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This Is Me, Is That You?: Encounters with Schizophrenia
A psychoanalyst's sensitive exploration of schizophrenia through the stories and words of three women patients
In the spring of 1994, psychoanalyst-in-training Steven Poser arrived for his clinical internship at one of the last remaining nineteenth-century mental hospitals in New England. Intending to observe and offer compassionate care to the most chronically ill patients, he ended up staying for two years, forming close therapeutic relationships with three female patients suffering from schizophrenia, "Agnes," "Mrs. Lutzky," and "Lucia."
Drawing from his clinical diary, Poser presents his encounters with the women in their own words, each speaking in a poetry of her own invention. Rather than treat the women as casualties of their illness or their words and actions as nonsensical, Poser sees his patients as dignified and struggling people—and not as markedly different from the rest of us as we might think. This is a deeply human book about the frailty and importance of human connection and the intangibly healing force of being heard.
In the spring of 1994, psychoanalyst-in-training Steven Poser arrived for his clinical internship at one of the last remaining nineteenth-century mental hospitals in New England. Intending to observe and offer compassionate care to the most chronically ill patients, he ended up staying for two years, forming close therapeutic relationships with three female patients suffering from schizophrenia, "Agnes," "Mrs. Lutzky," and "Lucia."
Drawing from his clinical diary, Poser presents his encounters with the women in their own words, each speaking in a poetry of her own invention. Rather than treat the women as casualties of their illness or their words and actions as nonsensical, Poser sees his patients as dignified and struggling people—and not as markedly different from the rest of us as we might think. This is a deeply human book about the frailty and importance of human connection and the intangibly healing force of being heard.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published April 22, 2025
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May 12, 2026I’m not sure how to rate this book.
There is definitely value in this in displaying the different presentations of schizophrenia and in humanising individuals living with schizophrenia. This was really useful to relating to my own workplace interactions. I’m aware that the author addresses his intention for the book in the prologue to portray the patients as unique individuals without interpretation, however, I feel like it was missing commentary/analysis/reflections from the author. This would have been really useful in reducing the repetition in this book, as well as creating more connection between the snapshots of conversations with the patients featured in this book. As there wasn’t commentary, it at times felt quite disjointed and unclear what the purpose of sharing each conversation was. I feel like if you’re sharing conversations with vulnerable people you need to be intentional about what you’re sharing and why, even if you anonymise them.
Speaking of, there were some interactions that I was quite surprised the author shared. I understand that culture and therapeutic best practice has very much changed since the 90s, but at points there were quite unprofessional comments from the author (e.g. story 24 for Ms. Lutzky). If you’re sharing this interaction then some commentary/reflection is needed to identify what you would do differently now, otherwise this feels like a bit of an endorsement of inappropriate professional practice.
Overall I do feel like the author achieved his aim to show the individual characteristics for each patient. I would be interested to know how the authors experience in his internship impacted his therapeutic practice going forward.
There is definitely value in this in displaying the different presentations of schizophrenia and in humanising individuals living with schizophrenia. This was really useful to relating to my own workplace interactions. I’m aware that the author addresses his intention for the book in the prologue to portray the patients as unique individuals without interpretation, however, I feel like it was missing commentary/analysis/reflections from the author. This would have been really useful in reducing the repetition in this book, as well as creating more connection between the snapshots of conversations with the patients featured in this book. As there wasn’t commentary, it at times felt quite disjointed and unclear what the purpose of sharing each conversation was. I feel like if you’re sharing conversations with vulnerable people you need to be intentional about what you’re sharing and why, even if you anonymise them.
Speaking of, there were some interactions that I was quite surprised the author shared. I understand that culture and therapeutic best practice has very much changed since the 90s, but at points there were quite unprofessional comments from the author (e.g. story 24 for Ms. Lutzky). If you’re sharing this interaction then some commentary/reflection is needed to identify what you would do differently now, otherwise this feels like a bit of an endorsement of inappropriate professional practice.
Overall I do feel like the author achieved his aim to show the individual characteristics for each patient. I would be interested to know how the authors experience in his internship impacted his therapeutic practice going forward.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review