I Think My Therapist Hates Me: the searingly honest and darkly funny memoir from a social media phenomenon

by Chris Olsen

Social media star and mental health advocate Chris Olsen revisits his childhood trauma, addiction, and the road to recovery in this brutally honest, genuine, and often funny memoir in the vein of Furiously Happy and Miss Memory Lane.

Growing up, Chris Olsen believed his family was perfect. But at thirteen, his mundane life began to unravel when his mother admitted that she was an alcoholic, revealing hidden battles that profoundly impacted their family dynamic.

Now, seeking to reclaim a narrative he never felt was truly his, Olsen explores his journey from a contented childhood to an adolescence and adulthood marked by trauma, resilience, and self-discovery. Structured around sessions with his therapist, Lizzie, he revisits moments that defined who he is today—hiding his sexual identity from friends, grappling with his parents’ divorce, navigating toxic relationships, watching his mom go from rehab facility to rehab facility before following in her footsteps, and more.

With the same biting wit, emotional vulnerability, and penchant for humor that made him a runaway social media success, Olsen shares his full story for the first time—a life marked by heartache, perseverance, and the pursuit of healing. I Think My Therapist Hates Me is a powerful testament to the strength it takes to face your past, embrace your truth, and rediscover yourself, resonating deeply with anyone craving unflinching authenticity and the inspiration to do the same.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Mental Health, Humor, Biography Memoir

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[Celeste | bookrecs_by_celeste]

I truly enjoyed this so much and could not put it down. I’m such a fan of Internet personality Chris Olsen that when I saw he was writing his memoir I just had to read it!

Thank you libro.fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for my gifted audiobook

So much of what we see on the internet is not what it seems. Read that again. I loved hearing Chris’ story about his childhood , struggle with addiction, self acceptance of his sexuality and everything in between. This is a very inspiring story that everyone could learn something from. I also find him hilariously funny and loved that he narrated his memoir himself.

[Nicole]

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve always loved watching Chris and his videos. He’s such a character, funny, and charming. That said, I had no idea about what he dealt with throughout his life. It was heartbreaking to read about his troubles with addiction. I’m glad he made it through to the other side and is living his best life. I’ll always keep watching his videos as long as he makes them! Chris, you were an amazing storyteller and I enjoyed reading this wonderful memoir. Thank you for putting yourself out there and baring your feelings to the world. That is not easy!

His book drops in September so make sure to grab a copy!

[Jenna]

I Think My Therapist Hates Me had me laughing, hurting, reflecting, and furiously adding notes to my phone. I genuinely took more notes for this review than I ever have for a memoir. The early 2000s pop culture references were EVERYTHING, especially Chris’s love of High School Musical. The fact that he was hiding his HSM posters from people as a child because he was afraid of what they would think broke my heart. And then watching a Lady Gaga music video to prove he wasn’t gay??? Killed me. Precious bb boy.

But underneath all the humor, this book is incredibly vulnerable. Getting to hear the conversations had with his therapist felt so intimate, and you can tell Chris really wants you to know him. The good, the bad, and the parts where he was absolutely the villain. His honesty about addiction, relationships, coming out, family, social media, and the ways he hurt people was one of my favorite things about this memoir.

I also loved reading about growing up in the early 2000s and being thrown headfirst into the social media boom with basically ZERO safeguards. Ask.FM being mentioned sent me straight back to a deeply cursed era of the internet. 😂 But some of the experiences Chris shared genuinely gutted me. It was weird reading a memoir by someone the same age as me. At first I was like um am I old?? Then I was like no Chris has just had to live a whole lot of life in a short amount of time.

The intervention, rehab, and everything his family did to get him the help he needed were incredibly difficult to read, but also some of the most powerful parts of the book. And I loved that he was honest about the fact that rehab didn’t magically fix everything. Recovery, relationships, and life are messy after, and he never pretended otherwise.

I Think My Therapist Hates Me also feels like a love letter to therapists. My therapist knows more about me than almost anyone in my life, yet most of the people I love will never meet her. There’s something so strange and special about that relationship, and I loved seeing Chris put words to it.

I’m SO GLAD this book exists. Chris was incredibly brave to put all of this out into the world, and I hope this memoir gets every bit of love and hype it deserves. 💗

I need Chris Olsen to know that I have been cheering him on for a LONG time. Back in 2022, I was in NYC with some friends when Chris posted about getting his first Times Square billboard. We literally stood there waiting for his picture to pop up, and when it did, we CHEERED. A random man smoking a blunt nearby was like, “Is that your friend or something?” and we said yes. Obviously. That’s our friend and he’s on a billboard. 😂 So Chris, I hope you feel the love in this review, your book tour and the general reception because WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU in life. 🫶

Should you read this book? To quote the great Troy Bolton: “Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it.” 🏀🎤

[Katie B]

3.75 stars

Full review coming soon.

