Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

This book is a great starter-kit to learning how to take charge and change your life for the better. There are so many topics this book covers in a to-the-point, digestible manner such as grief, self-care, and trust.

Whether this book is purchased to read in one setting or to be consumed in hopes of bettering yourself in a specific way, it will surely be beneficial no matter what!

First I’d like to thank Netgalley and PESI Publishing for the ARC.

I really enjoying reading this self-help book. I will be the first to admit that they are usually not my thing but the title caught my attention and made me curious what was in this book.

This book covers lots of topics from self-care to managing feelings to keeping healthy boundaries to looking at your mental health in the future as well. I think all her topics were super relevant in today’s world.

I think my favourite section was the self-care section. I loved how she pointed out about how self-care is so in right now but there are tons of misconceptions about it. She also gave lots of examples and ideas to use practically in your life.

Overall for a self-help book it was straightforward and easy to read. I enjoyed it.

I was very thankful to have my wish to read this granted and, really appreciating a good self help book, began this one eagerly, however it wasn’t really for me.

A beginner’s guide to a lot of commonsense life hacks most of us develop over time.
If you’re closer to midlife or older this is going to rehash most generic stuff you already know / do.

If you’re not unfamiliar with one on on therapy sessions, I’d personally skip this one.



Thank you to Bridge Street Books and NetGalley for the DRC

I really enjoyed this book and found it helpful! It has a blend of personal anecdotes, psychological theories, questions to ask yourself, and ways to apply her suggestions.

As someone who can’t currently afford therapy, but still hopes to find coping mechanisms, this book is great. I appreciate how the author chose to make this info accessible. Therapy is expensive in the US!

The disclaimers at the start were great. The care and kindness in them told me that it was going to be a good (and safe!) reading experience.

This had so many good quotes and nuggets of wisdom. I want them printed on fridge magnets or in an app that makes them pop up on my phone periodically throughout the day! It also had a summary of action items at the end of each chapter. Compiling some of the standout items from each.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me an early e-copy!

It seems like there are a lot of books out this year related to the topic of therapy, and I’m not mad about it. Making it more accessible and removing the stigma around it isn’t a bad thing. This book was great. Easy to read, relatable, and full with helpful tips. I will read it again and share with friends.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5949190898

https://www.librarything.com/work/31132671/reviews/251267293

4/5 stars

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

-- 4.5 stars --

"I like to think of the mind as a garden. You nurture and grow the flowers, vegetables, and fruit (your beneficial and realistic thoughts) and discard the weeds (your unhelpful and untrue thoughts) before they overtake your garden."

I'm not exactly what you'd call a voracious reader of self-help books; not because I don't need the help (lol), but because I find most of the advice to be rather vague, intangible, and, well not all that helpful. Oftentimes I walk away feeling confused and overwhelmed, with no idea where to start, or how to put the principles I just read about into action.

But Liz Kelly's THIS BOOK IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY? *This* is the self-help book I've been looking for.

A LICSW (licensed independent clinical social worker) and therapist practicing in the Washington, DC area, Kelly offers a plethora of practical advice for surviving and thriving if/when therapy isn't an option.

This includes sections on:

- Self-care (including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, recreational, financial, and professional); pro-tip: self-care isn't always doing what feels good

- Cognitive distortions; countering and reframing negative thoughts; naming your inner critic and putting them on trial; and positive self-talk and affirmations (be your own damn cheerleader!)

- Breaking the cycle (downward spiral) over overthinking

- Practicing self-compassion (ask yourself: "Would you treat your best friend this way?")

- The mind-body connection, including activating your "rest and digest" system (parasympathetic nervous system) to promote calmness: by using grounding techniques; mindful breathing; meditation; visualization; progressive muscle relaxation; power posing; being in nature; mindfulness, activating the vagus nerve (by singing, yawning, or gargling); yoga nidra; massage; practicing gratitude; cold water immersion; and hugs, cuddles, and weighted blankets

- Regulating your emotions

- Radical acceptance

- Establishing and enforcing boundaries (a "fuck budget")

- Dealing with emotional dumpers (eve if that person is you!)

