God's Shrink: 10 Sessions and Life's Greatest Lessons from an Unexpected Patient

by Michael Adamse

A Riveting Spiritual Thrill Ride Like most seasoned psychiatrists, Dr. Richard Johnson thought he'd heard it all. His assuredness falters when a first-time client arrives at his office and announces that he is God. Listening intently to the man, who is obviously suffering from severe psychosis, he agrees to take the case. What transpires over the course of the next nine sessions will test everything in the doctor's bag of tricks. As he struggles to unravel the client's illness before he becomes a danger to himself, a chilling series of coincidences and events cause him to question everything he thought he knew about himself, his place in the world, and life after death. Was their time together the revelations of divinity or the ramblings of a delusional? What's possible? You decide . . . Ten sessions. A lifetime of answers. Under normal circumstances, the province of psychotherapy is practiced privately. What is said behind closed doors remains there. The patient can sing like a bird, but the therapist is ethically and legally bound by confidentiality. I can truthfully say that in all my years of practice, I only gave up two patients. The first involved serious child abuse and the second concerned an individual who was imminently suicidal. These were clearly based on a duty to warn and protect. What you will read in these pages is the third breach of my silence and has nothing to do with legalities or ethics. It has to do with a patient whose initial claims represented the most elaborate and complex delusional system I've ever encountered. I was given express permission to tell the story in a public forum. Indeed, I was encouraged to.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2007

Reviews

[Marisa Martins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Achei este livro bastante intrigante e engraçado. No final sugere que realmente tudo aconteceu de verdade, que é uma história verídica, mas acredito que se trata apenas de ficção. Não deixa de ser engraçada a perspetiva de que Deus também precisa de desabafar, de ter um momentinho só para ele e para descarregar as frustrações que a sua função acarreta. Achei que era uma perspetiva gira, que nunca tinha pensado, mas daí a acreditar que isto aconteceu mesmo... De qualquer forma, gostei de ler este livro e recomendaria a sua leitura.

[Lau Maia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este é um livro que deveria ser sobre psicologia mas na verdade é sobre espiritualidade. A ideia é engraçada contudo para mim fica a faltar o contraponto de ver as coisas que aconteceram do lado cientifico e ateista. Além disso gostava de saber o que aconteceu ao Gabe e não sei mas na minha perspectiva não deve ter sido nada de muito bom.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise.

[salelbar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this quite interesting as a "between other books" quick read. As someone else stated, the premise is good.

[Tânia Caetano · Rating 1 out of 5]

Foi um livro que me foi criando uma grande expectativa sobre o final. Contudo, a história acaba de uma forma que me dececionou. Esperava muito mais deste livro.

[Mário João Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro, e pensar que o tinha colocado de parte fora da estante há uns dois ou três anos. Que livro maravilhoso que nos prende há leitura a cada página. O livro fala-nos de um paciente chamado Gabriel que procura um psicólogo, o mesmo afirma ser Deus. A história remete-nos para aquele consultório, como se nós mesmos estivéssemos dentro daquele livro. No meu caso identifiquei-me imenso com a várias passagens do livro. Recomendo a 100% a sua leitura. Escrita maravilhosa, fluida e penetrante que nos faz querer ler mais.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read! Highly recommend to those spiritual open to receive.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

How a clinical psychologist would deal with God as a patient. A couple of overall spiritual lessons for the reader.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book designed to bring God closer to man... or so it seems... A Shrink receives the call of a new patient, Gabriel, who states simply that he is God and needs the Shrink so he can talk to someone... He feels overwhelmed with all the wrongs that are constantly happening, and is "fueled" by random acts of kindness... During the sessions that ensue, it really is the Shrink who is going to transform and learn the most from this experience, that he attributes at first merely to a psychotic mind... To read!

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 16 Th. April 2013.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of his stories about "cases" he helped in therapy, reminded me of my daily work.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thought provoking! This one is worth a read!