[growlycat]

Has T ever recommended or shared a book with you?

What book or books?

What message was T trying to communicate by sharing the book?

For me, main T has occasionally lent me therapy related books like
"Intimate Worlds: how families thrive and how they fail" by Maggie Scarf.
He was trying to teach me how families look when they are healthy.

More often than not, he lent me fiction oddballs like
"Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace (at a billion pages or so, maybe this one was to keep me busy??)

and

"Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates" by Tom Robbins. I think this one was to show me how an undesirable trait in a person can be transformed into a healthier one (The main character has an unhealthy/pedo-like attraction to his younger niece and through various events, finds it is "innocence" he is attracted to, not underage girls)

[HazelGirl]

Yes, several. We are both really into reading and so my T will occasionally suggest books for me to read, or will loan or give me copies of books she thinks would benefit me.

[ThisWayOut]

Not this t, but t's in the past have turned me on to various books. One t gave me "skinny legs and all" by Tom Robbins because she thought I would enjoy it. She was right. Another t suggested some books on domestic violence and gEtting out of the situation. Yet another t let me borrow her trauma books and her Buddhism books. I have not read in a few years though. I don't know what happened, but I can't concentrate anymore... it's sad. I miss reading.

My t suggests books for me to read from time to time, therapy-related, because she knows I love to read and am so fascinated with this whole therapy process.. last week she recommended Barbara Hannah "The Animus: the spirit of inner truth in women", I'm going to look for it at the library tomorrow after work. This fits right in with my current shadow work... listening to the masculine part of me or the animus. This is all so interesting!!

[sweepy62]

Yes I love poetry psychology and stuff, she is going to lend me this poetry and psychology book, I forgot the titles as soon as she said" I'm going to lend you" lol

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[stopdog]

There was some book by a woman who had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted as a child. I have no idea why she recommended that book.
Then there was the Fun Home by Alison Bechdel - again I have absolutely no idea why.

[CantExplain]

Madame T recommended The Curly Pyjama Letters.

Yes, he has recommended a couple of books, fiction mostly but also one psychology related one, Shame and Pride by Donald Nathanson. With the exception of the psych book, the books he's mentioned are ones I owned but hadn't yet read, as far as I can remember. We do discuss literature from time to time. Our tastes are not exactly identical, but it is always interesting to discuss books and the impact they have on me, and I often use images from books I've read to try and explain concepts, such as what I wish I were like, for instance, or what I think love can and cannot be.

We also use poetry in therapy. There are a few poems we tend to return to.

[EnormousCabbage]

I would love to discuss books with my therapist but never have.

Has anyone ever recommended or lent their T a book - and did your T read it?

[neutrino]

My ex-T recommended a book to me once: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. I had actually heard of it before and thought it sounded interesting so I bought it, read it and didn't really like it because it was so slow etc. When I told my ex-T about it he said he thought it was slow too and that he didn't finish it for that reason. I wonder why he recommended it to me in the first place if he didn't really like it.

[growlycat]

Originally Posted by EnormousCabbage

I would love to discuss books with my therapist but never have.

Has anyone ever recommended or lent their T a book - and did your T read it?

When I was in college, I was on a mythology kick…joseph campell type stuff.

I fell in love with "Women who run with the wolves" and T read it, but thought the writing style was a bit dense and unclear to plow through.

I also shared both the book and Indie movie Thumbsucker, which I love. He was much more enthusiastic about that. It spurred conversation on a lot of issues.

The soundtrack had songs by the late elliott smith--T was shocked that not only is he dead, but either his girlfriend stabbed him or he stabbed himself after an argument. I guess T was a fan.

[JaneC]

I am currently reading "A General Theory of Love" by Thomas Lewis et al, that my T lent me. It explores the psychobiology of love.....no mean feat! It is written in a very poetic and frankly eloquent literary style....sometimes a little too much.

I think my T wanted me to find a new understanding of love, attachment and relationships.....??? Hahaha. I am reserving my judgement on it.

He went and bought a book that I was interested in reading, and then advised me to have some restraint before jumping in......he was right, it was a bit dark to start and my mood at the time was not ideal for it! It was the Ruby Wax book.....Taming the Mind. I have yet to finish!

He said I can read any of his books. I found that really kind. We both love to read.

[AllyIsHopeful]

A couple months into seeing her she lent me a Psychology-based "self help" type of book. A year later I still have it and have not finished it.
She has never asked about it and I am wondering if she even recalls giving it to me.

[junkDNA]

T lets me borrow books. sometimes he orders books specifically for me to read and process with him. they are mostly all related to my issues

[coolibrarian]

My T has occasionally recommended books to me. One that I recall in particular is "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway," by Susan Jeffers. T has let me borrow books I've seen on her bookshelves. Also, I have recommended many books to T (I am a librarian, btw.), and 1 of them I even gifted her with: after she'd borrowed it and kept forgetting to return it to me, I told her to keep it. Even though it's got notes in it (from college. it's a Polish novel in English translation.), it makes me happy to know she's got it at home, with "her stuff."

[brillskep]

Yes, a few (I can recall three, of which he lent me one and sent me another by email). Articles too. But it wasn't to send me a message - he articulates whatever messages he has for me in person. It's mostly to help with my continuous learning on the subject of therapy. I have recommended books / articles to him too in the past.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by Cherbiej

My T has occasionally recommended books to me. One that I recall in particular is "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway," by Susan Jeffers.

Yup, Mr T got me to read that.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by JaneC

I am currently reading "A General Theory of Love" by Thomas Lewis et al, that my T lent me.

Read that too.