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The Therapist
A moving portrait of the complexities of contemporary life. Martha Elliott, maverick psychotherapist, harbours some dark secrets from her own past, but she is more interested in achieving good outcomes for her clients than playing by the rules. Martha blends counselling with breathing exercises, meditation, foot massages - whatever it takes. In a series of intense encounters with her clients, deep insights and raw truths about human nature emerge, including reflections on the nature of psychotherapy itself. Rob, Martha's colleague, is trapped in a tempestuous relationship with the beautiful and feisty Constancia, and Martha wonders if he will ever find the resolve to free himself. Samantha, Martha's daughter, hears her biological clock ticking, but finding the right sperm donor is proving to be harder than she expected. With tenderness and compassion, Hugh Mackay's captivating new novel, The Therapist, explores some of the deepest yearnings of the human heart.
- GenresFiction
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2023
7 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Mackay
69 books131 followersHugh Mackay is a social researcher and novelist who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians. He is the author of twelve books, including five bestsellers. The second edition of his latest non-fiction book, Advance Australia…Where? was published in September 2008, and his fifth novel, Ways of Escape was published in May 2009.
He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney’s 2004 Alumni Award for community service. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie and NSW universities.
He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council, a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, and was the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board. He was a newspaper columnist for almost 30 years and now writes occasionally for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The West Australian. He is a frequent guest on ABC radio.
- Biography from Hugh Mackay's website
He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the University of Sydney’s 2004 Alumni Award for community service. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie and NSW universities.
He is a former deputy chairman of the Australia Council, a former chairman of trustees of Sydney Grammar School, and was the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board. He was a newspaper columnist for almost 30 years and now writes occasionally for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The West Australian. He is a frequent guest on ABC radio.
- Biography from Hugh Mackay's website
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 16, 2023
Possible very mild spoilers
3 1/2 stars. This was extremely readable, but it just didn’t live up to its promise.
It follows Martha, who is a therapist in her 60’s. It’s focuses on several of her new clients and their discussions with Martha. This part I found fascinating. Elderly Hazel is lonely, Lucas is married to a horrible woman who tricked him into marriage, Ruby resents that her husband is seeing a therapist and Bill and Abagail have come with ill intent (not a spoiler, this is revealed quickly).
The threat of the menace just completely fizzles by the end. I also didn’t love how the women were portrayed. They were either super maternal or absolute evil. I kind of felt like I was reading a harlequin novel by the end with the marriage and baby stuff.
This book was such a strange mix, it feels like the author changed his mind about writing a thriller half way through and decided to write some light fluff instead.
Not a bad book so much as disappointing because it was paced well and could have gone much darker.
3 1/2 stars. This was extremely readable, but it just didn’t live up to its promise.
It follows Martha, who is a therapist in her 60’s. It’s focuses on several of her new clients and their discussions with Martha. This part I found fascinating. Elderly Hazel is lonely, Lucas is married to a horrible woman who tricked him into marriage, Ruby resents that her husband is seeing a therapist and Bill and Abagail have come with ill intent (not a spoiler, this is revealed quickly).
The threat of the menace just completely fizzles by the end. I also didn’t love how the women were portrayed. They were either super maternal or absolute evil. I kind of felt like I was reading a harlequin novel by the end with the marriage and baby stuff.
This book was such a strange mix, it feels like the author changed his mind about writing a thriller half way through and decided to write some light fluff instead.
Not a bad book so much as disappointing because it was paced well and could have gone much darker.
August 22, 2023
Australian Hugh Mackay is a psychologist and social researcher and he knows what makes us tick. Literally! Hugh Mackay is known for studying attitudes and behaviour and I thoroughly enjoyed his non fiction titles What Makes Us Tick in 2022 and The Inner Self in 2021.
In The Therapist, Martha Elliott is a Psychotherapist with a different approach to her treatments, often employing breathing techniques and foot massages within her sessions to help patients ease into their therapeutic discussions with her.
Martha's colleague and business partner Rob have consulting rooms in Chatswood Sydney. Rob has a different treatment style and I enjoyed his work discussions and business relationship with Martha.
