A humorous but illuminating memoir”
This touching memoir follows trained psychotherapist Natalie who is starting her practice at an NHS clinic (mainly with young people) We follow both her clients' stories and hers.

It shows that anyone can have periods of mental health "crisis" or ongoing issues they may want to address. As is the way of such support, the key factors are not always the methods used, but the building up of a good working relationship between therapist and client and the creation of a safe space in which the client might be held.
" 'something' is in the box. We don't have to open the box to look at it, but we can talk about the box itself"

Of course Natalie makes mistakes and it doesn't work with some clients . She can be innovative in her methods , responding to their individual needs and you get the impression that she come across as warm and caring. She also shares knowledge with the reader in a non- patronising way, so we learn about how the memory stores trauma, the drama triangle and the cognitive interview.

Running alongside this is the story of Natalie's own mental health as she deals with her own "unhealthy" relationships , panic attacks, depression etc. The reader will probably intuit early on some of what is REALLY happening for her , but her self awareness hasn't yet clicked in. Yet she tells these parts with humour:
"the jester works hard .. They check in on the emotions of others and try to keep them content in a quest to avoid conflict and the breakdown of bonds"
As a counsellor I found it had some important insights into the therapeutic process , but as a general reader a humorous, honest and entertaining glimpse into the world of psychotherapy.

A thoroughly enjoyable book! As an assistant psychologist who just started, I valued stepping into the author's shoes and experiencing the humanness of the therapist and clients alike. With the day-to-day life of the therapist and following her work with her clients, this book takes you on a journey and broadens your perspective, I highly recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it before publication.

As a psychotherapist, I quite enjoy reading other clinicians' stories about the intersection of their work and private life. In "Just About Coping" Natalie Cawley offers a valuable, yet risky perspective. Risky from the standpoint of disclosure - as practitioners we are often warned about how much and why we want to disclose to our clients or patients. Valuable as Cawley shares her "wounded healer's" journey and her private moments as an important part of her life that does not seem to affect her professional work and does not hurt her ability to help others.

I think that witnessing the humanity and vulnerability of Cawley can be useful for both, therapy clients/patients as well as other clinicians (after all, we are humans first, therapists second). Surely there will be those who would rather not know that many personal details, especially if they are clients, but for some reading this book might be an advantage.

What Cawley offered was also an insight into the NHS mental health services that surely are under-appreciated and underfunded. So what is personal in this book, intertwines with what's systemic and political, inviting the organisational part that surely cannot be ignored.

Overall, great read in which both therapists, as well as people on the other side will find something valuable.

"The foundation for all our emotional pain is disconnection. Loss, betrayal, despair, rejection - they are all relational."

This book was exactly my cup of tea. I devoured it. 'Just About Coping' reminded me a little of Adam Kay's 'This is Going to Hurt' - but for the world of Psychotherapy within the NHS. I went through the full range of emotions reading this book - funny at times, but also heartbreaking. None of it shocked me, though, working in this field myself, I found myself nodding along at the never-ending drama that unfolds in her tiny NHS therapy room/cupboard. Dr Natalie is also brutally honest about her own personal demons, relationship disasters, and ongoing imposter syndrome - she is very much a flawed human, who grows and gains insight through her patient work and her own personal therapy and supervision. I found myself relating, and found the book as a whole validating (I often found myself thinking, if Natalie can still be a therapist and her life is THIS chaotic, I can do it too). We are all just human, and finding our own ways to cope. It's always interesting for me to read about stories from the therapy room - it's a rare glimpse into the human psyche in a confidential space, and I learnt a lot from it. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in psychology, therapy, or mental health.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy.

Book Review: Just About Coping by Natalie Cawley

Just About Coping by Natalie Cawley is an engaging and heartfelt memoir that offers a unique glimpse into the life of a psychotherapist in training, deftly blending humour, honesty, and emotional depth. Set in the psychologist’s clinic of an NHS hospital, the book introduces us to a range of patients, each grappling with their own mental health challenges—from procrastination and compulsive lying to OCD and addiction. Meanwhile, Dr. Natalie Cawley, their therapist, is navigating her own emotional struggles, often finding herself breathing into a paper bag between sessions.

For those who appreciated The Skeleton Cupboard, this book will feel like a natural successor. As a fan of that memoir, I had been searching for something similarly insightful and compelling, and Just About Coping checked all the right boxes. Cawley’s writing is thoughtful yet entertaining, making complex mental health conditions both understandable and relatable. Her portrayal of the therapeutic process is both poignant and frequently funny, capturing the nuanced ways in which people attempt to self-soothe while shedding light on the underlying issues that drive these behaviours.

What I found particularly striking was the way the book managed to evoke a wide range of emotions throughout the journey. Cawley’s candid exploration of both her patients’ and her own struggles serves as a stark reminder that we are all, in our own ways, just about coping. The book underscores the importance of kindness—toward ourselves and others—as we all battle our own issues every day.

Ultimately, Just About Coping is a deeply resonant read, one that will stay with me for a long time. Whether you are a professional in the field or someone simply interested in understanding the human psyche, this memoir is a must-read. It’s a powerful reminder of the shared humanity in our struggles and the courage it takes to face them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mental health, therapy, or simply looking for a thoughtful, accessible read that balances depth with humour.

This book has been compared to Adam Kay’s This Is Going to Hurt, but I enjoyed it even more. I finished it in two days and have been recommending it ever since. The title is so apt.

The story follows the real-life experiences of trainee NHS psychotherapist Dr Natalie as she navigates the mental health struggles of her patients while also confronting her own issues and seeking therapy. The book shows a deeply personal and insightful look at the challenges faced by both patients and therapists.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan for my ARC e-copy of #JustAboutCoping.

My thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for a copy of “ Just About Coping” for an honest review .
This was a very interesting insight into the life of a psychologist.It was told very honestly, regarding her own issues, and was at times disturbing to read.
I enjoyed reading it and it’s interesting to know that even the professionals struggle at times.

Just about Coping is a memoir from NHS psychotherapist Dr Natalie Cawley who shares stories from her years in training.
As a trainee counsellor I am drawn to books in this genre so was excited to read this.
I felt that it started off well and I liked the mix of client case studies and the narrative from the author’s own life where she shares her own challenges.
However the client case studies were not particularly compelling as they were presented randomly with no timeline. This meant it was difficult to follow their stories and I did not get a deep understanding of the issues they were bringing.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I enjoy these kind of books, especially when they are about people rather than politics. Natalie's book was easy to read and read as genuine. Mainly because she was open about her own difficulties. I also liked the way the book read as slightly chaotic. Now while that might not have been the intention in my opinion it added to the reasons that I enjoyed it. A really good insight into the mental health system.

This was a very interesting and somewhat harrowing account of the life and times of a psychiatrist.
It was quite hard to read at times but I felt I must continue, as what an important thing to read about.
It seems like a very honest account, about such a Difficult subject.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a Psychotherapist myself, I was deeply moved by this book. Raw, honest and personal. The range of experience, vulnerability and emotion captured was very heartfelt. I'm sure many people will relate to this book and this story is a firm reminder that we are all human. Even Therapists have mental health difficulties throughout life and that is okay. I related alot to Natalie and her care and compassion for her clients. Beautifully written and inspiring. Thank you for the chance to read this before publication. I have recommended this book to both my clients and Therapist friends!

I got a review copy of this via NetGalley and I really enjoyed it. Dr Cawley has made herself quite vulnerable in the writing of it and it’s really refreshing. Life is definitely not easy. I got a lot of understanding from it especially around unstable personality disorder and insights into the NHS. I would recommend this.

I found this a fascinating book. Not always an easy read for we are looking into individuals psyche which includes the author herself.

Dr. Natalie Cawley takes us on a journey as she begins to do her doctorate in psychology. We see her clients through her eyes but even more we see the author herself show her vulnerabilites as she goes from one failed relationship to another.

The author is respectful of her clients whilst gently teaching the reader she is also not afraid to show the other side when we join her as she lies on her therapists couch.

The main thing is, as the author states, we are all just about coping even the psychologist herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Picador for the ARC.

This was an honest look at the world of therapy whilst everything Natalie was learning is framed around her own life. It was an extraordinary read and I have great admiration for those who work in the field.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc. This was an easy to read, insightful and illuminating book. Really recommend.

Natalie is a psychotherapist and this book covers her journey through therapy - as the person delivering the treatment and as the patient. It's written in the present tense and is so easy to read and get into that it feels almost novel like at points.
Real life patients stories are interwoven with Crawley's own life and experience but it never feels glorified nor dramatised - it's written empathetically. I enjoyed the insight into physiotherapy and if you like real-life stories, you'll enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan/ Picador and Dr Natalie Cawley for this ARC, an interesting and captivating read which made me feel all manner of emotions as I was reading it. Honest, frank and not scared to share some of the deepest thoughts and experiences that Natalie has, I was moved by this novel not only because of the honesty but because of the knowledge and peppering of experiences with clients and their range of issues and disorders. Informative and personal all at the same time. There were elements omitted due to legal I’m sure but the latter part felt rushed as a result. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Hilarious, brilliant, brutal and honest. Everything I hoped it would be! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Just About Coping is a timely memoir by Cawley and is about her psychotherapist training times. Although, this can be classified as a memoir, it is the collection of real-life stories of the patients she met during that training. Please note that the author has changed names, and combined some cases.

This is a great read. Cawley is surely good at her fields of expertise, and is a caring person.

While I enjoyed the richness of the stories, at times I wished the structure and the prose were a bit different, but this is mostly a matter of personal taste and I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in human pscyhe.

As someone going through some stuff at the moment not in relationship to this, but involving health I could definitely relate to these characters trying to cope with everyday life. I look forward to reading about each of their journeys and hopefully they are able to achieve inner peace with each of their issues.