63 pages • 2 hours read
Catherine GildinerGood Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Good Morning, Monster, clinical psychologist Catherine Gildiner profiles five of her patients who have overcome severe trauma, portraying their journeys as examples of extraordinary psychological resilience. Each patient—Laura, Peter, Danny, Alana, and Madeline—has unique but equally harrowing encounters with abuse and neglect, and the book explores how they have managed to heal and build better lives. The narrative is informed by Gildiner's extensive therapeutic work, detailing the patients' histories, therapy sessions, and progress through a lens of personal experience and professional insight. The book addresses themes of child abuse, substance misuse, verbal and physical abuse, sexual assault, rape, and suicidality.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner showcases the transformative journeys of five therapy patients. Reviewers praise Gildiner's empathetic storytelling and the book's insightful look into psychotherapy. Some criticize its pacing, feeling it occasionally drags. Overall, it’s acclaimed for its profound, humanistic approach to mental health narratives.
Who Should Read Good Morning, Monster?
Readers who are drawn to deeply introspective narratives about overcoming trauma and personal transformation will appreciate Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner. Fans of works like The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk or Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb will find this a compelling read.