Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

 My sister Alice Jane recommended this book to me because she thought it was very engaging AND it reveals a lot about what it's like to be "in therapy." I agree with her assessment! It's kind of cool the way the author interweaves her own struggles and questions with her patients' stories and theories of counseling.There is a lot of wisdom here, particularly in dealing with difficult people and situations. As she shares how and why she counsels her patients, her skill shines through. 

I was disappointed but not surprised at the author's personal choices; ie, sleeping with her boyfriend and involving her young son in the relationship that eventually broke up. She is definitely in tune with the social mores of our time, but it was disappointing to see no remorse over that situation or thinking she had done anything amiss. And her story of finding a sperm donor for her pregnancy shows how completely "modern" she is, not thinking her baby needed a father. 

Still, overlooking those moral differences, there is great love and empathy and commitment with her patients. I enjoyed reading about her dying patient, her narcissistic patient, and her aging patient, all of whom developed and grew over the course of the book. Plus I have to admire how vulnerable and open this author is about her own thinking, insecurities, and life itself. Her own therapy with Wendell was one of my favorite aspects of the book, particularly how she grew to appreciate him. He is a real standout in the book, the way he seems completely authentic and supportive and nonjudgmental. Definitely the kind of therapist I would want!