And how does that make you feel? Everything you never wanted to know about therapy

Intimate stories from behind the therapist's door. Fletcher, a UK-based psychotherapist and host of the podcasts Disordered and The Panic Pod, invites readers into the mystery-shrouded world of mental health from a practicing therapist's perspective. In a pleasing blend of humor and education, Fletcher presents four case studies alongside stories of his own personal experiences with anxiety, offering a fresh perspective on mental health. The multiple storylines reflect the nonlinear journey each patient living with anxiety takes, and the author allows readers to come along for the ride. Fletcher invites a vulnerability that is comparable to being in a therapist's office. "I includes spicy stories of conflict, tragedy and mistakes," he writes. "I include the stuff that's happening that few therapists would dare tell you about, as well as some stuff I wonder if I should have included at all. But if even a small part of you, after putting this book down, thinks that therapy seems more appealing or less scary, or that you're perhaps willing to mention therapy in casual conversation, then my main wish for this book will have been fulfilled." Indeed, Fletcher creates an empathetic space to reflect on anxiety and depression without judgment or critique, and he shows how different modalities in therapy can achieve varying results and that not all therapists are created equally--"which is why one of the biggest tragedies in the world of mental health, in my opinion, is the assumption that every therapist knows what they're doing….When it comes to the therapy modality and the therapeutic relationship, it must be a match." This practical book will be a match for readers interested in furthering their understanding of the many different avenues for addressing "our global mental health crisis." A humorous and encouraging journey into the world of effective therapy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.