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Stories of Change, Crisis and Hopeful Beginnings

This Too Shall Pass

'One of the most valuable books I've ever read' Adwoa Aboah 
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If change is the natural order of things, why do we struggle with the huge milestones in our lives? 
 
At a time when even the most certain things feel disrupted, acclaimed psychotherapist Julia Samuel provides an antidote to the chaos we are all feeling. In this Sunday Times bestseller, Julia draws on hours of conversations with her patients to show how we can learn to adapt and even thrive during our most difficult and transformative experiences. 
 
From a new mother struggling with the decision to return to work, to a father handling a serious medical diagnosis, from a woman deciding whether to leave her husband for a younger lover, to a man struggling to repair his marriage after the trauma of suffering with COVID-19 in the ICU, this book unflinchingly deals with the hard times in family, love, work, health and identity. 
 
Illuminated by the latest social and psychological research, these 19 powerful, unforgettable and deeply intimate stories about everyday people will inform our understanding of our own unique response to change and improve the way we approach challenges at every stage of life. 
______________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
'Examines the power that comes from dealing effectively with change' Elizabeth Day

Full of compassionate wisdom ... a rich, wise book

The case-studies here are presented so well that they often read like good fiction, but by an author who is endlessly patient with her characters ... There are all kinds of lessons to be learnt from this wise, kindly book ... Julia Samuel has a basic faith in human decency, and her optimism shines through every sentence

Julia Samuel's compassionate realism shines through every word of this wise, kind volume. It is emphatically not a 'self-help' book, but a beautifully written celebration of the strength of the human spirit ... Wisdom and experience alone would make this essential reading for us all - but, in addition, the extraordinary generosity of Julia's personality shines through every word, offering profound understanding and consolation ... It feels a privilege reading this wonderful book full of insight

In this moving and insightful book, Julia Samuel explores how we can navigate, adapt and ultimately become the people we'd hope to be but also to nurture ourselves and understand what makes us us (...) this is just the book we all need when times get tough - and even when they aren't ... [A] comfort read

A comforting and enlightening read ... If you're looking for comfort in the presence of wise and caring strangers, then this is the book for you

The psychotherapist author of the acclaimed Grief Works returns with a bracing, brilliant exploration of how we can adapt and thrive during our most difficult times (...) Samuel dispenses much wisdom and empathy about the hard times we experience (...) to help us better navigate the changes we will all face sooner or later

I loved This Too Shall Pass. So full of wisdom and light. I learnt a lot and also felt comforted and soothed. Julia really is a force for good in the world. I wish more people could experience the joy of being with her, and this book is a way that they can

Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love'

As you read this book, you absorb new and radical ways of thinking about yourself, family, and friends. It's compassionate and gentle yet is fiercely on the side of building sustainable and satisfying relations even when they have gone wrong. Read it.

Julia Samuel is the psychotherapist you wish you had on call and her books are the next best thing. The challenges we all face in life are unpicked, explained and made bearable in this thoughtful, illuminating book. A book for anyone experiencing the pain of change from divorce to debilitating illness. Julia Samuel's stories from the therapy room light the way for the rest of us'

An important book for our times. It is both wise and compassionate which will be helpful to many readers

I absolutely loved it. Clear, compassionate, occasionally very very funny but mostly heart wrenching

A profound exploration of resilience in modern life - a much-needed reminder that we yield power over our lives, even when it feels like we don't. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read and my respect for Julia Samuel and her work is immeasurable

Little bells of clarity and understanding chime throughout this book. At once intimate and universal, this is a lifesaver. Fascinating, rigorous and beautifully written, you can hear Julia's voice on every page

Relevant, wise and compassionate

Annabel Rivkin, author of 'I’m Absolutely Fine! A Manual for Imperfect Women'

This brilliant book does what no others do - it talks about the problems of everyday life, with grown-up children, complex families, the stresses of work, in a compassionate and truly insightful way. I would challenge anyone not to recognise themselves in at least one of the beautifully detailed case studies. It is a privilege to be able to listen in to a masterful therapist at work

The considerable force of this book lies in Julia's ability to listen completely. Being such an extraordinary listener she becomes an extraordinary storyteller

Wisdom and experience alone would make This Too Shall Pass essential reading for every single person - but, in addition, the extraordinary generosity of Julia's personality shines through every word, offering profound understanding and consolation

Moving and inspiring, Julia Samuel writes with the quiet clarity that comes with true wisdom. In her observations of the heart-breaking and life-affirming events that affect the lives of ordinary people, she has the ability to find the eye of the storm and to hold her clients in stillness there as they come to terms with the chaos of change. Reading This Too Shall Pass is illuminating and comforting. We all resist change, and Julia Samuel shows us how to find the courage to weather it and sail out into the calm beyond. She is honest, open and inspiring in her comments, like the best friend we all aspire to be. A life raft of a book, hold onto it and you will stay afloat through life's inevitable mishaps

A remarkable portrayal of how we need to understand ourselves to truly heal

Esther Perel, author of 'Mating in Captivity' and 'The State of Affairs'

In this Sunday Times bestseller, acclaimed psychotherapist Julia Samuel draws on hours of conversations with her patients to show how we can learn to adapt and even thrive as a result of our most difficult and traumatic experiences. 
 
From a woman returning and readjusting to work after maternity leave, to a single father handling a serious medical diagnosis, this book includes 21 powerful and deeply intimate stories about everyday people, which will enable us to embrace change and improve the way we approach challenges throughout our lives.