[Maddie Fuchs]

4.5 this was actually so much better than i was expecting

[Elizabeth Ann Hurt]

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced readers copy of this book! I was so excited to pick this up as an OG Chris Olsen follower! I really went in blindly not sure what to expect other than a whole lot of heart! As someone who is also sober I related SO much to the stories and messiness of Chris' story. To put everything all out on the line for this book takes a whole lot of courage and strength so huge congrats! With the topics being such heavy and heartfelt as they were it was hard for me to rate! I think overall it was a great read but there were moments where the pacing felt a little off and the writing fell a little flat. Overall a real story of trauma, addiction, relationships, family dynamics as well as much deserved flowers and success! Congrats Chris!!!! What a powerful story 🤍

[Jordan Stash]

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for the advanced copy of “I Think My Therapist Hates Me” by Chris Olsen.

First, I just want to say I never thought I would identify with Chris Olsen as much as I did reading his memoir.

I always applaud anyone willing to share their story with the world and Chris’s story is emotional, heartbreaking, and raw. In his memoir, Chris shares his journey with addiction, sobriety, infidelity, and difficult familial relationships. Chris recounts many touching, devastating, and harrowing experiences.

Through treatment and therapy, Chris found sobriety and a new version of life. Chris shares his experience with a therapist that impacted his life significantly and stood by him through his darkest days.

This was truly an emotional read and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a bit of inspiration.

[dani trisha]

The amount of self-awareness and reflection that Chris Olsen possesses is incredible. Not only does he fully own up to past mistakes, but he actually digs into the reasons why people mistreated or bullied him while still speaking about them with a deep amount of empathy and compassion. He is raw, honest, and doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable or difficult parts of his life. He does not try to rewrite parts of his life to make himself look better. I appreciated the openness, honesty and accountability he put into this memoir without being too self-deprecating. Overall, this made me love him even more.

Also Ian is a manwhore and I can’t believe I used to be a fan. I hope two mice break into his home and become the mice version of the Duggars and then have 200 babies and his house becomes infested and he gets the hantavirus and then has lung issues for the rest of his life.

[Kathryn Sherman]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

*I Think My Therapist Hates Me* is an incredibly vulnerable and emotional memoir that offers a raw look into Chris Olsen's life long before social media fame. Rather than focusing on how he became a TikTok creator, the book is structured as a series of therapy sessions, with each one introducing the deeply personal story that follows.

Chris openly discusses difficult topics including addiction, bullying, grief, and the people who shaped him—both positively and negatively. Reading about his struggles with alcohol at just 16 years old and his family's history of addiction was heartbreaking and a powerful reminder of how complex addiction can be. I also appreciated how honest he was about moments many people would be embarrassed to share, proving just how committed he was to telling his story authentically.

While the memoir doesn't spend much time on TikTok until nearly the very end, it does provide meaningful context for the person viewers know today. You come away understanding why Chris is so empathetic, emotional, and open online.

I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking for a quick, lighthearted read or a behind-the-scenes look at how Chris became TikTok famous, as that isn't the focus here. Instead, I would recommend it to readers who appreciate deeply personal memoirs that aren't afraid to explore difficult experiences with honesty and vulnerability.

[Electra]

I say this as someone that isn't a fan of the whole "influencer" thing, this was a damn good memoir. Chris managed to be vulnerable, funny, accountable and self-aware. It takes courage to tell your story and always been the hero. I'm truly impressed and I hope this book allows him to turn the corner he was seeking and launches him into the era of everything he deserves.

[Nikki O'Donnell]

I knew from some monologues Chris has done on TikTok that he is a good writer and this showed that! I appreciated his vulnerability with the audience. I think sometimes people writing about their addiction can feel like a redundant memoir where I think Chris was able to incorporate this while still keeping the story captivating. Would recommend!

[Taylor Auletto]

I am so in love with this book omg. The pain, the heart break, the growth. Just WOW. I learned so much from myself reading this. It is so inspirational and so humbling. I was truly able to resonate with him in so many ways, especially thinking so poorly of yourself you don’t care what comes at you or who you hurt. He truly inspires me every day especially knowing the road he took to get to where he is now.

[Jackie O'Donnell]

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir! I think Chris Olsen is so talented creatively outside of his tik tok and you could tell through this memoir what a talented writer he is. I thought this was a unique insight in to his life so far and how he navigated hardships in his life. Honestly would be interested to read a book if he wrote it that wasn’t a memoir and just a novel! Highly recommend!

[Michelle ♡]

I love me some Chris Olsen! His TikTok's always have me giggling!

A completely honest and vulnerable reflection of his life experiences and how they've shaped him. I am in complete awe in how open he was about his addictions, family traumas, and his unconventional upbringing.

Thank you for sharing with us, Chris. <3 <3 <3

[Jennifer Gerald]

The pacing was off at points but I was pleasantly surprised by the writing for it being written by someone who's tiktok famous. Not ground breaking but good

[Amanda Gatlin]

Felt all the feels! As a therapist, I will definitely be recommending this to my pts!

[Josh]

I like the reflective tears on the cover.

[Anna Marston]

Chris went to the Lena Dunham school of the memoir!!

[Alona]

Very vulnerable I love you Chris and proud even tho you don’t know me xx

[Jessie Lamb]

Entertaining but expected more

[Stephanie Noble]

This was absolutely beautiful. So raw and real. So witty and smart. He transcends self-deprecating humor with wisdom and self-awareness that very few people can master. His storytelling pulls you right in.

Recovery people are the best people.

[Caitlyn]

🎧

[Phillipsbooknook]

Damn. I really wanted to love this book. It just felt like reading a trauma dump in a diary, I still love Chris though. 🫶🏽

[Katie Amis]

5 stars for memoirs

[Mary Nowlan]

Honestly new level of respect for Chris. He’s so open and doesn’t try to hide anything he did despite how bad he thought it was. Again, I love a sobriety story!!!

[Jacob M]

Interesting read. A look behind the Internet personality and his story. While it takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to write about these chapters of his life, I couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t in his authentic voice throughout. Some chapters felt more forced than others. Pacing was also inconsistent. Some chapters felt drawn out while others deserved more attention.

[Jerry Holman]

I haven't been this surprised by a book in a while.

I'll admit that I came to this memoir with a lot of preconceived notions about what it might be. Twitter had assured me this man had no right to be writing a book. I don't know much about Chris outside of being vaguely aware that he is an influencer with a big audience. I do not hate him, nor can I say I especially like him. I'm indifferent. But this shade piqued my interest.

I needed to go for a long walk yesterday, and when I saw the book on the Audible homepage, I realized I simply had to see what all the naysaying was about. I threw it on expecting to get halfway through the first chapter, have a nice laugh, give the haters their due, and go on with my life.

Imagine my surprise, then, when 8 hours later, I lay in bed nursing a cup of tea, utterly enraptured. I know, I know -- I'm as gagged as you are. What I found wasn't a vapid book written by an influencer who had very little life under their belt and even less to say about it; it was something very different. Something tender and (can't believe I'm saying this) wise. Something funny and fun. Something that made me feel like a total d*ck for committing the sin of judging a book by its cover.

Hate readers looking to hold his feet to the fire about social media will be very disappointed to find that TikTok has little, if anything, to do with events here, at least not until the very end. Most all of the book focuses on Chris' adolescence and teenage years, when he was, by his own account, a complete terror. (This book is nothing if not brutally honest.) He explores addiction with the insightful wit of an early David Sedaris, self-deprecating and cynical, but also full of hope when necessary. There were a few moments where I actually wanted him to be a little *less* in on the joke, but by the end of the book, you realize this is a reflex he comes by honestly.

Because the big idea here is that Chris is an addict -- and addicts are never cured. If they're lucky, they simply find new, healthier addictions. Social media was his. Five or six or however many years into his career, he's now reckoning with the fact that the same impulses that made him blow up his life at 19 have built him a wildly successful career. Maybe one that's *too* successful. Reading this, I found myself considering what it would be like to have tens of thousands of people professing their hate for me each and every day. I think I wouldn't like it. I think it might make me go a little crazy, too.

Take the influencer out of this memoir, and what you still have is a sharp, engaging story about addiction, family trauma, and the pain of loving and being loved. I will be reeling from just how wrong I was about this thing for quite some time. Shame on me for believing the Tweets.

