The Skeleton Cupboard

By: Tanya Byron

Narrated by: Imogen Church

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Tanya Byron shares powerful stories inspired by her years of training as a clinical psychologist. The Skeleton Cupboard is professor Tanya Byron's account of her years of training as a clinical psychologist, when trainees find themselves in the toughest placements of their careers.

Through the eyes of her naive and inexperienced younger self, Tanya shares remarkable stories inspired by the people she had the privilege to treat. Gripping, poignant, and full of daring black humour, this book reveals the frightening and challenging induction faced by all mental health staff and highlights their incredible commitment to their patients.

Powerfully moving and beautifully written, The Skeleton Cupboard shares the tales of ordinary people with an amazing resilience to the challenges of life.

©2014 Tanya Byron (P)2014 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Interesting and insightful

I have always respected the work of Tanya Byron so was very pleased to see that she had written this book about her years as a trainee clinical psychologist. It is an honest and interesting book that gives a real insight into the work of psychologists. Tanya Byron narrates the introduction and I really wish she had narrated the whole book as she narrates with real intelligence, warmth and humanity. Although Imogen Church's narration is listenable she does struggle to voice the male clients and does not convey the warmth or humanity of the author.

Fabulous

If you could sum up The Skeleton Cupboard in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating, insightful, gripping.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author, Tanya, because this is her honest account of her journey to become a clinical psychologist.

What does Imogen Church bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I liked the way that Imogen's voice very closely matched Tanya's, she also added great character to Tanya's clients/patients.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Being a counsellor in training there were points where I laughed because Tanya's emotions and experience of her supervisor reflected my own. I laughed out loud on several occasions.

Any additional comments?

This is a really interesting book for a trainee counsellor like myself because Tanya goes through her thoughts about her 'clients/patients' [none are real per se but devised from people she's seen over the years], how she works out their narrative and how she seeks to help them. I also found the fact that she had included her experience of the supervisor/supervisee relationship really useful too. I loved this book, listened to it in a few days during dog walks and after a knee op! As my first Audible book it has set the bar very high. I would recommend.

Full of ignorance, arrogance and incompetence.

I really wanted to like this book but, while the stories of the patients are very interesting, this is undermined by the impression you get of the author from her words.

Byron comes across as arrogant, ignorant and full of self-importance with a clear lack of experience, skills and good judgment. Her borderline incompetence and ability to make every interaction with patients and colleagues about her results in many woefully mishandled situations. Despite her obvious shortcomings at the time, Byron is incredibly disrespectful to and about her more experienced colleagues. She is quick to write off approaches and disciplines that are different from her own and demonstrates a lot of ignorance of the value of different schools of thought. Despite being nasty, judgmental and rude about psychoanalysis and her colleague that worked in this field, she used it to save herself on at least one occasion and it was the analyst colleague she’d been so unpleasant about that she turned to for advice which then helped her to save a child’s life.

The narrator’s performance did little to help as she made sure Byron’s poor attitude came through loud and clear. The voices she chose to give the other people in the book were irritating and grating.

Overall, the book is worth reading for the stories of the patients and as a lesson in how not to do things. I would recommend reading the physical book, though. At least, that way, you don’t have to suffer the poorly performed audio version.

Genuinely awful

Genuinely awful
I was immediately cringing when she deliberately and numerously misgendered trans patients. If there’s a woman there to make her body match her identity, don’t repeatedly call her a man. At one point the author says “how could this man be more womanly than me?”- absolutely unacceptable. This is a transwoman she’s discussing. And maybe your bigotry was showing dear, that’s why.
Persevered but tbh a jumped up 22yr old ignoring and criticising more experienced clinicians who actually attended med school or have worked in the field for longer than LITERALLY one day, did it for me.
Narration was awful and borderline insulting with her attempt at the obviously fictional Jamaican patient.
Waste of money. Don’t bother.

Fascinating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, a truly fascinating insight into the role and training of clinical psychologists.

Any additional comments?

Entertaining, educational and enlightening. A well written story and interesting audiobook to listen to.

Great book (I imagine) Dreadful narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No - and simply because of the narration

What did you like best about this story?

Wish I had a chance to hear more - I am an admirer of Tanya Byron and enjoy how she writes elsewhere. This was all paid for and I waited for release with great interest. However, the narration is beyond irritating so as to distract from what is being said.

What didn’t you like about Imogen Church’s performance?

Silly, unconvincing voices which add nothing to a story and are beyond cliche.I really feel a good narrator could just have spoken - I feel fairly sure that when Tanya Byron gives an example of her work with clients she does not affect a a silly offensive voice to match. As listeners I feel confident we would be able to discern who was saying what. So disappointed and will now order a tangible version of this book as a to read for myself - hopefully I will have thrown off the terrible voices by then.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, the opening chapter spoken beautifully by Tanya Byron

Any additional comments?

This is the first review I have ever left in years of Audible membership - I felt compelled and hope it stops others from wasting their money on it until such time as it is recorded well.

Not that good.

Interesting because the author effortlessly and successfully feeds in a lot of psychological theory into the narrative, but many of the stories themselves were a bit too exaggerated, too sensational. And as a result, a bit cliched. I got bored half way through and didn’t finish it.

A Fascinating Insight

Although the author describes the characters in this book as 'constructs', each of the cases that she describes have a thoroughly authentic feel. The book is rooted in the authors experience and this comes across. The insights into the struggles of those coping with mental illness are valuable. Equally, the description of the role of the practitioner and the struggle to maintain professional detachment while remaining deeply affected by the patients' suffering is impressive.
I enjoyed this book and the narration and developed a better understanding of mental illness and its treatment as a result.

well done Tanya

Any additional comments?

I advise all my Psychology A level students to read this book, and if they are going on to Uni to do Psychology it a MUST.

Brilliantly Written

A beautifully written book leaving the reader completely satisfied and wanting more. The world of mental health needs more Tanyas for sure.