The story kicks off with a few new patients for Martha and we seamlessly drop into her day-to-day life, learning about her from the very outset:
"Her handsome face radiated kindness, optimism and an eagerness to ease the pain of all those (well, almost all) who came to her for advice, support, guidance... or for nothing more than the comfort of her patiently listening ear. Perhaps for the reassurance that here was someone who was finally taking them seriously." Page 1
Reading a novel about a psychologist written by a psychologist was a little like Inception, and had me wondering how much of Martha - if any at all - was Mackay himself on the page. We're privileged to sit in with Martha on her treatments which offered an intriguing glimpse into the consulting room for those of us who haven't been to therapy lately/before.
The issues our characters are dealing with include loneliness, relationship breakdowns, IVF and in one case, a desire for revenge. These problems held my interest and while I was hoping the plot would take us into darker thriller territory - like The Family Doctor by fellow Australian author Debra Oswald - Mackay kept to the relative safety of domestic noir.
I enjoyed the brevity of the novel and with my copy coming in at less than 250 pages, many authors could learn from Mackay's concise writing style that still manages to deliver in depth character exploration and growth.
The Therapist by Hugh Mackay is recommended for readers who are curious about what really happens in a therapist's consulting room, and if you enjoyed Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - also a psychotherapist - this will be right up your alley.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
In The Therapist, Martha Elliott is a Psychotherapist with a different approach to her treatments, often employing breathing techniques and foot massages within her sessions to help patients ease into their therapeutic discussions with her.
Martha's colleague and business partner Rob have consulting rooms in Chatswood Sydney. Rob has a different treatment style and I enjoyed his work discussions and business relationship with Martha.
The story kicks off with a few new patients for Martha and we seamlessly drop into her day-to-day life, learning about her from the very outset:
"Her handsome face radiated kindness, optimism and an eagerness to ease the pain of all those (well, almost all) who came to her for advice, support, guidance... or for nothing more than the comfort of her patiently listening ear. Perhaps for the reassurance that here was someone who was finally taking them seriously." Page 1
Reading a novel about a psychologist written by a psychologist was a little like Inception, and had me wondering how much of Martha - if any at all - was Mackay himself on the page. We're privileged to sit in with Martha on her treatments which offered an intriguing glimpse into the consulting room for those of us who haven't been to therapy lately/before.
The issues our characters are dealing with include loneliness, relationship breakdowns, IVF and in one case, a desire for revenge. These problems held my interest and while I was hoping the plot would take us into darker thriller territory - like The Family Doctor by fellow Australian author Debra Oswald - Mackay kept to the relative safety of domestic noir.
I enjoyed the brevity of the novel and with my copy coming in at less than 250 pages, many authors could learn from Mackay's concise writing style that still manages to deliver in depth character exploration and growth.
The Therapist by Hugh Mackay is recommended for readers who are curious about what really happens in a therapist's consulting room, and if you enjoyed Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - also a psychotherapist - this will be right up your alley.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
June 12, 2023
Martha Elliott, maverick psychotherapist, harbours some dark secrets from her own past, and is more interested in achieving good outcomes for her clients than playing by the rules.
This was a really interesting read. It follows Martha as she works alongside some of her clients to make changes in their life. It’s through fully written and shows a really insight into therapy.
I did find all the story lines a little hard to follow at times, they all felt a little bit much.
Rob, Martha's colleague, is trapped in a tempestuous relationship with the beautiful and feisty Constancia.
Samantha, Martha's daughter, hears her biological clock ticking, but finding the right sperm donor is proving to be harder than she expected.
Then there's the mysterious couple who arrive in Martha's office. Who are they? And what is it that they know about her?
However, they also tie the story together really nicely, so it works.
It was a really interesting and insightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
This was a really interesting read. It follows Martha as she works alongside some of her clients to make changes in their life. It’s through fully written and shows a really insight into therapy.
I did find all the story lines a little hard to follow at times, they all felt a little bit much.
Rob, Martha's colleague, is trapped in a tempestuous relationship with the beautiful and feisty Constancia.
Samantha, Martha's daughter, hears her biological clock ticking, but finding the right sperm donor is proving to be harder than she expected.
Then there's the mysterious couple who arrive in Martha's office. Who are they? And what is it that they know about her?
However, they also tie the story together really nicely, so it works.
