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Tell Me About It: Memoir of a Psychotherapist
When Pinny started work as a psychotherapist, little did she imagine the shocking stories her clients would share. Why would a sweet grandmother bash in her husband’s head with a baseball bat for playing with the cat? What made a prize-winning author run naked down Main Street? Why did a quiet and devout young man blow up a clinic, killing four people? As Pinny shares the often-tragic backgrounds of her clients, Tell Me About It reveals her empathy for those who live with the pain and challenges of mental illness and provides a deep understanding of why people do what they do.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2018
367 people are currently reading
1612 people want to read
About the author
Pinny Brakeley Bugaeff
1 book3 followersPinny Brakeley Bugaeff, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and spent over 40 years working as a psychotherapist in some of the most daunting psychiatric and out-patient facilities in the US. In 2013, she won the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Writing Contest with a story based on her experiences working with female offenders. Now retired, she lives in Connecticut with Alex, her husband of 55 years. They have two grown-up children. Pinny and Alex are both writers who enjoy traveling and spending time with their family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 17, 2023
I feel like I was deceived by all the good reviews for this one. It may partially be because I read it immediately after “Good Morning, Monster,” which was far superior in basically every way, but this was not enjoyable. I think the two main reasons are that the individual anecdotes are too short/lack substance and the author is not as likable.
This feels like a Psychotherapist taking experiences that were memorable for her and condensing them into brief stories, like you would tell a coworker at the end of the day. With the exception of maybe one patient, whose tale was tragic and absolutely life-changing for everyone involved, most of these read like someone pulling you aside and saying, “OMG, you won’t believe what happened to me today!” Maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but that last book I read mostly handled the patients with respect and gave each case the attention it deserved, while this one did not by comparison.
The chapter about how the author met her husband, for example, is frankly obnoxious. It reads like a perfect fairytale and sounds like nothing but embellished bragging. Then she proceeds to tell slice of life snippets from her career about working with people from low-income areas, juvenile facilities and drug programs and she talks about them like they’re beneath her, making snide remarks about their intelligence, their life choices and their appearance.
An actual quote from this licensed Psychotherapist about one of her patients: “I guessed he might be slow.” (She goes on to repeat this sentiment a total of four more times in the book, about three different individuals!) I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe she didn’t realize how awkward this sounds, but oof.
Another actual line, from when she first met a new group of ladies that she would be working with: “The scar at her hairline slashed diagonally across her face, leaving a visage Picasso would have loved.” Honestly, if mental health professionals are making fun of the way we look then maybe it’s for the best that I’ve never managed to find “the right fit” when it comes to a therapist. I’ll spare you the part where she practically makes fun of the way a black woman talks! It was UPSETTING.
9 times out of 10 in these anecdotes she passes people along to a more qualified colleague and/or we don’t hear about any sort of conclusion to the story involving her actually helping the person with their problem. She’s snobby, judgmental and strangely rude for a Psychotherapist. It seems as if she keeps most of this to herself when interacting with the patients, but I as the reader was not there to experience any of this so who knows. I can only judge by how the memoir was written and I’m glad to be done with it. Even on Kindle Unlimited I wouldn’t recommend it, personally.
This feels like a Psychotherapist taking experiences that were memorable for her and condensing them into brief stories, like you would tell a coworker at the end of the day. With the exception of maybe one patient, whose tale was tragic and absolutely life-changing for everyone involved, most of these read like someone pulling you aside and saying, “OMG, you won’t believe what happened to me today!” Maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but that last book I read mostly handled the patients with respect and gave each case the attention it deserved, while this one did not by comparison.
The chapter about how the author met her husband, for example, is frankly obnoxious. It reads like a perfect fairytale and sounds like nothing but embellished bragging. Then she proceeds to tell slice of life snippets from her career about working with people from low-income areas, juvenile facilities and drug programs and she talks about them like they’re beneath her, making snide remarks about their intelligence, their life choices and their appearance.
An actual quote from this licensed Psychotherapist about one of her patients: “I guessed he might be slow.” (She goes on to repeat this sentiment a total of four more times in the book, about three different individuals!) I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe she didn’t realize how awkward this sounds, but oof.
