Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery

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Insightful psychological lessons of special interest to readers on therapeutic journeys of their own. There is Laura, who was abandoned in a cabin as a child and sought to hide that fact from the world as she stepped into the role of parent for her younger siblings. There is Peter, the son of immigrants, who was consigned nearly from birth to years spent alone in a room above the family restaurant; years that left him with developmental deficits harsh enough to deny him the intimacy he so required as an adult. There is Danny, an Indigenous man, who was ripped from his family by the government so that he might have his native ways educated out of him, only to suffer repeated abuse in the school ostensibly meant to save him. There is Alana, the daughter of a pedophile, who was proffered to her father's friends until society intervened to place her with her paternal grandparents - where the true nightmare began. And there is Madeline, whose aristocratic mother greeted her every day with the phrase destined to become this book's title.

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories

The patients Dr. G discusses in her amazing book are heroes; psychologically, emotionally and mentally.I recently wrapped up my 3-star review of the uber-popular Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by saying maybe I should talk to someone…else. Well, I found her, and she’s a monster. Peter was one of Gildiner’s most heroic patients. She also learned important lessons herself in her work with him, especially related to how layered therapy ends up being sometimes. The premise of Good Morning, Monster is Gildiner, a therapist, shares five of her most “heroic and memorable” patients. Each individual comes to her for one problem but over the years discovers the source of the hurt and pain is from something in their pasts. As you can imagine, this book is emotional, powerful, insightful, inspiring, and hopeful even in the face of immense trauma and loss. I think anyone can read this book and learn new things and feel inspired. I gasped out loud when she told a male sexual abuse survivor that he was likely chosen by the priest because of his attractiveness and was glad he walked out for several weeks. She still doesn’t seem to understand what an obtuse comment she made to a traumatized adult. I’m not sure the quality of her work as a therapist, but I do think she believed she was good at her job.

Good Morning, Monster Summary of Key Ideas and Review Good Morning, Monster Summary of Key Ideas and Review

Alana's story is positioned towards the end of the book, so I decided to keep reading as I'd come so far. In the final chapter, the author reflects on a case in which her own personal history became intertwined with a patient's treatment. While I appreciate the honesty, reading this passage made me uncomfortable. Rodney Barnes Sets Scary Podcast Series ‘Run, Fool!’ With Ballen Studios, Eyes TV & Film AdaptationsA psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic S… Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic S…

Had it not been for a friends recommendation I never would have thought to try another book on psychology. I loved Gildiner’s three memoirs and was excited to see she had another book coming out. Because I worked as a counselor for several years, reading a Gildiner memoir about her years as a therapist seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, not only was I disappointed, I actually found a large swath of the book distasteful. A common theme across Gildiner's experiences as a therapist was the necessity of flexibility on the therapist's part. As she writes, every patient is unique. The methods and techniques that are helpful vary from situation to situation, and a therapist must use their discretion when working with patients. The other essential factor for therapy to be a success is the patient themselves – all of those described in Gildiner's work are examples of truly courageous people dedicated to growing and figuring out how to thrive despite, or even because of, their childhood traumas. On their own, a therapist or a patient might not be very effective. But together, they can truly change lives.

For fans of Lori Gottlieb... a therapist recounts five of her most fascinating patients, with a focus on how heroic they are for overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles." — Business Insider As anyone who has sat through a Zoom therapy session knows, there's really no substitute for the real thing. But, the book world is giving it a shot... Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner is a psychologist's retelling of five of her most memorable (and harrowing) cases." — Entertainment Weekly If you're going to choose to read this book, realize that it has many things discussed in detail that could be triggering and traumatic. One of the cases in particular is pretty detailed with the sexual abuse of a child and it was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching for me and I'm not personally affected by it. Gildiner is astute, active, pragmatic, and hopeful. She is also very funny. Her wit and her wisdom are gifts shared with these five people — and now with all of us readers." — David S. Goldbloom, co-author of How Can I Help?: A week in My Life as a Psychiatrist When I asked how I could help her, Laura sat for a long time looking out the window. I waited for her to tell me the problem. I continued to wait in what’s called a therapeutic silence—an uncomfortable quiet that’s supposed to elicit truth from the patient. Finally, she said, “I have herpes.”

Good Morning, Monster - Macmillan Good Morning, Monster - Macmillan

She also quotes works and theories from other psychologists, some known and others completely unknown to me. Wow. All I have to say is Wow. How did some of these patients survive such horrific trauma and abuse?THE DAY I OPENED my private practice as a psychologist, I sat smugly in my office. Fortified with the knowledge I’d acquired, taking comfort in the rules I’d learned, I looked forward to having patients I could “cure.” Her next memoir AFTER THE FALLS covers her teenage and college years where she got involved in civil rights and was investigated by the FBI. To say people are resilient downplays the strength, willpower and incredible determination Dr. G's patients demonstrated to survive at all costs, despite the horrible and terrible obstacles life threw at them.