THIS BOOK IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY
BY: LIZ KELLY

About 3.5 Stars!

First I want to extend my deepest debt of gratitude to the Publisher and Liz Kelly for granting me my wish to read this non-fiction self help book. It's called "This Book is Cheaper Than Therapy." It caught my eye with the aesthetics of book cover and the title. However, the information was mostly common sense and conversational in style. There were a few resources that I highlighted should the need arise.

I'm not a fan of Tina Fey and I should have noticed that at the end of this book's synopsis it says something like this reading experience will be similar to having a conversation with her. So the fault lies with me for not taking that factor into consideration. I liked Lori Gottlieb's book called, "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, a lot better as far as an in depth type of can't put it down type of reading experience. This author even lists that book as further resources to explore in her helpful list of books to further enhance one's self development.

I did think that this author had a great sense of humor when she gave her inner critic a name in which she called him, "Nelson." I wonder how helpful that would be. It's something I will eventually ponder over if I catch myself with an inner voice telling me I can't overcome some type of goal or adversity. I just experienced one in which a great friend came to my aid and offered her help. Asking for help is difficult for me as I feel that I am taking their precious time which is finite.

Setting boundaries is discussed which is found in most self help books. This author also spoke in a conversational voice and she also shared her own personal adversities and how and why she did things to overcome them. She listed an exhaustive list of core values which I pretty much have those already developed into who I am when I was much, much younger.

One thing that she mentioned was buying things that you don't need as a way of not dealing with a multitude of inner turmoil or not dealing with uncomfortable emotions. Most of us know to practice mindfulness and allow our emotions to surface and feel them without judgement. She explains in the beginning a simplified analogy listing the amygdala and hippocampus in the downstairs or lower brain function that releases the stress hormone cortisol which can cause health issues that manifests as physical ailments. This happens automatically when stressful events occur. The upstairs or upper brain is the prefrontal central lobe which is the area that we are using to consciously think and make decisions. This isn't fully developed until young adults reach the age of twenty-five-years-old. I already knew that being a mother of two adult sons.

What did resonate with me is how good I feel getting regular physical exercise which I did most every morning this summer. Now that it's winter I am going to join a gym because of the importance of moving my body. I actually used to run ten miles per day and always belonged to a gym as a way of life. I know the importance of working with weights to keep muscles strong and I really enjoyed doing that as well. In the last six years I haven't really done what was a lifestyle for me and reading this book reminded me how much I miss doing it. So I can confidently say that reading this book has motivated me to take action and join a gym.

There's a familiar section about grief and loss. I have long been familiar with the five stages which were ancient history for me as I have lost both parents and my only sister. The author reiterates them using the COVID 19 period where many people on a sociological level were affected. Whether working from home or before the vaccines were available and many people practiced social distance from extended family. Or people couldn't celebrate holidays with family. People could have lost a loved one or knew somebody who did. Just acknowledging that difficult time there have been higher rates of depression resulting from that time. Grieving is something most people avoid because it's extremely difficult, but essential to do it regardless. We're all familiar with the five stages which are: Denial, Bargaining, Anger. Depression, Acceptance. Some people get stuck in one stage and should consult a therapist if need be. They don't always present in that specific linear order of the five classic stages. Usually most everyone has suffered some kind of loss, so this isn't a novel idea. Their are grief support groups that are available so that people don't feel isolated or alone if you don't have a strong support system. Grieving is hard work.

It's up to you whether you want to read this book. I think if a person finds one thing that is helpful in the information that's provided then it could be worthwhile. I found it to be a reminder of things that I already knew. I think it's more of a beginner's guide. Personally, I'm glad that I read it, but it did sort of seem like not the most mind blowing self help books. Either my Kindle is not working properly or this ARC doesn't display the percentage of the book as you are reading it. I hope if that is a kink in this book it is fixed by editing for final publication.

Publication Date: March 19, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Liz Kelly and PESI Publishing Bridge City Books for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#ThisBookisCheaperThanTherapy #LizKelly #PesiPublishingBridgeCityBooks #NetGalley

This self-help book has really inspiring title, that the book is as well a good source to start improving your mental health when you cannot afford therapy.

And really it is, it has many good tips, self-reflection questions.

Personally for me, the section 'How to Find a Therapist That Doesn’t Suck' was irrelevant for this book.

Thank you NetGalley, PESI Publishing, Bridge City Books, Liz Kelly for an advanced e-copy of This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy

#NetGalley #PESIPublishing #BridgeCityBooks #LizKelly #ThisBookIsCheaperThanTherapy

A great value about the mental health, a personal issue, skill and subject everybody must understand and manage

Easy to understand and with a lot of practical info to put into practice ASAP.

Enjoy it!

So thankful for this book. It has helped having a therapist friend to talk with about this book. Between them and the book, I feel like I have a good mental toolkit to make headway and move forward confidently to seek further help.

I’m a sucker for a self-help book and this book didn’t disappoint. The author while teaching you ways to improve your mental health, kept the book easy to read with some humour and her own personal stories.

It was full of ways to actively try to work on yourself with coping skills, managing grief and changes, creating healthy boundaries and also action plans to help you move forward. There was also a section about how to choose the best therapist for yourself, with some great information.

