Maybe (definitely) listen to this talk about talking to someone

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 50 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime. One in five will experience a mental illness in a given year.

Therapists help people work through their mental health struggles and develop coping and communication skills. But what happens when a therapist needs help?

Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and the “Dear Therapist” advice columnist at The Atlantic magazine. She won acclaim for her last book “Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough.” Her new book is the best-seller “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed.”

In it, Gottlieb juxtaposes captivating stories of some of the patients in her care with her own story of needing and finding help. From the book:

“Therapists, of course, deal with the daily challenges of living just like everyone else. This familiarity, in fact, is at the root of the connection we forge with strangers who trust us with their most delicate stories and secrets. Our training has taught us theories and tools and techniques, but whirring beneath our hard-earned expertise is the fact that we know just how hard it is to be a person.”

Town Hall Seattle presented Lori Gottlieb in conversation with TBTL and Live Wire host Luke Burbank at The Summit on Pike on April 10.

Gottlieb also has a great story as part of The Moth storytelling series. You can listen here.