"She's Not Herself: A Psychotherapist's Journey Into and Beyond Her Mother's Mental Illness" by Linda Appleman Shapiro is now available in trade paperback and e-book editions from book publisher Dream of Things.
"She's Not Herself" tells the story of Shapiro's childhood in the iconic immigrant community of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, with her parents and a gifted older brother. Young Linda spent her days at home alone with a mother who suffered major bouts of depression. At such times, Linda was told, "Your mother...she's not herself today." Those words did little to help Linda understand what she was witnessing. Instead, she experienced the anxiety and hyper-vigilance that often take root when secrecy and shame surround a family member who is ill.
Years later, after receiving invaluable tools from skilled therapists whose help she had sought and after more than thirty years as a behavioral psychotherapist helping others, Shapiro revisits her past in an effort to make sense of the effects of multi-generational traumas. Shapiro is ultimately able to forgive (without forgetting) those who left her to fend for herself-and to provide readers with the wisdom of a seasoned psychotherapist who has examined human vulnerability in its many disguises and has moved through it all with dignity and hope. The result is a memoir of love, loss, loyalty, and healing.
Praise for She's Not Herself
"An honest and compelling story by a brave and gifted writer." -Wally Lamb, author of She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True; winner of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill's Kenneth Johnson Award for the anti-stigmatization of mental illness
"A story that applies to us all-truthful, carefully crafted, and created with a clear-eyed affection." -David Watts, MD, poet, writer, musician, NPR commentator
"A riveting tale wrapped in elegant prose. A very human story-one of hope and perseverance that resonates deeply within the soul." -Peggy Sanders, retired journalist, award-winning author
She's Not Herself ($14.00 trade paperback, $2.99 e-book, Dream of Things, 268 pages, ISBN 9780988439078) is available from Ingram Book Company and from Dream of Things (dreamofthings.com).
About the Author
The daughter of Russian immigrant parents, Shapiro was born and raised in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. As a behavioral psychotherapist, Shapiro has treated adolescents, couples, and families, and has served as senior therapist at a facility for recovering addicts and their families. She has also led workshops advocating for mental illness, parenting, bereavement, and healing through meditation, hands-on healing, and dream interpretation. In addition, Shapiro served as a senior staff member at an out-patient facility for addicts and their families; she is a contributing author in the casebook, Leaves Before the Wind: Leading Applications of N.L.P.; and as an oral historian, she has documented the lives of many of New York's elderly. For her blog of three years, A Psychotherapist's Journey, Shapiro was named Top Blogger in the field of mental health by WELLsphere.
Shapiro earned her B.A. in literature from Bennington College, a Master's degree in Human Development/Counseling from the Bank Street College of Education, and a Master Certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming from the New York Institute of N.L.P. She has further certifications in Ericksonian Hypnosis and Substance Abuse/Addictions Counseling. Shapiro and her husband, actor and audiobook narrator George Guidall, live in Westchester County, New York. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
About Dream of Things
Founded in 2009, Dream of Things is a book publisher and online book store that focuses on memoirs, essay collections, and other books that align with its mission to publish "distinctive voices, meaningful books." For more information, visit dreamofthings.com.
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