Once I started reading author and psychologist Catherine Gildiner's non-fiction book, Good Morning, Monster, I couldn't stop. I finished this account of her therapy sessions with five troubled patients over a period of just two days.

Gildiner, who changed the patients' names and identifying details to protect their privacy, picked these five because she considers them heroes, she says. They were people who overcame tremendous traumas in their lives through their efforts to understand themselves, forgive others, and forge better futures.

The book's title comes from the way one patient's mother greeted her each morning during her childhood: "Good morning, monster." This neglectful parent set her child on a long journey of despair.

I found this behind-the-scenes look at therapy both fascinating and insightful. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to understand more about the therapeutic process and the human condition.

A psychologist shares the stories of five of her patients, all facing challenges due to previous trauma in their lives. The stories are heart-wrenching, but also compelling as they show the resiliency of the human spirit. There is also insight into the therapeutic process and the ways in which healing can happen. This is a very moving book.

Thank you neutralley for giving me this gift of a book. I flew through this book in two days, while moving with small children, because I literally couldn't pull myself away from the stories the author shares of her time as a therapist. The depth of understanding, thoughtfulness and growth within each of the five chapters was incredible. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are fan of Brene Brown or enjoyed Maybe you should talk to someone.

I loved this book! The stories were horrifyingly shocking, but Gildiner does a great job of controlling the sensitive information, giving just enough so that the reader understands what's happening, but doesn't have to shoulder the heavy details. I absolutely love the way Gildiner isn't afraid to admit her mistakes with her clients in this book. An honest doctor without arrogance? Refreshing indeed. And framing her client's heartbreaking and tragic stories to describe them as heroes is perfect! It seems like it'd be impossible to turn this level of trauma into a positive story, but she does! And it's beautiful!

This was an incredible book chronicling the trials of mental health. I felt as if I knew the people and began rooting for their success as the story went on. The author kept your interest throughout the entire book which made it a great read.

I could not put this book down! It filled me with such hope and optimism that with the right help, everyone can work through their pain and live a meaningful life. Some of the stories were so horrific, you can't imagine a little kid having gone through it or that the terrible people who did it actually exist in the world. By slowly drawing out her clients' stories and making connections between their emotions and behavior patterns, the therapist and patients were able to construct the puzzle and reframe damaging self-beliefs. To see the therapeutic process in action was so interesting and insightful. I learned so much from this book. Anyone who has an interest in psychology, memoirs, and stories about overcoming adversity will want to read it.

CW: rape, abuse, incest

This book, and these emotional heroes, will stay with me for a long time. Dr. Gildiner has been a therapist for over 30 years, and she takes the time to go back in time to reveal some everyday heroes who truly went through hell and came through the other side with the help of a compassionate therapist. All of these men and women went through trauma, and all of them realized they were stronger than they realized. One of the biggest takeaways for me personally is that our unconscious doesn't care about facts and reasoning--only how something makes us feel.
I kept thinking that these were walking around, ordinary persons, who might look normal on the outside--but they had endured unbelievable tragedy and knew how to integrate that tragedy and find true healing; their woundedness no longer defined them. Their deep dive into their deepest fears and memories didn't cripple them, it freed them.
If you read this, take your time with this one. Especially if you have trauma in your past, do discuss the book with someone else you trust. I'd recommend it to fans of Lori Gottlieb's "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone", but this is an even deeper dive than her book, from my perspective. Highly, highly recommended.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. Hard to imagine what some people have had to overcome as children and how terrible and depraved some of their parents or institutions were. Difficult book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Good Morning, Monster.

I was intrigued by the title and as a former psychology minor when I was a college student, I was excited when my request was approved.

Wow. All I have to say is Wow.

The patients Dr. G discusses in her amazing book are heroes; psychologically, emotionally and mentally.

The immense suffering and horrific abuse these men and women have endured is beyond belief of the human mind to comprehend.

At times, I had to swallow my gorge (with immense difficulty) and struggle not to vomit during Alana's tale of survival and the near incomprehensible suffering she triumphed over.

Dr. G. writes with sincerity, honesty and compassion about her patients; her respect for each of them clearly shines through in her words.

I especially loved how she recounts her own failings as a psychologist, how she missed certain signs in some of her patients that led to a regression in their therapy and forced her to take into account her mistakes and how she could do herself and her patient better.

I enjoyed her explanations of certain therapies and theories (which reminded me of all I had studied in college) and how she learned that each patient is different and employs multiple strategies for each person.

When Dr. G said psychology is like a mystery novel, I almost dropped the book in shock. I totally agree! Perhaps that's why I love to read mysteries/thrillers and why I liked studying psychology in college.

I not only learned from Dr. G's therapy and how she evolved as a psychologist, but her patients' incredible recoveries instilled my faith in the human spirit; its resilience, its desire to survive, and its wondrous ability to overcome unspeakable acts that only prove good can triumph over evil.

This is an inspiring and humbling book -- five stories of people who came through childhood neglect and abuse, repairing a damaged sense of self and bravely reconnecting to the world and other people. If I get upset about anything that happens to me, I just have to think of what they endured, and try to emulate their strength and courage.

