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.