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Good Morning, Monster
- Five Heroic Journeys to Recovery
- Narrated by: Deborah Burgess
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A therapist creates moving portraits of five of her most memorable patients, men and women she considers psychological heroes.
Catherine Gildiner is a best-selling memoirist, a novelist, and a psychologist in private practice for 25 years. In Good Morning, Monster, she focuses on five patients who overcame enormous trauma - people she considers heroes. With a novelist's storytelling gift, Gildiner recounts the details of their struggles, their paths to recovery, and her own tale of growth as a therapist.
The five cases include a successful but lonely musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her and her siblings in a rural cottage; an Indigenous man who'd endured great trauma at a residential school; a young woman whose abuse at the hands of her father led to a severe personality disorder; and a glamorous workaholic whose negligent mother had greeted her each morning with "Good morning, Monster."
Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years. They seek Gildiner's help to overcome an immediate challenge in their lives, but discover that the source of their suffering has been long buried. It will take courage to face those realities, and creativity and resourcefulness from their therapist.
Each patient embodies self-reflection, stoicism, perseverance, and forgiveness as they work unflinchingly to face the truth. Gildiner's account of her journeys with them is moving, insightful, and sometimes humorous. It offers a behind-the-scenes look into the therapist's office and explains how the process can heal even the most unimaginable wounds.
Critic Reviews
“These compelling, heart-in-throat stories prove no one is 'damaged goods'. I'm in awe of the five patients and of Gildiner’s exceptional creativity as she guides each one toward emotional freedom.” (Rona Maynard, author of My Mother’s Daughter and former editor)
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What listeners say about Good Morning, Monster
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Miss Frappell
- 02-03-22
excellent
incredible stories. so informative but also truly human. told with care and knowledge. highly recommended
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- Jenna Dee
- 04-25-22
Engaging, emotional stories from a therapists POV
I couldn't stop listening to this book! Every bit of free time I had, I'd play the book. Narration was fantastic and the stories of each client were thought provoking and I felt such strong empathy & compassion for them.
For other childhood trauma survivors reading this, be forewarned that there's some brutal descriptions of horrific child abuse that could be triggering. Dr Gildiner aptly named the book - I'm not sure there's a word strong enough to describe some of the villains in these people's lives, but Monster is probably the best we have in English.
What I loved most about the book is hearing about each person's journey to healing (as much as one can) - I felt hopeful for my own healing journey. I also admired how Dr Gildiner took responsibility when she made mistakes & researched/collaborated with others to get the best possible outcomes for her clients. My favourite was helping her indigenous client connect back to his cultural roots by researching and reaching out to other indigenous community members. The world needs more therapists like her!
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- Anonymous User
- 12-18-21
Highly recommend
These are the kinds of stories I like to listen to, real world stuff. As hard as their stories are to listen to, it's so great to heae them overcome that trauma enough to live good lives ❤️
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- Amanda Foy
- 06-11-21
Aha's all over the place
This book was gifted to me by a colleague and friend who also works in the emotional trauma segment of health and wellbeing, but not for clients, for my own story. Every story was harrowing to listen to, and I would recommend if you're an empath or sensitive you protect your energy before putting your headset in, there are potential trigger elements. However, the way Dr Gildiner added the psychology as to why and also how her patients evolved was great to read and validating for the processes I'd developed in my own practice organically.
Give yourself breaks as you need and have a drink of water handy to keep you hydrated through the harrowing parts.
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- Anonymous User
- 01-04-21
Can not get enough
I truly could not get enough of this book. I have started it again straight after finishing it.
Incredible insight into a therapist/patient relationship.
I feel like this book would reach a large range of people and help guide them through whatever it is they are tackling.
As an aspiring councillor, this gets me very excited for the future.
Thank you.
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- Ruth Clare
- 10-26-20
Riveting and wise
A rare insight into the hard work involved in tackling difficult childhood issues and complex family dynamics with the help of a therapist, and the amazing growth that can happen as a result. Beautifully told by a wonderful writer. Excellent narration too.
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- EstherH
- 12-11-19
Amazing
This book was excellent- I couldn’t stop listening! I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in mental health & trauma.