Written by a therapist, this gives an interesting glimpse into the therapeutic process, including failures and setbacks along the way, and the path to recovery and renewal. While this can be extremely valuable for those going through similar issues, it also made me a little uncomfortable at times. There is a voyeuristic element in looking through the private window into someone's life, witnessing such horrible things. We are meant to empathize with them, but there is also a sense of distance that can be disturbing. How can we truly understand another person's suffering, how can we possibly treat it with enough reverence and respect? This includes the author's own abusive upbringing, which she reveals at the end in an oddly naive way, not seeming to fully realize how much it mirrors her own patients' inability to recognize what they have been subjected to. It made me wonder if she herself needed therapy more than she realized.

That said, this is a fascinating, compulsively readable book which gives a glimpse of true heroism, of the noble side of humanity that lurks in the darkest places. We need such images today. I am grateful to the subjects for making their stories available and to the author for sharing them with us.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a phenomenal and heartbreaking book.

Dr. Gildiner shares with us the stories of her patients as they face what some of us would see as insurmountable trauma. There is a lot of graphic content around physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that I wasn't prepared for and am amazed to hear the stories of these patients.

The read is at times infuriating and terrifying. It's impossible not to feel for these people and the terrible things they've faced. Gildiner breaks down people's barriers and shares what she thinks made their progress possible.

It's an emotionally challenging book that dives deep into the lives of the people featured and shows what we're capable of.

I did not have the same positive reaction to this book as other reviewers. I found the peeking inside therapy to be a little creepy and off putting. And, necessarily much is missed by this truncated format. I did not finish this one.

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book as I have read two of her other books and enjoyed both of them. This book was riveting. I was fascinated (and disturbed) by all five stories in the book. I was especially moved by Danny's story and felt that this could have been a book on its own.

I really enjoyed how the author wrote about each client and appreciated her honesty and frankness when things were not working or when she overstepped her bounds. There was lots of disturbing material even though she said that some was left out as it was TOO disturbing. I cannot even imagine. I also know that I could not be a therapist as I would have a hard time not internalizing the trauma of my clients.

I am glad the author chose to feature five stories that ended in success. It certainly made reading through some of the terrible trauma more bearable. Many trigger warnings for this book (rape, incest, spousal abuse, suicide, neglect, residential schools and more),

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I am always interested in books related to therapy, and this was one of my favorites. The five people in this story went through so much trauma that I almost felt guilty reading it for enjoyment. Fortunately, the author does a great job honoring all five.

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is going to be a KNOCKOUT book for those that enjoyed Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. It differed in that there wasn’t much (if any) focus on the therapist herself, instead, each part of the book followed a different patient and their story from beginning to end. Patients experienced anxiety, fear, trauma, sexual abuse, divorce, physical abuse, etc etc and I felt myself rooting for each one as their horrific stories unfolded in their therapist’s office. I was so wrapped up in each patient’s story that they all could’ve been their own book. I really enjoyed this, I think it is so unique in the world of therapy/memoir/self-help, and I think it is going to be wildly popular upon its release.

Good Morning Monster is a compelling and engaging deep dive into her therapeutic practice. Casual readers are offered an interesting introspective memoir of a professional and clients faced, while professionals can use it as a practice guide that is unlike any other that might be offered during clinical training or formalised schooling. It hearkens professionals new and seasoned alike to engage in critical self-examination including the need for humility that Gildiner aptly models throughout the book in her case summaries. The result is a genuine reflection of her own failures and successes via a smart, witty and engaging narrative approach.

Throughout the compilation we meet 5 of Gildiner’s “psychological hero’s (Gildiner, pg 65) who demonstrate the indelible human spirit to overcome trauma, trauma-based triggers, and maladaptive behaviours and internal narratives. Readers are privy to how they have shaped her practice and therapeutic vision of honouring and healing through the restoration of dignity. She expertly grapples heady topics such as child abuse, neglect, abandonment, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and trauma. Along with discussions of denial, shame, transference and resiliency with tact and authenticity. Gildiner doesn’t shy away from digging deep into personal and professional barriers encountered over the course of her practice from a new therapist to her current state as a veteran in her field.

Gildiner aims and delivers at imparting wisdom and guidance with grace. Gildiner offers a gentle yet unapologetic challenge to the expected goal of psychotherapy and psychologists to solve problems, choosing instead to illuminate the reciprocal relationship of therapist and therapized who work together to unmask psychological truths.

As a practitioner I appreciated this inside glimpse of a distinguished professional. At times it was like peeking at her practice notes of what worked well, what didn’t and key next steps to enhance her practice. Questioning her own approach demonstrated genuine engagement and commitment to the field and to client wellness proving her to be an invaluable mentor. Her work and Good Morning Monster have been a gift to my own practice in the field of social work and child welfare.

5 sunny side up eggs out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the electronic ARC in trade for an honest review.

A eye opening intimate look at the prices of therapy.The therapist brings us into her office introduces us to five patients.From the opening pages from the first case unfolds I was draw in a book that is unputdownable stories you won’t forget.A truly revealing look at the process of therapy that unfolds in the drs. Office.#netgalleyst.martinspress

Wow! I cannot say enough good things about this book! "Good Morning, Monster," chronicles five stories of former patients from a therapist, that all offered her resonance, and that she offers the audience as stories of inspiration.

These stories will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. She does a great job of explaining the therapeutic process and perspective, as well as the role of transference and countertransference between client and patient. She also acknowledges where she made errors in her approach with these clients and offers a lot of hindsight perspective on what she could have done differently, which I found to be a refreshing addition to a therapy memoir.

I couldn't put this book down, I got so engrossed into the stories. This is a must-read!

Fantastic! This book is going to be huge. Loved the clarity in the writing and the many deep insights. Thanks for the opportunity to read it early