Books › A shining affliction
A shining affliction
First published 1995 · 336 pages
A raw, poetic exploration of the fragile boundary between healing others and losing oneself.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like stepping into the intimate, sometimes terrifying space where two wounded minds meet. The narrative moves at a steady, deeply reflective pace, pulling you into the claustrophobic yet tender atmosphere of a therapeutic relationship that unravels the therapist herself. The prose is extraordinary, balancing the sharp, analytical eye of a clinician with the lyrical vulnerability of a poet. It is a haunting, emotionally demanding journey that descends into the chaos of a psychotic break before slowly climbing back toward a fragile, hard-won light. This book will profoundly resonate with readers who are drawn to the messy, beautiful realities of psychological healing, offering a rare, unvarnished look at the shared humanity between doctor and patient.
- Mood
- haunting
- tender
- claustrophobic
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- vulnerable
- introspective
- compassionate
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the wounded healer · childhood trauma · the therapeutic alliance · descent into madness · parallel healing
- The writing
- Lyrical and fiercely honest, blending the precision of clinical observation with the raw vulnerability of a personal diary.
- The arc
- Moves from a fragile, intellectualized stability through a harrowing descent into psychological fragmentation, ultimately arriving at a hard-won, integrated wholeness.
- Who it's for
- Readers fascinated by the porous boundaries between therapist and patient, and those who appreciate deeply vulnerable memoirs about mental illness and trauma recovery.
Content notes
- child abuse
- severe mental illness
- psychiatric hospitalization
- suicidal ideation
- trauma
About the book
Soars into sublime meditation...what makes this book so extraordinary is her willingness to reveal exactlty what goes on in the sometimes mysterious encounter between therapist and patient.—The Los Angeles Times.
Description from Open Library.
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