Letters to a Young Therapist

By: Mary Pipher

Narrated by: Eliza Foss

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Mary Pipher's groundbreaking investigation of America's "girl-poisoning culture," Reviving Ophelia, has sold nearly two million copies and established its author as one of the nation's foremost authorities on family issues. In Letters to a Young Therapist, Dr. Pipher shares what she has learned in 30 years as a therapist, helping warring families, alienated adolescents, and harried professionals restore peace and beauty to their lives. Letters to a Young Therapist gives voice to her practice with an exhilarating mix of storytelling and sharp-eyed observation. And while her letters are addressed to an imagined young therapist, every one of us can take something away from them.

Long before "positive psychology" became a buzzword, Dr. Pipher practiced a refreshingly inventive therapy - fiercely optimistic, free of dogma or psychobabble, and laced with generous warmth and practical common sense. But not until now has this gifted healer described her unique perspective on how therapy can help us revitalize our emotional landscape in an increasingly stressful world. Whether she's recommending daily swims for a sluggish teenager, encouraging a timid husband to become bolder, or simply bearing witness to a bereaved parent's sorrow, Dr. Pipher's compassion and insight shine in this thoughtful and engaging book.

©2016 Mary Pipher (P)2020 Hachette Audio

Has much to offer, however..

As a therapist myself, there were things I loved about this book and things I struggled with. Her take on something’s rubbed me the wrong way (refusing a client because she was having an affair with a married man and wanted him to leave his family for her- and she called this client a “gold digger” …directly following a chapter about diagnosing and how she doesn’t like to label people because it can be hurtful (hmm..). With that aside, she is a very experience clinician with many wonderful things to offer the reader or young therapist. If you are a new therapist- Just remember to take what fits for you and leave the rest if it isn’t for you.

A little outdated and flat

As a therapist I wanted to like this book but it fell flat for me and was pretty outdated.

great book!

super helpful book as I grow in confidence as a young therapist! The author did a great job addressing various topics in a engaging way.

dense w/ insight yet warmly accessible.

I’m only 1/2 done but love this book so far! Mary Pipher is like the wise & loving Mom or Grandma you wish you had and Eliza Foss a worthy narrator.

Wonderful

Wonderful insights by such a skillful experienced relational therapist. Enjoyed!! Recommended Easy to listen to.

Not for therapists though clients might enjoy

I became acquainted with Mary Pipher through her best-seller REVIVING OPHELIA where, for the first time, a therapist chronicled the many challenges teen girls experience in words lay people could easily understand.

When LETTERS TO A YOUNG THERAPIST was on an audible sale, I decided to give it a lesson, though I’m an upper middle aged retired therapist. Phiper pens letters to a fictional new psychotherapist Laura, whom she supervises.

The best thing about LETTERS TO A YOUNG THERAPIST is that it’s relatively short. I liked how she quoted from other theorists to show where she learned some of her approaches.

I believe that there’s no one way to work with clients and that no approach works with everyone, with which Pipher says she agrees, yet she constantly criticizes other schools of thought. I’m also someone who believes that some of the most important lessons are from failures, not successes. The interns and therapists we supervise can learn from our mistakes more than what we did perfectly, because each client is different and repeated interventions won’t necessarily replicate similar results.

Therapy clients and those interested in psychology will be most interested in LETTERS TO A YOUNG THERAPIST but readers shouldn’t assume Pipher speaks for any professional but herself.

Love it!

This book was a much needed and appreciated read for my journey to becoming a therapist!

Not worth what it cost.

I think the performance was great. I did not like the content, with semi toxic therapy practices in place. As a Pyschology student, I would not hire this woman as a therapist.

Boring

The writer comes across as condescending and a know it all. In my opinion some of her views on Family can be dangerous.

Wonderful, Enjoyable, Too Short

This was beautifully written, it felt effortless to listen to. This is also because of the narration, beautiful job! I rarely finish books in less than 24 hours. Only complaint- too short!

Don’t waste time or money on this

It’s outdated, opinionated and twee. The writer was clearly a therapist of her time - back in the day - when homespun advice and friendly advice were enough to get you through. It’s weirdly inappropriate now and has no nuance or modernity to redeem it. Vaguely sexist and very heteronormative. I imagine a “young therapist” now would blanch at some of the suggested practices!