Penguin Life Couch Fiction: A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy

I am the queen of buying books and not reading them. I started and finished this in 1 sitting. Really easy to read. Loved the cartoon aspect.

A wonderful insight into the psychotherapist's couch from the perspective of both the client and the psychotherapist. Although therapy is a serious subject and something many more of us could benefit from embracing without shame or embarrassment, there is nothing remotely stodgy about this book. The humour injected by the author and the marvellous treatment of the topic in the graphic novel form (with fabulous illustrations), make this a delightful, as well as an informative read.

I lately discovered Philippa Perry through her writings in the Observer. Her replies to the people who had asked for advice on their problems were the best I have ever read from an “agony aunt’. She writes beautifully. Her journey with one of her fictional clients was insightful and showed exactly how therapy sessions work. Her sense of humour also shines in her writing. The illustrations were wonderful. Even with so serious a subject, I enjoyed reading it tremendously.

This graphic novel was a real page turner, I felt like a fly on the wall: really valued the insights gleaned from a year-long process between client and therapist. Therapy and recognition of mental health has come a long way, but stigma still exists partly because the mind is like a black box, this book makes progress in a humorous way (for a change) and for that I applaud the author!

I really enjoyed this format and finished it in a day. It's great seeing the thoughts behind what's going on in the room, as well as the 'supervisor''s notes at the bottom of the page. I felt that it could have been longer and had more depth, but love the concept and it's a great little snapshot into the therapeutic process.