It was a really interesting and insightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
June 11, 2023
I enjoyed the characters, the accounts of each client’s counselling sessions, how readable and easy it was to get through, the mystery and intrigue that kept me reading (and curious), and the descriptions of Sydney.
I felt that the plot and conclusions to each mystery and character’s story’s were anti-climatic. I do appreciate that the author based each mystery and character well in reality and nothing was far fetched. But to me some of the story’s under-tones (the pettiness of people’s motives, the idea that we can be afraid of an uncertain reaction but often times find there is was no reason to worry at all…) we’re a bit too simplistic and I was left wanting something more.
I felt that the plot and conclusions to each mystery and character’s story’s were anti-climatic. I do appreciate that the author based each mystery and character well in reality and nothing was far fetched. But to me some of the story’s under-tones (the pettiness of people’s motives, the idea that we can be afraid of an uncertain reaction but often times find there is was no reason to worry at all…) we’re a bit too simplistic and I was left wanting something more.
March 9, 2024
3.5 stars
February 10, 2024
Interesting insight to the inner life of one therapist. Can she help solve the dilemmas faced by her clients when she is troubled by her own? Is being a little unconventional a blessing or a curse? An easy read however I was disappointed by the quick wind up at the end still leaving a few loose ends.
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November 26, 2023- thanks to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I have had Hugh Mackay on my radar for a while —after all, most Australian readers have read him— so I jumped at the opportunity to read his latest novel. I started therapy at a critical moment of my life when I was in my teens. I have done (and I am still doing) therapy in my adulthood, too, so just the subject matter for this novel —and the fact that Mackay is a psychologist himself— was more than enough to spark my never-ending insatiable curiosity.
The novel centres on Martha and Rob, two psychotherapists who share a practice in Chatswood, Sydney. Although Martha is considering retiring, she agrees to take on a few more new patients. Each character seeking therapy has their own reasons —some even suspicious ones— to come to the clinic, and it is through their storylines that we get deeply involved in Martha and Rob's lives: two flawed therapists who need to navigate their private turmoils while helping and caring for others.
I enjoyed exploring therapy from the point of view of both the patients and the therapists. Observing and reflecting on the toll it takes to be vulnerable, to share your true self with a professional, and to consider the inner lives of those who guide us through our challenges was fascinating.
I also profoundly appreciated the depiction of therapists' necessary passive role by listening without judgement and the active role they take to answer the exact questions that only we can answer for ourselves.
Additionally, a straightforward writing style, a steady pace and enough plot intrigue are the perfect mix to keep turning the pages and devour this novel easily.
However, even though I was continuously entertained and had no problems returning to the novel, my motivations had more to do with unravelling the mystery of the plot rather than dwelling on the novel's insights.
Overall, The Therapist is an enjoyable, easy-to-engage-with novel that delves into the multidimensions of contemporary therapy. I recommend it to readers interested in Psychology.
I have had Hugh Mackay on my radar for a while —after all, most Australian readers have read him— so I jumped at the opportunity to read his latest novel. I started therapy at a critical moment of my life when I was in my teens. I have done (and I am still doing) therapy in my adulthood, too, so just the subject matter for this novel —and the fact that Mackay is a psychologist himself— was more than enough to spark my never-ending insatiable curiosity.
The novel centres on Martha and Rob, two psychotherapists who share a practice in Chatswood, Sydney. Although Martha is considering retiring, she agrees to take on a few more new patients. Each character seeking therapy has their own reasons —some even suspicious ones— to come to the clinic, and it is through their storylines that we get deeply involved in Martha and Rob's lives: two flawed therapists who need to navigate their private turmoils while helping and caring for others.
I enjoyed exploring therapy from the point of view of both the patients and the therapists. Observing and reflecting on the toll it takes to be vulnerable, to share your true self with a professional, and to consider the inner lives of those who guide us through our challenges was fascinating.
I also profoundly appreciated the depiction of therapists' necessary passive role by listening without judgement and the active role they take to answer the exact questions that only we can answer for ourselves.
Additionally, a straightforward writing style, a steady pace and enough plot intrigue are the perfect mix to keep turning the pages and devour this novel easily.
However, even though I was continuously entertained and had no problems returning to the novel, my motivations had more to do with unravelling the mystery of the plot rather than dwelling on the novel's insights.