Another actual line, from when she first met a new group of ladies that she would be working with: “The scar at her hairline slashed diagonally across her face, leaving a visage Picasso would have loved.” Honestly, if mental health professionals are making fun of the way we look then maybe it’s for the best that I’ve never managed to find “the right fit” when it comes to a therapist. I’ll spare you the part where she practically makes fun of the way a black woman talks! It was UPSETTING.
9 times out of 10 in these anecdotes she passes people along to a more qualified colleague and/or we don’t hear about any sort of conclusion to the story involving her actually helping the person with their problem. She’s snobby, judgmental and strangely rude for a Psychotherapist. It seems as if she keeps most of this to herself when interacting with the patients, but I as the reader was not there to experience any of this so who knows. I can only judge by how the memoir was written and I’m glad to be done with it. Even on Kindle Unlimited I wouldn’t recommend it, personally.
May 31, 2023
Goooosh. I love reading about people’s lives. A short but good one!
October 9, 2024
⭐⭐⭐ 3
As a beginning therapist I felt that these stories from Pinny are very appealing for educational purposes. The reader can vividly see the emotional connection that Pinny has formed with her clients and her relationships with them are so intentional yet professional. It is a lovely example of some values and morals that therapists should strive to hold. My primary reason for deducting some stars is due to it not being as educational and more of a review of some of her moments with individuals and within her own life. Though this is very reflective and allows for some considerations of the therapists, it lacks a more informative take for individuals who are seeking something more in-depth.
The memoir is a must read if you're searching for something heartfelt and that sheds light on the many positive aspects within a therapist's life, but if you're looking for something that provides a more informative take on the behind the scenes of a therapist, I would look elsewhere.
As a beginning therapist I felt that these stories from Pinny are very appealing for educational purposes. The reader can vividly see the emotional connection that Pinny has formed with her clients and her relationships with them are so intentional yet professional. It is a lovely example of some values and morals that therapists should strive to hold. My primary reason for deducting some stars is due to it not being as educational and more of a review of some of her moments with individuals and within her own life. Though this is very reflective and allows for some considerations of the therapists, it lacks a more informative take for individuals who are seeking something more in-depth.
The memoir is a must read if you're searching for something heartfelt and that sheds light on the many positive aspects within a therapist's life, but if you're looking for something that provides a more informative take on the behind the scenes of a therapist, I would look elsewhere.
December 22, 2018
A very compelling read
This memoir is so thought provoking and at times, quite distressing. The writer alludes to her career as a psychotherapist with a gentle sense of humour and such a brilliant understanding of human behavior. It was very well written, and a very compelling read.
This memoir is so thought provoking and at times, quite distressing. The writer alludes to her career as a psychotherapist with a gentle sense of humour and such a brilliant understanding of human behavior. It was very well written, and a very compelling read.
August 3, 2023
This book was extremely misleading.. I started the book and the first couple of chapters were so good and kept me interested. They were about murder and people with mental disorders. A total 5/5 book, but after those couple of chapters it was boring. I mean how can a guy who wants a gf but farts a lot be interesting? it can’t. 2/5 stars for sure.
February 28, 2023
This is the first therapy memoir that I’ve read and I did enjoy it. The stories she had were very interesting and informative. I wouldn’t mind reading more books like this one.
January 15, 2024
I wish the patient stories were a little more in depth
May 24, 2023
I just love a memoir. This book was full of memories that fueled my respect for every person working in social work. Give her a read.
February 5, 2024
I love these kinds of memoirs.
September 15, 2023
4.4 - I genuinely enjoyed reading this memoir so much. It made me feel inspired about my future!
December 31, 2022
I just love a good therapist memoir! Read this one in two days (thanks to Christmas break and grandparents 😉)-was sad when it was over!
May 30, 2018
Heartwarming and heartbreaking
Pinny is a retired clinical therapist who shows us into the world of therapy. She tells us individual events with her clients and follows those events with a follow-up. Each client touched my heart and soul. Some were blessed with happy endings, some were not as fortunate. I love how she manages to include us, her readers, on her personal journey and that of her clients. She offers insight to various human sufferings and there is someone in her memoir that will work their way into your heart. This is an excellent memoir that is far different from my usual reading. I thank the Facebook group, We Love Memoirs, for opening my world.
