Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved my Life by Christie Tate

As far as memoirs go, there was something about this one that stood out above the rest. Maybe it was due to the topic being so prevalent in most of our lives. That it wasn’t just another memoir of some celebrity writing about their not so typical life. Don’t get me wrong, I love those books and find them very interesting to see the differences play out, but having a topic that so many can relate to, kudos to you Christie Tate.

In case the title didn’t give it a way, Group follows the life of Christie Tate, a young law school student in Chicago, IL who is struggling to figure out who she is in life. She has always seen herself as the black sheep among her family despite being the valedictorian and ranked number one of her graduating class at Loyola University Law School. So why does the girl who seems like she has her life figured out thinking about her own death.

While discussing this with a close friend, she learns about Dr. Jonathan Rosen, a therapist leading psychotherapy groups once a week. In maybe a not so typical approach, Dr. Rosen finds ways to bring a group of strangers together. Where learning to lean on someone might be Christie’s saving grace.

As someone who has used therapy herself for different reasons in life, it was almost like I was being transported into one of the chairs in these group sessions. Therapy I feel like is almost seen as a hush hush topic. It’s becoming more standardized but for a while it almost felt like it was something you had to hide. It takes a lot of guts to be willing to share some of your thoughts and feelings with one stranger, let alone a group therapy session and then go on and write it for the world to read. It’s a fast read but packs a lot in those pages. Maybe that is what makes this book so unique.

In the end, this may not be the book for everyone though you may be surprised with yourself when you start relating to some of the things being shared. As the last sentence in the summary states “Group is a deliciously addictive read about an under explored process that breaks you down and the reassembles you so that all the pieces finally fit”.

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad

Picture Credit: Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate | Goodreads