uncomfortable in some of the therapy practices used and the disclosure of personal information of some of the author's groupmates.
Controversary aside, I have to commend the author for staring vulnerability in the face and sharing her story. I certainly hope the process of writing it was therapeutic in itself. What I personally want to take away from this is the power of connection. When Christie started group, all she wanted was to be 'fixed' but what she will learn is the need to put in hard work, all the time knowing her groupmates will always be there to support her through whatever goes on in her life.
If this book can do anything, I hope it is that it helps normalize therapy and helps remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Therapy, though proven beneficial, remains inaccessible to many for both financial and shame culture reasons.
If you do decide to embark on the journey of reading this book, keep it mind it must be taken with a grain of salt. After reading reviews and more about the author, I've come to question whether the content truthful or not. In no way is this an accurate portrayal of what group therapy always looks like or is like for everyone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"You don't need a cure. You need a witness."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing and Death
bulimia, mental health, witnessing death, privilege