Some might look at Janie Weiss and see a beautiful, rich and carefree woman leading a glamourous life. She is a successful painter, showing her work at galleries. However, under the charming surface is a woman who has been through great challenges, including working with 6 therapists. Some of her therapist have helped while others have not.
One of the most indulgent treats of this book are the vivid the descriptions of people and events. You feel as if you are sitting with someone at a glamourous event, sipping a glass of champagne and experiencing it yourself. What I found most interesting is that the character Janie Weiss suffers from social anxiety, and you see this gently and accurately portrayed as she interacts with people. She does participate in larger social situations, but they make her feel overwhelmed. The author, Laura Finkelstein, has done a quite sensitive expression of her symptoms, something you simply do not see very often.
In reading Next Therapist Please at first one might envy how Weiss never has to worry about money. She lives on the beautiful, tourist spot of Balboa Island in California and shops without ever considering a price tag. However, you soon discover how she tragically lost her beloved husband and children and it takes your breath away. You admire her search for inner peace and healing, some of her journey is so realistic it is painful to read.
I give this novel a glowing review and recommend it to anyone suffering with social anxiety or mental illness. Next Therapist Please is an inspiration to modern women. Janie is thrust into a unique situation and fights her way to a better life, something we can all hope to learn from. Have a glass of champagne and start the journey!
