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Can I Say That?: Why Free Speech Matters and How to Use It Fearlessly
Speak freely—it's good for you!
If you’re like 84% of Americans, you think self-censorship and cancel culture are serious issues. You may feel like you’re not free to speak your mind, or you worry that you’ll be alienated for expressing your opinions. This can lead to self-censorship and feeling like people don't know the authentic, real you.
In Can I Say That?, Dr. Chloe Carmichael, USA Today bestselling author of Nervous Energy, explains why and how to escape this cycle of anxiety and avoidance and start embracing our diversity of viewpoints. She unpacks the science behind open dialogue and why it’s essential to the cognitive and emotional processes that create wellness. Dr. Chloe also offers simple, conversational techniques to help you express yourself freely, listen resiliently, and navigate socially or emotionally charged conversations authentically with quiet confidence.
We can talk to each other again and not tiptoe around tough topics. We can reconnect with family, friends and neighbors to enjoy respectful, meaningful conversations. We can disagree safely and productively—our mental health, social relationships, and even our democracy depend upon it.
Learn how to regain your freedom of speech and expression in Can I Say That?
If you’re like 84% of Americans, you think self-censorship and cancel culture are serious issues. You may feel like you’re not free to speak your mind, or you worry that you’ll be alienated for expressing your opinions. This can lead to self-censorship and feeling like people don't know the authentic, real you.
In Can I Say That?, Dr. Chloe Carmichael, USA Today bestselling author of Nervous Energy, explains why and how to escape this cycle of anxiety and avoidance and start embracing our diversity of viewpoints. She unpacks the science behind open dialogue and why it’s essential to the cognitive and emotional processes that create wellness. Dr. Chloe also offers simple, conversational techniques to help you express yourself freely, listen resiliently, and navigate socially or emotionally charged conversations authentically with quiet confidence.
We can talk to each other again and not tiptoe around tough topics. We can reconnect with family, friends and neighbors to enjoy respectful, meaningful conversations. We can disagree safely and productively—our mental health, social relationships, and even our democracy depend upon it.
Learn how to regain your freedom of speech and expression in Can I Say That?
240 pages, Hardcover
Published November 4, 2025
3 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 1, 2026
I could not finish this book. I wish I could give it a negative rating.
To me the book reads more like an insidious attempt to defend a particular worldview rather than an even-handed examination of why free speech matters. The way it frames issues like cancel culture and self-censorship seems to align with certain political narratives that are more common in conservative commentary circles, and a page out of Project 2025 playbook…it left me wondering whether it was promoting an agenda rather than exploring a concept with fairness and non partisanship as it weakly defends. Its references sited were weak and were then umbrellaed with her broad stroke opinions.
Example “just to address the elephant in the room: You might notice that the examples above, whether about conservative voices being silenced in academia or through political violence or other related issues, mostly involve left- wing, progressive or liberal academics and activists using hard or soft power, discrimination, violence or other forms of intimidation to interfere with the speech of people or groups that are affiliated with more conservative positions. This is not to suggest that these ta tics are wrong only when used by the Left. The reason this selection of events is skewed to the left is because in our current landscape, this type of activity simply seems to be occurring more frequently within the Left, and I was unable to locate a significant pattern of contemporary attempts by individuals on the Right to suppress the speech of those on the Left.”
Critics outside my own perspective have noticed similar things. A Publishers Weekly review described the book as a “slanted polemic” and pointed out that while Dr. Carmichael makes interesting points about honest communication, many of the examples of censorship she cites come only from one side of the political spectrum, which weakens her argument and limits the reach of her ideas. 
There is no excuse for this - The publishing of this book was 2025. I find it egregiously irresponsible to say there are no examples of the Right suppressing the voice of the Left… look no further… a few off the top from just 2024:
* book bans by conservatives
* removing women and gender studies programs from universities
* gerrymandering the voting locations and districts
* and today we see the Trump administration arresting oppositional opponents, journalists and protesters as terrorists.
Don’t waste your time.
To me the book reads more like an insidious attempt to defend a particular worldview rather than an even-handed examination of why free speech matters. The way it frames issues like cancel culture and self-censorship seems to align with certain political narratives that are more common in conservative commentary circles, and a page out of Project 2025 playbook…it left me wondering whether it was promoting an agenda rather than exploring a concept with fairness and non partisanship as it weakly defends. Its references sited were weak and were then umbrellaed with her broad stroke opinions.
