Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Healing of a Psychotherapist: A Journey of Rebellion, Reflection, and Redemption is a gripping story of one man's coming to understand and eventually overcome the paralyzing effect that a traumatic childhood and unacknowledged grief had on his capacity to experience fulfillment despite his worldly successes. In this memoir, Charles McCormack, a multi-award-winning psychotherapist, doesn't offer himself up as a dry, clinical case but tells the emotionally raw story of his life and the people in it. Along the way, he conveys the layers of uncertainty, shame, low self-esteem, egotism, mistakes made and then made again, the lessons learned and then forgotten, the failures and successes, the joys and heartbreaks, and the wisdom and folly that constricted him like the successive shells of a Russian Nesting Doll.
On her death bed, his mother sensing the dark ampule of his abandonment planted all those years ago, refused to leave him again. On two separate occasions, she rose from her death bed, teetered over to him, placed her palms on the table for support, leaned forward, fiercely looked him in the eye, and emphatically demanded in her French-accented English, "Charlie, have a good life Charlie, have a good life " She wasn't asking; she was telling. She then waited, unmoving, until, looking directly back into her eyes and choking back tears, he responded, "I will, Mom. I will." Like a radioactive pellet inserted in the middle of a cancerous tumor, the directive to "Have a good life" became McCormack's goal. Healing of a Psychotherapist is the story of his journey.
Among McCormack's accomplishments: Clinical Social Worker of the Year, Maryland Society of Clinical Social Workers; author Treating Borderline States in Marriage; Guest Faculty, Washington School of Psychiatry; Graduate The New Directions Writing from a Psychoanalytic Perspective program of the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis. Essence, the previous edition of Healing of a Psychotherapist, is the winner of the Montaigne Medal awarded to the most thought-provoking book of 2022 by the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. In 2023 McCormack was honored to receive the Emeritus Award from the University of Maryland for his innovative contributions to social work practice.
Synopsis
"Healing of a Psychotherapist: A Journey of Rebellion, Reflection, and Redemption" is a genre-defying memoir, unveiling the profound evolution of an award-winning psychotherapist's odyssey, offering a transformative literary experience to all who embark on this unforgettable journey.
Within its pages lies a precious gift of empathy and understanding, extending solace and enlightenment to those in search of a better life. Brimming with inspiration and profound insights, this book delves deep into the intricate landscape of our emotional world, where it resonates resoundingly.
The seamless fusion of captivating storytelling and acute insights brilliantly illuminates the universal challenges we all encounter in this life, creating a narrative that is both engrossing and thought-provoking, intimate yet universally uplifting.
This book not only contemplates the meaning of a fulfilling life but also nurtures the discovery of the extraordinary within the ordinary. It illustrates that transformative change often emerges from seemingly simple shifts in perspective. With its brisk narrative pace, unexpected twists, and heartwarming moments, it serves as an inspirational reminder that hope endures, even in the face of adversity.
Amidst a world inundated with dry self-help literature, this memoir provides a fresh and insightful perspective on the complexities of life. Rather than dull prescriptions telling the reader what to do, the author puts the reader in his mind and takes them on a remarkable personal journey of vulnerability and introspection as they see the world through his eyes.
"Healing of a Psychotherapist" is an exceptional narrative that transcends the ordinary, leaving an indelible impact on the heart and mind that lingers far after the last page is turned.
Among McCormack's accomplishments: Clinical Social Worker of the Year, Maryland Society of Clinical Social Workers; author Treating Borderline States in Marriage; Guest Faculty, Washington School of Psychiatry; Graduate The New Directions Writing from a Psychoanalytic Perspective program of the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis.
Healing of a Psychotherapist, won the Montaigne Medal awarded to the most thought-provoking book of 2022 by the Eric Hoffer Book Awards and an Honorable Mention in the Memoir Category. In 2023 McCormack received the Emeritus Award from the University of Maryland for his innovative contributions to social work practice.