Book: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
By: Lori Gottlieb
Reviewed by: Glain Roberts-McCabe
The Premise: Lori Gottlieb is a therapist, columnist and author, and in her latest best seller takes us behind the curtains of therapy in a book that is funny, insightful and gets you thinking about yourself. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone introduces the reader to four of Gottlieb’s therapy clients – a Hollywood producer, a young newlywed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen committed to ending her life and a twenty-something who dates all the wrong men. As Gottlieb wrestles with the challenge of each of their situations, she finds herself in the midst of her own devastating breakup and into the office of therapist Wendell. The book alternates between Gottlieb’s own journey and those of her four clients and provides the reader with a fascinating window into the inner workings of therapy and the thoughts of those we turn to for support.
The Bottomline: Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more courses aimed at training managers in areas that – to me – border disturbingly too close to the field of therapy. Topics like ‘trauma-informed’ leadership are becoming more and more prevalent and, as a leader myself, I’ve started to feel ill-equipped to deal with the (seemingly) increased expectation that I need to be a part-time psychotherapist in order to do my job competently. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was a book that got me thinking about what our responsibilities are as leaders when it comes to supporting employees who are struggling with mental health. Ultimately, what this book did for me was to break down some misconceptions and beliefs about therapy itself. It also had me think more about what our ultimate responsibility is as leaders. For me, that’s to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be for the people I work with. Therapy provides a way for each of us to individually work to make sense of our own traumas and narratives. If you’re curious about how therapy works or a manager who brings a strong coaching approach to your work, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It provides an interesting way to look at the work we do as leaders and a solid argument that one of the best things you can do for your team is work on yourself.
Recommendation: Highly recommend. This book is a quick and enjoyable read and for people curious about the benefits of therapy, is highly accessible and instructive.
