Sessions: Memoirs of a Psychotherapist

by Kathryn Foster

Dr. Addy Conrad, psychologist, encounters the ethical minefield common to private practice. Susan, a professional and mother with whom Addy identifies, is torn by a traumatic childhood. But Susan is more complex than what originally met the eye, having colorful interior personalities, and one tragic disclosure plants Addy squarely in a quandary. Her peak challenge, though, is Michael, a striking but narcissistic surgeon, who finally discards his emotional hide-and-seek to disclose his raw pain. At times, Addy waivers under his seduction, especially as her own marriage falters. She warms to Michael as he reveals his vulnerable, undone psyche. His flirting is intermingled with genuine therapeutic work, leaving Addy swaying, as if on a precarious high wire. A serpentine client, Carmen, reeking of cigarettes, snags Addy’s old memories of her mother’s death by cancer. Countertransference—where the therapist projects someone onto the client—grips her. A beloved former professor helps her disentangle her own unprocessed feelings from that of Carmen’s. Dr. Conrad courts a growing unease for her friend, Dr. Sebastian Courtney, her intellectual idol. After working with his first severely abused client, he suffers from night terrors. She intuits that he is in danger beyond what he is disclosing. He has, in fact, slipped into secondary post traumatic stress disorder--taking on the pain and symptoms of his client. In a risky gambit, and partly blinded by her own attachment to him, she takes matters into her own hands. A testament to the human spirit, Memoirs of a Psychotherapist, will challenge as much as it entertains you.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Memoir

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2014

About the author

Kathryn Foster, Ph.D., is a psychologist,
a pretty good yogi,
a constant re-decorator,
a country western dancer,
and a lover of natural healing methods.

She'd love to have you visit www.booksbykathrynfosterphd.com
for a description of her other books and to receive her free newsletter!

Reviews

[Nima Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story

Really enjoyed reading about Dr. Conrad and a glimpse into her professional and personal life. Her trials and tribulations were felt through the pages.

[Jennifer Jarrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Excellent Memoir

My goal is to earn my graduate degree in counseling, so I found this to be a fascinating book. As I suspected, therapists do take their work home with them whether they mean to or not, and Kathryn Foster shares the inherent flaws that come with living with your patients' problems while trying to live your personal law. *Spoiler* I was heartbroken to see that while she took the necessary precautions to protect her friend and fellow therapist Seb from himself, in the end it ruined their friendship. I'm sure as she looks back at her decision she wishes she had referred the client that "broke" Seb to someone else, but it was educating to see that even therapists are learning as they further their careers. Perhaps some people believe so innately in good that they aren't made to counsel, and I wonder about Seb and what will become of his practice.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was this book fiction or nonfiction?! Because it sure seemed fictitious. I was reeling when it came to the children being allowed to stay with an abusive parent and the narrator ADMIRING that person. Yes, I understand bravery and whatnot, but that person ABUSED A CHILD! Also, the dialogue was forced and not believable. Thumbs down.

[Forest Puppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The patient stories were distinct and intriguing, but there was way too much fluff and the scattered structure made it, at times, a frustrating read. I found myself skimming sections just to get to the good parts.
The book would’ve worked better if each patient had been given a chapter of their own.

[TERESA WARLOW · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Page Turner

I found it very hard to put down. Interesting cases, including the personal ones. I liked the inclusion of Seb and how some therapists can be emotionally triggered by a patient's trauma vicariously.