Stories of Life, Death and Surviving

Grief Works

*** Sunday Times Bestseller *** 
 
'Fascinating. A wise and compassionate book full of insight and understanding that would help anyone experiencing grief, or those surrounding them' Cathy Rentzenbrink 
 
'A wonderfully important and transforming book - lucid, consoling and wise' William Boyd 
 
____________________________________________________________________ 
 
Grief Works is a compassionate guide that will inform and engage anyone who is grieving, from the 'expected' death of a parent to the sudden unexpected death of a small child, and provide clear advice for those seeking to comfort the bereaved. 
 
Julia Samuel guides you gently through her eight practical pillars of strength - that include the power of saying 'no' to the structure and building of good new habits - to support you and help you to gradually rebuild your life in the face of grief: 
 
 With personal real-life stories of loss, and brilliantly accessible and practical advice, Grief Works will be passed down through generations as the definitive guide for anyone who has lost a loved one, and will revolutionise the way we talk about life, loss and death.

A profoundly moving book by an extraordinary storyteller - Julia Samuel describes her patients' stories of loss with great sensitivity and fascinating psychological insight. Essential for anyone who has ever experienced grief, or wanted to comfort a bereaved friend

Helen Fielding, bestselling author of 'Bridget Jones' Diary'

Fascinating. A wise and compassionate book full of insight and understanding that would help anyone experiencing grief, or those surrounding them. I am so glad this book exists.

What an amazing book! I absolutely LOVE it. Intelligent, empathetic, modest, funny, and learned - it's an amazing feat.

A wonderfully important and transforming book - lucid, consoling and wise.

William Boyd, bestselling author of 'Sweet Caress'

Julia Samuel's wise, compassionate voice speaks out on every page of this exceptionally moving book offering courage and hope: emotions that are sometimes inaudible and and unattainable to those who grieve. Her exceptional understanding of the way human beings think/love/mourn makes Grief Works an invaluable guide to understanding the complex emotions around death. Through the inspirational stories of those many people she has helped, both the dying and the surviving, Julia Samuel dissipates fear and demonstrates the extraordinary resilience of humankind.

Juliet Nicolson, author of 'A House Full of Daughters'

The stories of [Julia's] clients are set out with such eloquence, sensitivity and insight and I learned something from each one of them. I liked her honesty about how difficult it can be for a therapist to find a way into communication with someone who is in the throes of grief, and how much the therapist can doubt herself.  And the way she teases out the slow, arduous process of recovery is truly heartening.  I don't often read a book which offers such direct and generous support.

The book will allow us to stop feeling awkward and uncertain about death - and why we should talk honestly about grief

A moving guide to dealing with grief - a rigorous, researched but above all readable study of how to deal with death, dying and grieving. The book is self-help at its most philosophical, practical and profound... Anyone who has every struggled with the obscure, muddled, vulnerable, uncertain, fearful, elemental process of bereavement, or facing their own mortality, should find this book of help

This invaluable guide gets to the heart of grief, showing how a simple act like making a meal for someone who is bereaved, or sending a card with memories of the deceased, can make all the difference

Psychotherapist Julia Samuel's case studies provide vital and compelling insights into bereavement (...) fascinating and affecting

If a single book could help you to be kinder and more compassionate, could expand and deepen your understanding of other people (and possibly yourself) and make you less afraid of dying in the process, you would surely be eager to acquire it at once. Well look no further, for Grief Works is that book

Samuel turns out to be a remarkable writer (...) what is impressive is that such harrowing material should result in such a readable book

A brilliantly insightful look at the complexities of bereavement

Death is the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. So many of us feel awkward and uncertain around death, and shy away from talking honestly with family and friends. Grief Works is a compassionate guide that will inform and engage anyone who is grieving, from the 'expected' death of a parent to the sudden unexpected death of a small child, and provide clear advice for those seeking to comfort the bereaved. 
 
With deeply moving case studies of real people's stories of loss, and brilliantly accessible and practical advice, Grief Works will be passed down through generations as the definitive guide for anyone who has lost a loved one, and revolutionize the way we talk about life, loss and death.

Julia Samuel

Engaging, informative and very well written

Engrossing, generous . . . excellent advice worth a whole shelf of textbooks

I am a huge admirer of Julia's work

A profoundly important and compassionate book for understanding family relationships much better. Highly recommended

How to Grow and Move Forward Together

In her bestselling follow-up to Grief Works and This Too Shall Pass, much-loved psychotherapist Julia Samuel invites us into her sessions as she explores the relationships that have the power to touch us and hurt us most: those with our family. 
 
Through eight beautifully told case studies, covering a variety of families across multiple generations, she analyses common issues from losing a parent to children leaving home, and from separation to step-relationships. In doing so she shows how much is, in fact, inherited -- and how much can be healed when it is faced together. 
 
Every Family Has A Story provides the tools that will help with this work of improving our relationships. Its twelve touchstones for family well-being show how to communicate effectively, set boundaries, fight productively and allow change. 
 
This is a wise and insightful exploration of modern life that will help us create the families we wish for.

Julia Samuel

Praise for Every Family Has A Story

Engaging, informative and very well written

Full of nuggets of wisdom

Engrossing, generous . . . excellent advice worth a whole shelf of textbooks

Engaging, informative and very well written

Full of nuggets of wisdom

Engrossing, generous . . . excellent advice worth a whole shelf of textbooks

Engaging, informative and very well written

Full of nuggets of wisdom

Engrossing, generous . . . excellent advice worth a whole shelf of textbooks

Books by Julia Samuel

Articles featuring Julia Samuel

Books to read if you’re going through a break-up

Books to read if you’re considering psychotherapy

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