- Building and nurturing connections by finding and meeting good people; active listening; fighting fair; and apologizing like a pro

- Dealing with grief and loss (including collective grief)

- Finding meaning in your life through belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling

- Identifying your core values and constructing a life that honors them ("Turning your values into action allows you to live with intention rather than let the momentum of the daily grind take over.")

- Finding a therapist and getting the most out of therapy

Each chapter ends with three "action items" that expertly distill the main points of the section into concrete steps that you can take today, this week, or even in this moment. I especially love the action items in the final chapter (on finding a therapist); like I said, I often walk away from self-help books feeling lost and overwhelmed, but these final three action items encourage the reader to create an achievable, realistic path forward by choosing just one or two takeaways and putting them into practice.

Kelly has a cheeky, conversational style that I found engaging, but might not be for everyone; if you don't appreciate a well-placed f-bomb, maybe keep walking. (Tbh, she had me with the Fred Rococo reference.)

As a youngish widow, I found the chapter on grief especially poignant ("Grief sometimes feels like being homesick for a place that doesn’t exist anymore."), if necessarily brief. In the other direction, I found the relationship stuff ("This Is Your Brain on Love") a little out of place. Dating advice feels like a whole other conversation/book/genre. But maybe that's just because I'm single, cranky, and not looking (see, e.g., "young widow").

I loved this book! It felt like a mini dive into therapy. It’s full of helpful tips, action items, and reassuring words. I wanna gift a copy to everyone I know.

I have been considering therapy for quite some time, but was hesitant due to the expense. I jumped at the opportunity to read Liz Kelly's book, "This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy." She provides actionable steps in a clear and compassionate manner. I loved that every chapter ends with the key "Action Items" from the chapter. This helped me understand what steps I need to take and where to start. I felt empowered to take action to help myself, and I felt understood and not so alone in my struggles. I appreciated that she ends the book with information about how to find a good therapist if you decide to seek it.

I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting more out of it based on the title and the blurb.

This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy goes over self-care, the inner critic, emotions, boundaries, relationships, grief, and meaning. Each of these is touched on briefly and shallowly. I think if someone were brand-new to mental health struggles and had not ever read anything about it or reached out for any help, this book would do a decent job at introducing a bunch of concepts that they could delve into themselves over time, although I think they would find they would either have some confusion or need to relearn some of the concepts.

I was honestly expecting this book to go into more detail in each section, as an actual alternative to therapy for those who cannot access it. I disagree with the premise of this book, that it "explain(s) complex mental health concepts in a way you can understand and can put into practice immediately". I think it is very surface-level material that you will have heard of if you have read articles or books on mental health, or if you have ever gotten help for mental health, be that therapy, group sessions, or classes. I would not recommend this to anyone dealing with mental illness issues that are anything more than mild. I would also not recommend this book to someone looking for a guide, tips, or practices that they can implement. I noticed some of the information was presented in a way that could be misconstrued, misleading, or unhelpful if this were the only book that someone were to read.

This was especially noticeable in the relationships and attachment theory section. Elsewhere the author makes a point to to the reader to be very aware of the type of language that they use (when discussing grief and suicide, for example), but in this section, she talks about attachment styles other than secure as unhealthy. They aren't, they can lead to unhealthy behaviours and cycles, but the attachment styles themselves are adaptive, and are developed when people are in insecure and/or unsafe environments. While I understand she only means to introduce attachment theory as a concept, I think I would just remove this section entirely because she doesn't give enough information for someone to be able to apply it to their relationships the way it's meant to be - this could lead to worsening relationships and an inability to get out of some cycles. This work is better done with a therapist, or by reading something that has way more information (ex. Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson).

For claiming to be an alternative to therapy, it does not go over any mental illnesses, their descriptions, symptoms, warning signs, what to watch for to get help if it's worsening, etc. There are no sections detailing anything specific about how to recognize and deal with anxiety or depression, the two most common mental illnesses that most people will deal with. There is exactly one mention of OCD in passing, and no other mention of other severe mental illnesses that I could see (bipolar, schizophrenia, etc), even in the usual disclaimer of what this book can and cannot do. I understand completely that these do need more intervention than a book can provide, especially when it's meant to be more of an overview and not specialized information, but if this is supposed to be an alternative to therapy and someone's first foray into mental health help I think a quick note about them would be helpful. Maybe it's just me being thrown off by the title. I just personally feel this book would be better marketed as a self-help guide to rocky parts of life, rather than an alternative to therapy. I don't think there's much material in here that would help someone dealing with mental illness - I think it would be more helpful for people dealing with low mood due to life events.

THIS BOOK IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY
BY: LIZ KELLY

About 3.5 Stars!

First I want to extend my deepest debt of gratitude to the Publisher and Liz Kelly for granting me my wish to read this non-fiction self help book. It's called "This Book is Cheaper Than Therapy." It caught my eye with the aesthetics of book cover and the title. However, the information was mostly common sense and conversational in style. There were a few resources that I highlighted should the need arise.

I'm not a fan of Tina Fey and I should have noticed that at the end of this book's synopsis it says something like this reading experience will be similar to having a conversation with her. So the fault lies with me for not taking that factor into consideration. I liked Lori Gottlieb's book called, "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, a lot better as far as an in depth type of can't put it down type of reading experience. This author even lists that book as further resources to explore in her helpful list of books to further enhance one's self development.

I did think that this author had a great sense of humor when she gave her inner critic a name in which she called him, "Nelson." I wonder how helpful that would be. It's something I will eventually ponder over if I catch myself with an inner voice telling me I can't overcome some type of goal or adversity. I just experienced one in which a great friend came to my aid and offered her help. Asking for help is difficult for me as I feel that I am taking their precious time which is finite.

Setting boundaries is discussed which is found in most self help books. This author also spoke in a conversational voice and she also shared her own personal adversities and how and why she did things to overcome them. She listed an exhaustive list of core values which I pretty much have those already developed into who I am when I was much, much younger.

One thing that she mentioned was buying things that you don't need as a way of not dealing with a multitude of inner turmoil or not dealing with uncomfortable emotions. Most of us know to practice mindfulness and allow our emotions to surface and feel them without judgement. She explains in the beginning a simplified analogy listing the amygdala and hippocampus in the downstairs or lower brain function that releases the stress hormone cortisol which can cause health issues that manifests as physical ailments. This happens automatically when stressful events occur. The upstairs or upper brain is the prefrontal central lobe which is the area that we are using to consciously think and make decisions. This isn't fully developed until young adults reach the age of twenty-five-years-old. I already knew that being a mother of two adult sons.

What did resonate with me is how good I feel getting regular physical exercise which I did most every morning this summer. Now that it's winter I am going to join a gym because of the importance of moving my body. I actually used to run ten miles per day and always belonged to a gym as a way of life. I know the importance of working with weights to keep muscles strong and I really enjoyed doing that as well. In the last six years I haven't really done what was a lifestyle for me and reading this book reminded me how much I miss doing it. So I can confidently say that reading this book has motivated me to take action and join a gym.

There's a familiar section about grief and loss. I have long been familiar with the five stages which were ancient history for me as I have lost both parents and my only sister. The author reiterates them using the COVID 19 period where many people on a sociological level were affected. Whether working from home or before the vaccines were available and many people practiced social distance from extended family. Or people couldn't celebrate holidays with family. People could have lost a loved one or knew somebody who did. Just acknowledging that difficult time there have been higher rates of depression resulting from that time. Grieving is something most people avoid because it's extremely difficult, but essential to do it regardless. We're all familiar with the five stages which are: Denial, Bargaining, Anger. Depression, Acceptance. Some people get stuck in one stage and should consult a therapist if need be. They don't always present in that specific linear order of the five classic stages. Usually most everyone has suffered some kind of loss, so this isn't a novel idea. Their are grief support groups that are available so that people don't feel isolated or alone if you don't have a strong support system. Grieving is hard work.

It's up to you whether you want to read this book. I think if a person finds one thing that is helpful in the information that's provided then it could be worthwhile. I found it to be a reminder of things that I already knew. I think it's more of a beginner's guide. Personally, I'm glad that I read it, but it did sort of seem like not the most mind blowing self help books. Either my Kindle is not working properly or this ARC doesn't display the percentage of the book as you are reading it. I hope if that is a kink in this book it is fixed by editing for final publication.

Publication Date: March 19, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Liz Kelly and PESI Publishing Bridge City Books for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#ThisBookisCheaperThanTherapy #LizKelly #PesiPublishingBridgeCityBooks #NetGalley

This self-help book has really inspiring title, that the book is as well a good source to start improving your mental health when you cannot afford therapy.

And really it is, it has many good tips, self-reflection questions.

Personally for me, the section 'How to Find a Therapist That Doesn’t Suck' was irrelevant for this book.

Thank you NetGalley, PESI Publishing, Bridge City Books, Liz Kelly for an advanced e-copy of This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy

#NetGalley #PESIPublishing #BridgeCityBooks #LizKelly #ThisBookIsCheaperThanTherapy

A great value about the mental health, a personal issue, skill and subject everybody must understand and manage

Easy to understand and with a lot of practical info to put into practice ASAP.

Enjoy it!

So thankful for this book. It has helped having a therapist friend to talk with about this book. Between them and the book, I feel like I have a good mental toolkit to make headway and move forward confidently to seek further help.

I’m a sucker for a self-help book and this book didn’t disappoint. The author while teaching you ways to improve your mental health, kept the book easy to read with some humour and her own personal stories.

It was full of ways to actively try to work on yourself with coping skills, managing grief and changes, creating healthy boundaries and also action plans to help you move forward. There was also a section about how to choose the best therapist for yourself, with some great information.

Definitely worth the read and big thanks to netgalley for the arc.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! Liz Kelly's "This Book is Cheaper Than Therapy" starts strong with a positive tone, especially in Chapter 1 on self-care. However, as the book progresses, it becomes inconsistent and confusing, with clichéd examples and vague suggestions. Despite the author's passion, it feels like a generic self-help book lacking the depth of personal therapy sessions. Some recommendations end with an unsatisfying "google for more ideas." If you're new to therapy and seeking a starting point, this might be helpful. However, for those familiar with therapy, it falls short, making it a skip for me.

Experienced therapist Liz Kelly provides accessible explanations of key mental health issues, providing possible strategies that are geared to help to guide and support you, bearing in mind a solution that may work for one person, may require a different approach for another. This is not a replacement for deeper trauma and issues, for that you will need the support of a practicing therapist, for which she offers advice on how to find and select one. Areas looked at include handling feelings of being overwhelmed by life's realities, grief, quietening those voices that are our enemy, critical, judgemental and unforgiving. Therapy requires self reflection, accountability, often moving into unfamiliar, perhaps uncomfortable, territory for an individual, to learn to cope, adjust and become more resilient, although it may take some time.

In a anxiety ridden and challenging world, I imagine there are many who will appreciate Liz Kelly's guide. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Liz Kelly is a therapist and goes through some of the topics her clients deal with. She discusses how to quiet your inner critic, coping skills, manage feelings, setting boundaries (often a problem for people-pleasers, since boundaries protect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being), maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with the pain of loss, and prioritizing your values. I especially liked the chapter on radical acceptance, where instead of saying, “I can’t handle this right now--why did this happen to me?” we restructure our thinking: “I accept that some things are out of my control, but I can handle challenging situations, or change my perspective.”

Liz Kelly is a therapist, and goes through some of the topics her clients deal with. She discusses how to quiet your inner critic, coping skills, managing feelings, setting boundaries (often a problem for people-pleasers, since boundaries protect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being), maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with the pain of loss, and prioritizing your values. I especially liked the chapter on radical acceptance, where instead of saying, “I can’t handle this right now--why did this happen to me?” we restructure our thinking: “I accept that some things are out of my control, but I can handle challenging situations, or change my perspective.” Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Highly reccomended!! Easy, simple things anyone can try to put into practice to work through any issue. Also tips on finding a therapist and other resources.. There are action steps at the end chapter which are very helpful. Great tool for self help!

I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, loads of really good, concrete information that is clear and concise. On the other hand, it’s information overload, more of a reference or something rather than an applicable self help book.