[Vanessa]

Chris Olsen. My goodness. I wish I could give you a nice, warm hug! I laughed, I cried, I empathized, I got shooketh to my core, I listened and I learned.
Chris Olsen's debut memoir came out last Tuesday and it has taken me this long to come to terms and find the words to describe how much I sincerely loved this book (that and my procrastination 😂).
"I Think My Therapist Hates Me", now if that isn't the most anxiety ridden title I've ever.. read? Heard? Felt? Thought? All of the above? Yep. All of the above. I *shocker* too have anxiety and reading Chris' journey felt like walking alongside a soul sister.
Chris' story was eye-opening for me. When I first think of Chris Olsen, I think tik tok, I think fun, pizzazz, hilarious. I originally know him from his funny disney princess/celebrity tiktok videos. He has such a way with words and has me immediately enthralled when watching his video. Because of this I knew this book would take me on a journey and it did not disappoint. I was here for the drama, the sass, the tea but left with so much more. I saw his weakness, doubt, struggle, hate, fear but also saw his resilence, strength, and courage. It is hard to admit when you mess up and even harder to admit when you need help. To feel like you've let everybody down and to know you have let yourself down. We are human. We all have had hardships and tribulations and this story gave me some clarity, it helped me find some peace, some closure with my own issues, and through it I felt kinship towards Chris. It felt like listening and catching up with an old friend.
So as with anything I decide to root for, I am team Chris, ride or die. So y'all best be nice! Period.
Although lots of emotional, real shit happened in this book, there was also fun!
I died, died, when Chris talks about how he wasn't sure he was gay even with all his High School Musical posters on the wall. Chris, please make merch. I need an "Is that my shirt, Caroline?" t-shirt right now!
Shoutout to Lizzie, and all the therapist out there helping us find our peace. Special shout-out to my therapist, Mayra, we will talk about this book in our next session.
For maximum emotional damage, I highly suggest watching the video clips of Chris singing My Way by Frnak Sinatra. I bawled like a baby.
In case you haven't heard it today, Chris I am so proud of you and you are worthy of good things. Thank you to @netgalley, @_simonelement, and @chrisolsen for entrusting me with this memoir. ❤️💖

[Andrew]

I Think My Therapist Hates Me is a personal memoir from Chris Olsen. He is a social media star most famously on TikTok. He cohosted the red carpet at the Oscars. In the book, he wrote it like he was talking with his therapist, Lizzie. He shared about his childhood and how he learned first learned he might be gay. When he was growing up he would sit with all girls and hang out with them daily. He chose to play with Barbies, dresses, and he enjoyed the color pink. He opened up about in fourth grade he tried to become more manly and hang out with boys his age. He discovered that he had some athletic. He tried to get into rap listening to Drake and Lil Wayne like all the guys were doing. His room was decorated with gay posters like Hannah Montana and High School Musical. When guys were coming over he would careful roll them up and storage them where they wouldn’t be wrinkled. He recalled one time that she sister stole his High School Musical shirt and walked right in when he had a friend over. He was able to convince him that it wasn’t his shirt. He never invited that friend ever over again. He shared other events that led to him slowly letting people know that he was in fact gay. He shared about his first crush and later on his relationships ups and downs.


His mother was an alcoholic and this led to wounds he at first didn’t realize they were there. He didn’t understand how come she couldn’t just stop drinking to beat the addiction. She went to rehab and attended AA meetings. He admitted to how he preferred the before rehab version of her. He later went into detail about his own struggle with drugs and drinking and how they planned a intervention to try and reach him. They were all worried about could happen if he didn’t get the help that he desperately needed.


This book is for readers who enjoy watching his videos and want to see more from the man behind the curtain. Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about him and his life besides seeing a few of his videos online. I liked how he wrote some of the book like he was speaking to his therapist and revealing the truths of his life the parts people didn’t see. A big part of the book is his journey to coming out and his experiences with what he faced.

[jadyn miller]

oh my heart breaks for chris olsen. and this is for every person who hated him and every fan who turned their backs when he just needed support. i'll never forget when i met chris in person and asked to give him a hug. what a kind soul.

I am not good at tuning out hate. I know that about myself. And this is why there can be a thousand comments telling me that I'm great, that I'm wonderful, that I'm loved. But I don't believe them, because that is not the story I have been told. That is not the story I have told myself. That is fiction. A fairy tale. So I scroll and I scroll and I scroll, until I find my fix. My little hit of truth. “chris olsen is unbearable”, “i can’t wait til chris olsen gets canceled”, “how many times do i have to block chris olsen”

Somewhere in Chevy Chase, Maryland, there is a closet that holds an old pair of platform boots. They're in pristine condition. Only worn once. Hardly a crease on them. Their soles are tall and chunky. In a certain Light, you might even say they look like heels. They have sat there undisturbed for more than a decade, because once upon a time, there was a boy who thought he could not wear them. He left them behind, and he walked and walked and walked, and at some point, he got lost. At least, he thought he did. But now, he turns around and sees a trail of footprints behind him, and he realizes all that walking was leading him here. To this moment. To this stage. To these high-heeled boots. And that boy thanks God that Christian Louboutin made these boots comfortable. Because he's got a whole lot of steps left in him.