Example “just to address the elephant in the room: You might notice that the examples above, whether about conservative voices being silenced in academia or through political violence or other related issues, mostly involve left- wing, progressive or liberal academics and activists using hard or soft power, discrimination, violence or other forms of intimidation to interfere with the speech of people or groups that are affiliated with more conservative positions. This is not to suggest that these ta tics are wrong only when used by the Left. The reason this selection of events is skewed to the left is because in our current landscape, this type of activity simply seems to be occurring more frequently within the Left, and I was unable to locate a significant pattern of contemporary attempts by individuals on the Right to suppress the speech of those on the Left.”
Critics outside my own perspective have noticed similar things. A Publishers Weekly review described the book as a “slanted polemic” and pointed out that while Dr. Carmichael makes interesting points about honest communication, many of the examples of censorship she cites come only from one side of the political spectrum, which weakens her argument and limits the reach of her ideas. 
There is no excuse for this - The publishing of this book was 2025. I find it egregiously irresponsible to say there are no examples of the Right suppressing the voice of the Left… look no further… a few off the top from just 2024:
* book bans by conservatives
* removing women and gender studies programs from universities
* gerrymandering the voting locations and districts
* and today we see the Trump administration arresting oppositional opponents, journalists and protesters as terrorists.
Don’t waste your time.
November 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A must-read for anyone who values honesty and emotional intelligence.
I couldn’t put this book down. Dr. Chloe Carmichael brings her background as a clinical psychologist to one of the most important topics of our time—free speech—and reframes it through the lens of mental health. Instead of turning the conversation political, she shows how speaking freely (and listening openly) builds confidence, resilience, and real connection.
What I loved most is that this book isn’t just theory—it’s practical. Dr. Chloe gives tools and real-life examples that help you navigate sensitive conversations at work, at home, and online without losing your composure or your voice. It’s empowering, compassionate, and surprisingly hopeful.
If you’ve ever felt anxious about “saying the wrong thing,” Can I Say That? will help you find the courage—and the calm—to speak up with confidence and kindness.
I couldn’t put this book down. Dr. Chloe Carmichael brings her background as a clinical psychologist to one of the most important topics of our time—free speech—and reframes it through the lens of mental health. Instead of turning the conversation political, she shows how speaking freely (and listening openly) builds confidence, resilience, and real connection.
What I loved most is that this book isn’t just theory—it’s practical. Dr. Chloe gives tools and real-life examples that help you navigate sensitive conversations at work, at home, and online without losing your composure or your voice. It’s empowering, compassionate, and surprisingly hopeful.
If you’ve ever felt anxious about “saying the wrong thing,” Can I Say That? will help you find the courage—and the calm—to speak up with confidence and kindness.
March 26, 2026
I haven’t read her book, but listening to her unceremoniously market her book on the Brain in a Vat podcast episode I thought I would exercise my incredible listening skills and right to free speech in this review. I noticed several assumptions in her argument that I disagree with.
She treats free speech as if everyone has the same emotional resources and access to support, but in reality students (for example) differ widely in their mental capacity and many lack access to therapy, so tools like trigger warnings can help people decide when they’re prepared to engage. Assuming emotional distress should always be handled outside the classroom, ignores the reality that many people lack equal access to therapy and other supports. I think nearly everyone has been in a situation where they don’t feel like discussing a topic that connects with a lived trauma they experienced. Having free speech means we can choose when we want to say something or not. You can’t force individuals to talk to gain mental clarity either as she likes to imply. People will talk or not, in their own time.
She also assumes a kind of symmetry—between speakers and even between genders—that ignores historical and structural inequalities. We don’t live in a vacuum—and free speech doesn’t either.
Finally, her emphasis on “seeking the truth” seems to overlook the fact that dialogue often reveals a plurality of perspectives rather than producing one universal truth.
She treats free speech as if everyone has the same emotional resources and access to support, but in reality students (for example) differ widely in their mental capacity and many lack access to therapy, so tools like trigger warnings can help people decide when they’re prepared to engage. Assuming emotional distress should always be handled outside the classroom, ignores the reality that many people lack equal access to therapy and other supports. I think nearly everyone has been in a situation where they don’t feel like discussing a topic that connects with a lived trauma they experienced. Having free speech means we can choose when we want to say something or not. You can’t force individuals to talk to gain mental clarity either as she likes to imply. People will talk or not, in their own time.
She also assumes a kind of symmetry—between speakers and even between genders—that ignores historical and structural inequalities. We don’t live in a vacuum—and free speech doesn’t either.
Finally, her emphasis on “seeking the truth” seems to overlook the fact that dialogue often reveals a plurality of perspectives rather than producing one universal truth.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews