This is the Toolkit for difficult feelings that Dr. Smith hoped it would be!

I was so excited to get this ARC - Dr. Julie Smith is one of my favorite instagram follows. She is so insightful, and the way she speaks about anxiety is incredible.

Dr. Smith has created a book based on different complicated feelings that many of us have, like when you can't stop comparing yourself to others, when you're feeling down, or when you're having a difficult time in relationship.

Her chapter on comparison at the beginning of the book is so highlighted for me that I should have just highlighted the entire chapter. That is one I refer back to on a regular basis.

While some self-help books feel difficult to actually apply, this one is full of important reminders for when you're in the moment of a difficult chapter. I love it and will recommend it to friends!

"Open When" is an uplifting and compassionate collection of letters designed to provide support and encouragement during life's challenging moments. Written by renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith, this book is a heartfelt and accessible companion for anyone navigating the highs and lows of the human experience.

Drawing on her professional expertise and personal experiences, Smith offers readers a range of letters that address common struggles such as anxiety, self-doubt, and loss. Each letter is filled with warmth, empathy, and practical advice, serving as a gentle reminder of our inherent resilience and the power of self-compassion.

"Open When" is a powerful and relatable guide that invites readers to embrace vulnerability, find strength in adversity, and cultivate a more supportive relationship with themselves. Dr. Julie Smith's compassionate voice and wise insights make this book an essential resource for anyone seeking solace and encouragement during life's most trying times.

I read and loved Julie Smith's first book so I was really looking forward to the follow up and she absolutely did not disappoint! This book is broken up to many, many different tough life moments. It's intended to be read when you're experiencing (or re-living, or struggling with...) one of these moments.

Each chapter starts with a kind, generous and compassionate letter from Julie with both emotional and practical advice. Helping you feel less alone, more equipped and held. The rest of the chapter is the practical take aways and actions you can take.

Like her other book, it's a treasure trove of kindness, advice, and tools. It's a book I will come back to again and again.


with gratitude NetGalley and HarperOne for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dr. Julie Smith, author of the bestselling "Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?", has now written a companion book entitled, "Open When . . ." Smith begins her book by telling her authors that her previous book was "filled with the concepts and skills that help people to work on their future mental health, often by looking back at past difficult moments." However, she wanted to write a book that would be more helpful in the moment. Each chapter is titled with a specific challenge you might be facing, such as comparing yourself to others and coming up short, when you keep saying yes but you want to say no, when you hate who you've become, when fear shows up, and many others. Each chapter is a letter from Smith and contains tools that you can use in that moment, as well as quick takeaways at the end of each chapter. The appendix is filled with additional tools and techniques that you can be used in various situations.

This book would be helpful for a wide variety of readers and is filled with many helpful tips and tricks. I highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Open When by Dr. Julie Smith is a solid guide for navigating tough mental health moments, but it didn’t feel particularly groundbreaking. While the advice is practical and accessible, much of it covers familiar ground if you’ve read other self-help or mental health books.

Dr. Julie’s focus on being present and learning to process emotions in the moment is helpful, especially for those new to these concepts. The sections on dealing with vulnerability, imposter syndrome, and coping with loneliness are clear and easy to follow, but they don’t offer much that hasn’t been said before.

If you’re a fan of her previous work or new to this type of advice, you’ll likely find it valuable. For those looking for something more innovative or in-depth, this might feel a bit repetitive. A decent resource, but not particularly memorable.

There are tough experiences universal to humanity and “Open When…” by Dr. Julie Smith is a collection of letters that addresses many such experiences in the form of a letter for the reader to open when. This book isn’t designed to be read straight through, it’s designed to be a life raft for a certain situation when you need it, and as such, this book belongs on every book shelf.

Each chapter begins with a letter from Dr Julie Smith on a specific topic — like “open when… you experience the death of a loved one.” The letter portion is comforting, compassionate, and provides a sense of anchored-ness for the days you might feel lost at sea. The letter has reminders of what is true even when it feels like truth is unattainable. Following the letter, there are tools you can use and practice when you are feeling engulfed by the season you’re in to make small and incremental steps that you can take to regain your footing. After that, for those days when you just don’t have it in you to read a letter, there is a succinct section of key take aways that provide the bulk of the message in small bite sized sentences in a bulleted list.

This book is one I wish I had for many tough seasons of life, and I’m so grateful this resource is being made available now. This is a book that will be on my shelf and I highly recommend it if you’re human.

I would like to thank HarperOne and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Open When by Dr. Julie Smith is such a refreshing and insightful read. It’s a great mix of practical advice and emotional support, with each chapter feeling like a conversation with a wise friend. I loved how the book breaks down complex mental health topics in a way that’s easy to understand and relatable. The exercises and tips are super helpful, and I found myself thinking about them long after I finished reading. I think our library patrons will absolutely love it too—it’s the kind of book that feels like a hug for the soul, and I’m sure it will resonate with many!

I really enjoyed "Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?" so I was really looking forward to this new Dr. Smith book. I must say, I was blown away again. I love reading anything psychology related so this was a really great read.