The book gives the story of Lori Gottlieb as both a professional and a patient. She is a therapist practicing in Los Angeles. She is going through an emotional crisis and she needs to see her therapist. Gottlieb gives us an insight into the process of mental healing. She explains that one has to let go of the past limiting stories about themselves to discover themselves a new. We have to live a life that is not defined by stories we keep telling on ourselves.
Gottlieb is attending to some of her patients like John who is self-absorbed and thinks less of other people. John is struggling in his marriage. When Gottlieb engages him in therapy she discovers that all this transgression he has on people is a reflection of how empty he feels inside. Rita wants to seek forgiveness from her children. Having been in an abusive marriage where her children were abused as well, she is tied to the mistake of not leaving and thinks less of herself. Julia’s story is sympathetic, as a terminal cancer patient, she has to come in terms with her impending death. Charlotte is an alcoholic who keeps falling in love with the wrong guys. As they tell their stories every other day in therapy, their mind sets begin to change for the better.
Gottlieb also struggles with her own mental issues that she has taken to Wendell. Wendell’s ways of therapy are different and they catch up on the effectiveness of their different methods. She also gets a deeper perspective of therapy and psychology by relating her experience with those of her patients. In the end, we learn that everybody needs someone, it’s being human, and we should talk to someone.
