Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

By: Lori Gottlieb

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Now being developed as a television series with Eva Longoria and ABC!

"An irresistibly addictive tour of the human condition." (Kirkus, starred review)

"Rarely have I read a book that challenged me to see myself in an entirely new light, and was at the same time laugh-out-loud funny and utterly absorbing." (Katie Couric)

"This is a daring, delightful, and transformative book." (Arianna Huffington, founder, Huffington Post and founder & CEO, Thrive Global)

"Wise, warm, smart, and funny. You must read this book." (Susan Cain, New York Times best-selling author of Quiet)

From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world - where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose of­fice she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives - a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a 20-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys - she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.

©2019 Lori Gottlieb (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brittany Pressley performs this audiobook at a fast pace that will be familiar to listeners who live in large, bustling cities. But she knows how to moderate her energy for the tender sections, and her overall performance sounds authentic, conversational, and true to the core intentions of the author's story....Portrayed by Pressley, [the author] also sounds like someone you know, which makes her observations and insights all the more accessible." (AudioFile Magazine)

Amazing storyline that makes you rethink your life

As someone who personally sees's a therapist, it was amazing seeing the perspective from the other side. Each of the characters was well rounded and felt human. No one character felt perfect and all their flaws and their differences just gave them so much depth. The narration was beautifully done and the book had me fully hooked from beginning to end. I liked following all the characters on their journies and liked comparing it to the one that I experienced.

More than "just a a therapy" book

What a fantastically well-written book about how we, as humans, tick. I've always been fascinated by books like this, so I was an easy sell. However, you don't have to be a therapist or in therapy to appreciate this book. The stories Lori gives us about herself and her patients are universal to the human condition. She learns as much from them as they do from her. I was honestly disappointed when the book ended as I could've gone on hearing more stories about these people's lives. It was a real testament to the idea of trying to go deeper with those in our lives instead of immediately judging and writing people off after our first impression. There is so much more underneath that is worth finding so much of the time.

One of the best, on-point books I've enjoyed

I cannot rate this book highly enough. It is so true to life, it's uncanny, and yet the situations only serve to illustrate how similar the human condition truly is. While I do not offer individual therapy myself, I do hold a graduate degree in counseling psychology and use these same skills often with my clients in the vocational rehabilitation sector. The number of times I found myself nodding, smiling, or even laughing aloud was very refreshing. I saw myself, my clients, and others in the stories selected here, and absolutely identified with (frustration and concern and all) over maintaining confidentiality while maintaining my own sense of humanity.

I plan to listen to this again almost immediately, and recommend it to all I know - particularly those in the field.

(There is one clear splicing issue, right before starting chapter 32, as I recall, but it is simply a matter of mismatched levels and tone. Nothing terribly distracting except perhaps for those, like myself, who in a past life worked in audio engineering, recording, and later as an audiobook technical editor. 😊 Excellent in every other way though! Kudos for the writing, as well as for the brilliant narration!)

Great Book

Didn’t want to stop listening! Well written and touches your soul! Everyone can identify with someone in this book. Loved it!

It’s always nice to talk to someone

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. With each patient’s therapy the author has included wide spectrum of scenarios. And in so many scenarios anyone can fit in some where. It was very uplifting and gave very positive benefits one can achieve from theraphy.

lightweight & thought provoking!

Exactly what I needed. An easy listen that is memorable, funny, and smart. The narrator was the perfect match. I dreaded when I had to pause for work or sleep or running errands, but the reflection time in between listening was also necessary because there is a lot of content I wanted to hang on to! Picking up where I left off was never a battle, as in some audio books I find myself drifting elsewhere. This book, for me, was captivating and deeply enjoyable. I will definitely be on the lookout for more by Lori Gottleib and am excited to find other performances by Brittany Pressley.... though this here may have been the match made in heaven.

Required reading

Such important and under discussed ideas in here. Wisdom that we all can agree on. A common ground that empowers the reader to find their voice naturally and effortlessly. Pull the stops out of your way yourself by just being honest, what do you really have to gain by looking away from what is? This isn’t a dress rehearsal.

What an amazing book

I recently became a truck driver and in order to pass time, I wanted to listen to audible books and just randomly came across of this book. This book is well written, well read by audible and really made me sometimes happy sometimes sad (emotional) the characters stories are relatable and I emphasize with the author, John, Julie and the old lady. Ps I never wrote a review for a book before, And this book was just that good

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book. It is honest, witty and authentic. This writing captures the experience of therapy.

Love this book!

It really feels like the book that i didn’t know I needed to read. Fun, witty, touching, sad and inspiring all at the same time!