Definitely worth the read and big thanks to netgalley for the arc.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! Liz Kelly's "This Book is Cheaper Than Therapy" starts strong with a positive tone, especially in Chapter 1 on self-care. However, as the book progresses, it becomes inconsistent and confusing, with clichéd examples and vague suggestions. Despite the author's passion, it feels like a generic self-help book lacking the depth of personal therapy sessions. Some recommendations end with an unsatisfying "google for more ideas." If you're new to therapy and seeking a starting point, this might be helpful. However, for those familiar with therapy, it falls short, making it a skip for me.

Experienced therapist Liz Kelly provides accessible explanations of key mental health issues, providing possible strategies that are geared to help to guide and support you, bearing in mind a solution that may work for one person, may require a different approach for another. This is not a replacement for deeper trauma and issues, for that you will need the support of a practicing therapist, for which she offers advice on how to find and select one. Areas looked at include handling feelings of being overwhelmed by life's realities, grief, quietening those voices that are our enemy, critical, judgemental and unforgiving. Therapy requires self reflection, accountability, often moving into unfamiliar, perhaps uncomfortable, territory for an individual, to learn to cope, adjust and become more resilient, although it may take some time.

In a anxiety ridden and challenging world, I imagine there are many who will appreciate Liz Kelly's guide. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Liz Kelly is a therapist and goes through some of the topics her clients deal with. She discusses how to quiet your inner critic, coping skills, manage feelings, setting boundaries (often a problem for people-pleasers, since boundaries protect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being), maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with the pain of loss, and prioritizing your values. I especially liked the chapter on radical acceptance, where instead of saying, “I can’t handle this right now--why did this happen to me?” we restructure our thinking: “I accept that some things are out of my control, but I can handle challenging situations, or change my perspective.”

Liz Kelly is a therapist, and goes through some of the topics her clients deal with. She discusses how to quiet your inner critic, coping skills, managing feelings, setting boundaries (often a problem for people-pleasers, since boundaries protect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being), maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with the pain of loss, and prioritizing your values. I especially liked the chapter on radical acceptance, where instead of saying, “I can’t handle this right now--why did this happen to me?” we restructure our thinking: “I accept that some things are out of my control, but I can handle challenging situations, or change my perspective.” Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Highly reccomended!! Easy, simple things anyone can try to put into practice to work through any issue. Also tips on finding a therapist and other resources.. There are action steps at the end chapter which are very helpful. Great tool for self help!

I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, loads of really good, concrete information that is clear and concise. On the other hand, it’s information overload, more of a reference or something rather than an applicable self help book.

In this post pandemic period, the mental health epidemic is no longer something that can be swept under the carpet. The fault lines were already there prior to the pandemic, but the loneliness, isolation and stress of that period simply made it impossible to pretend that things were okay any longer.

And that is even without taking into consideration the people who were already struggling with mental health challenges over issues related for example to past trauma - or even more recent grief, which was another happy side-effect of this period (yes, I was being sarcastic).

All this to say that this book is a very timely offering. Because not only can everyone not afford therapy, some people can also not always find the answers they are looking for unless they have the right therapist.

As an experienced therapist, Liz Kelly brings to bear her considerable educational qualifications as well as - perhaps even more importantly - a wealth of practical experience.

The book offers an understanding shoulder, as well as a range of techniques to choose from. I like how down-to-earth Kelly's approach to improving mental wellbeing is, and I suspect that most people will find something in this volume that benefits them. it is well worth checking out!

In "This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy" by the seasoned therapist Liz Kelly, your path to holistic emotional health begins without breaking the bank. Liz brings the therapy experience to your fingertips, making it accessible to all. With her candid humor and sharp wit, Liz demystifies complex mental health concepts in an approachable manner, void of overused therapy jargon. This book empowers you to master real self-care, silence your inner critic, manage your emotions, assert boundaries, nurture relationships, navigate grief and loss, and prioritize values for a more fulfilling life. Think of Liz as your witty best friend and experienced therapist rolled into one; it's time to take that first step towards feeling better with her as your guide.

This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy: A No-Nonsense Guide to Improving Your Mental Health by Liz Kelly explains complex mental health concepts in a way the reader can understand and put into practice immediately.

The author uses humor and simple-to-understand phraseology to explain concepts. Two concepts that stuck out for me are how to set boundaries and master the art of saying no and quiet and tame your inner critic. Hard concepts sometimes to practice, but I found the suggestions realistic and some easy to implement or think about.

Overall, the information was presented in a fun way and the information was not like other books that delved too much into the psychology of explaining or reviewing the history of mental health. The book is also a reminder that I'm okay just as I am.

#TBICTT #NetGalley

I learned more tools in this book than I had in my most recent stint in therapy! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars. I will need a physical copy for my self so I can refer back. Sharing the book with friends and much of my family as well.

This book was a great read, it is indeed way cheaper than therapy and contains a lot of the things you'll learn in therapy. It's a good way to work on your mental health if you can't go to therapy, full of good advice.

Very much looking forward to acquiring this book with mental health being so prevalent and not everyone being able to afford the resources or finding the advice to be relatable or helpful this book covers all of that and provided realistic solutions and answers in a conversational and relatable tone.