Overall, The Therapist is an enjoyable, easy-to-engage-with novel that delves into the multidimensions of contemporary therapy. I recommend it to readers interested in Psychology.
February 4, 2025
I felt like the storyline was a little lacklustre. It tried to build a suspenseful mystery, it wanted to feel high stakes. But it just wasn't there...
To be honest though, I didn't mind. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, the locality, the intriguing insight of the other side of a therapists office.
I'd love to read more stories from the therapists point of view, it was interesting to me.
To be honest though, I didn't mind. I really enjoyed this book, the characters, the locality, the intriguing insight of the other side of a therapists office.
I'd love to read more stories from the therapists point of view, it was interesting to me.
June 9, 2023
This was an insightful and enjoyable read. It’s clear that Mackay is an accomplished psychologist and I enjoyed being able to sit in on his fictional sessions. I also liked the characters in this story and I felt we got a good balance of their lives and the practice.
Honestly, it wasn’t overly engaging, but I still enjoyed and I do believe it provided a lot of interesting insights. Mackay created fun, diverse characters whose lives I was genuinely interested in — and I think the pacing of this book was well done.
I will also note that the representation of women in this book was perhaps a little questionable as every female character was either displayed as selfish and a little delusional, or a doting mother.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, but if you have any interest in psychology then you’re sure to enjoy it. Check trigger warnings before reading, I gave it 3.5/5 stars.
Honestly, it wasn’t overly engaging, but I still enjoyed and I do believe it provided a lot of interesting insights. Mackay created fun, diverse characters whose lives I was genuinely interested in — and I think the pacing of this book was well done.
I will also note that the representation of women in this book was perhaps a little questionable as every female character was either displayed as selfish and a little delusional, or a doting mother.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, but if you have any interest in psychology then you’re sure to enjoy it. Check trigger warnings before reading, I gave it 3.5/5 stars.
January 4, 2024
Fun interesting read with engaging characters. It ended a bit abruptly and neatly as I felt there was more to explore in the storylines. But maybe that reflects a therapist’s experience as their client resolve issues and move on with their lives.
April 26, 2023
As a mental health professional, this was very entertaining for me. Thank you
May 31, 2023
Not actually sure how I felt about this one but the writing was so readable, great editing and structure
July 28, 2023
A dull narrative, that, as a therapist, does not ring true.
December 13, 2023
I really really enjoyed this but I felt like there could be at least another 100 pages to it
January 6, 2024
Easy read, satisfying storyline.
July 9, 2025
Terrible book. Blurred the lines of professionalism and conduct with no consequences. No real lessons. No outcomes.
April 1, 2025
3.5 stars
The Therapist written by Hugh Mackay is a character-driven, contemporary fiction story exploring the nature of personal growth and the human condition.
Martha Elliott is a sixty-something psychotherapist who is more interested in achieving good outcomes for her clients, than playing by the rules. She incorporates some unorthodox practices into her work, including foot massages, to support the therapeutic discussions. When a mysterious couple arrive in her office, what is it that they seem to know about her?
This was a relatively short book, and an easily readable story. I was expecting some darker thriller elements, due to some of the foreshadowing that appeared to be present. This was however a story that explored more about therapy, human motivations, and the potential for growth.
Hugh Mackay is an Australian psychologist and social researcher, and this story offers some insight into the life of a therapist, and the therapy process.
The Therapist written by Hugh Mackay is a character-driven, contemporary fiction story exploring the nature of personal growth and the human condition.
Martha Elliott is a sixty-something psychotherapist who is more interested in achieving good outcomes for her clients, than playing by the rules. She incorporates some unorthodox practices into her work, including foot massages, to support the therapeutic discussions. When a mysterious couple arrive in her office, what is it that they seem to know about her?
This was a relatively short book, and an easily readable story. I was expecting some darker thriller elements, due to some of the foreshadowing that appeared to be present. This was however a story that explored more about therapy, human motivations, and the potential for growth.
Hugh Mackay is an Australian psychologist and social researcher, and this story offers some insight into the life of a therapist, and the therapy process.
September 6, 2025
close to home - so I think I'll remember it.. Found it had a ring of truth
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews