Good Morning, Monster by Dr. Catherine Gildiner

First things first: Paige and I finally agree! It seems like we both cherished our time with this book, equal parts fascinated and aghast—wholeheartedly invested in the outcomes of each character. 

Catch up on Paige’s review here.

From the first few paragraphs, Dr. Catherine Gildiner had both my attention and my respect. She writes with humility—never condescending, never above anyone or anything, learning alongside us. 

Taking her time through 368 pages, Catherine describes her hours with five very different patients, sparing only the darkest details in order to protect both reader and patient from the most difficult events to comprehend (or re-live). 

Dr. Gildiner makes it a point to refer to each patient as a hero, and it seems they were each awarded that accolade not only for their strength and tenacity, but also because they each taught her something—they made her better, on and off the clock. She describes in detail every mistake she made, facing her shortcomings head-on and making sure to have learned from each instance. 

Catherine’s tone was descriptive & informative, tender, empathetic, and insightful. 

A psych minor, I’ve always found remarkable interest in the human experience, particularly through the lens of how the brain works. It was a (sometimes hard-to-swallow) treat to follow along with the inner workings of the ways the subconscious protects, fights, and holds on for dear life. Early on, Dr. Gildiner describes trying to apply the fundamental rules of the human psyche (i.e. what she learned in school), which was her first mistake with her very first patient. She learned to pivot and customize her advice and treatment plans based on each human being who sat before her. She spent time researching the cultural roots of her patients, taking an extremely thoughtful and well-rounded approach to their healing.

It struck me with every chapter that if there were more people like Dr. Catherine Gildiner, there’d be a lot less hurt in this world.

I want everyone to read this book.