I Didn't Sign Up for This

A Couples Therapist Shares Real-Life Stories of Breaking Patterns and Finding Joy in Relationships . . . Including Her Own

By: Dr. Tracy Dalgleish

Narrated by: Dr. Tracy Dalgleish

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

What happens when your relationship no longer feels like the one you said "yes" to?

Couples therapist Dr. Tracy Dalgleish has spent the last seventeen years dedicated to helping hundreds of couples in distress find hope and healing, sometimes by staying together and other times not. Breakdowns in communication, lack of intimacy, infidelity, overbearing in-laws and exes (to name a few)―she's seen it all.

Shortly after the birth of her first child, Dr. Tracy suddenly began to see herself in her clients' narratives. Despite the overwhelming joy she felt as a new mother, she also found herself welling up with anger and resentment toward her partner as she began shouldering more than half the domestic load and childcare labor in their marriage. In time, she found herself uttering the very words she'd heard countless times in her office from her clients: I didn't sign up for this.

Part memoir, part self-help, Dr. Tracy Dalgleish's debut book provides a rare look inside real therapy sessions with four couples―and into her own marriage. With unflinching candor and heartfelt empathy, she digs to the root of the issues that fuel our day-to-day relationship conflicts and illuminates the common struggle of what it means to be human: the incredible difficulty of showing up wholly and authentically in our most intimate relationship with others and with ourselves.

©2023 Dr. Tracy Dalgleish (P)2023 Podium Audio

Great book

Very relatable. A lot of valuable insight and information relating to relationship issues and how to overcome them.

Amazing reflection

I have reflected on how my marriage is and this audio was amazingly helpful. Change is needed and perspective is being seen.

Very Informative!

Knowing we can’t change anyone, I liked most of the tools and examples she provided. Great narrating also!

This book has lots of different situations. Great ideas to consider.

I liked the presentation. Easy to follow. It was always engaging and informative. Went back and reread with my wife. What a great idea. Made a positive change in our lives. I think it’s a must read for couples.

Great insight!

Definitely loved listening to the journeys of the different couples! Gives me insight into my own marriage

Few insights, unnecessary personal narrative

Will this book be useful for you? If you can see the problems in these real situations from the book, probably not:
"I've had no job for years and bought a boat without discussing it with my wife first."
"My mom told my wife she was fat and she wasn't losing the baby weight fast enough. My mom went in to accuse my wife of not doing enough special things for her husband. When my wife looked to me and started to cry I did nothing."
"I picked him up and he was mad, and I didn't do anything, so why is he mad? What did I do?" Well he just said he got off the phone with his ex wife who wanted to change some custody days. "Yeah but what did I do to make him mad??" Even the therapist wants to blurt out It's not ABOUT you!
"I planned complicated meals for every day this week and instead he made something simple when other stuff came up and time was limited! Why can't he follow instructions??"

Motivating book

I often read self-help books and get totally motivated and then, after a few weeks I drop back into my bad habits and old routines. I really think this book may help me stick with my changes better than usual.

A must for anyone in relationship

This book was so beautifully constructed. It felt like a mirror helping me to process my own relationship plus a guideline going forward. It should be compulsory reading for anyone in relationship. Highly recommended.

Very helpful

This is a realistic look at issues that come up in marriage / partnership. It gives lots of examples of issues and how to understand and work through them.

Inaccurate info regarding affairs

I enjoyed the material overall. The information regarding affairs where the author cites something missing in a relationship as a reason for infidelity is outdated. People that choose to have affairs are missing something in the self, not in their relationship. She is correct with who also being a cause.