Pinny is a retired clinical therapist who shows us into the world of therapy. She tells us individual events with her clients and follows those events with a follow-up. Each client touched my heart and soul. Some were blessed with happy endings, some were not as fortunate. I love how she manages to include us, her readers, on her personal journey and that of her clients. She offers insight to various human sufferings and there is someone in her memoir that will work their way into your heart. This is an excellent memoir that is far different from my usual reading. I thank the Facebook group, We Love Memoirs, for opening my world.
April 12, 2023
Overall a very enjoyable read! I couldn’t put it down at many points! However, I often found myself wanting more of the story than provided
February 27, 2026
Oof. This was a rough one. I did a free trial of Kindle Unlimited, and this book showed up as a recommended book for readers of "Good Morning, Monster." I absolutely loved Good morning, monster (GMM), so I figured I'd give this one a try.
It was just not "it." Not sure if my thoughts would've been influenced another way had I maybe not gone in with the expectation of it being comparable to GMM.
The writing is simple and surface level. The author is in her retired years looking back on her life as a mom and then in her career as a therapist. You can most definitely tell she is from an older generation by the outdated and politically incorrect language she uses. She starts using this language a lot more towards the end of the book, which had I came across it earlier on I probably would've stopped reading right then. As you get towards the end of the book, it starts reading almost as if you're sitting at a holiday dinner with that inappropriate older relative that you know you'll never be able to change their mind or language and you're stuck listening to the stories they repeat over and over again. For example, while she even acknowledges herself that there was an organization founded in the 50s called "The ARC," and that in the original acronym the letter "R" stood for "retarded" and that it's no longer deemed appropriate to say, she goes on to use the R-word without a disclaimer later in the text to describe a patient, and then she references different patients being "slow," as an alternative phrase, several times. She then goes on to describe the facial and physical features of a patient's baby who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in such a derogatory way that it just really turned me off to the author and her writing in general. For lack of a better way to say it, I started getting "the ick" (as Gen Z might say).
I haven't put any effort into verifying this, but the book read as if the author on her own accord felt she had a story to tell, she wrote it all out on paper without any sort of (reputable) guidance, and then she published it by some independent route that didn't require any vetting of the material.
It was just not "it." Not sure if my thoughts would've been influenced another way had I maybe not gone in with the expectation of it being comparable to GMM.
The writing is simple and surface level. The author is in her retired years looking back on her life as a mom and then in her career as a therapist. You can most definitely tell she is from an older generation by the outdated and politically incorrect language she uses. She starts using this language a lot more towards the end of the book, which had I came across it earlier on I probably would've stopped reading right then. As you get towards the end of the book, it starts reading almost as if you're sitting at a holiday dinner with that inappropriate older relative that you know you'll never be able to change their mind or language and you're stuck listening to the stories they repeat over and over again. For example, while she even acknowledges herself that there was an organization founded in the 50s called "The ARC," and that in the original acronym the letter "R" stood for "retarded" and that it's no longer deemed appropriate to say, she goes on to use the R-word without a disclaimer later in the text to describe a patient, and then she references different patients being "slow," as an alternative phrase, several times. She then goes on to describe the facial and physical features of a patient's baby who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in such a derogatory way that it just really turned me off to the author and her writing in general. For lack of a better way to say it, I started getting "the ick" (as Gen Z might say).
I haven't put any effort into verifying this, but the book read as if the author on her own accord felt she had a story to tell, she wrote it all out on paper without any sort of (reputable) guidance, and then she published it by some independent route that didn't require any vetting of the material.
September 25, 2018
For those who have never needed the services of a psychotherapist – and even for those who have – this is an engaging and revealing book guaranteed to delight and anger you by turns. With wisdom, humour and a lifetime of professional experience, licensed clinical social worker Pinny Brakeley Bugaeff, exposes the most heart-wrenching life-problems faced by some of her clients and her capable efforts to address them. Pinny possesses an outstanding talent to find the hilarious in the tragic, the grace in the ugliness and the promise in the most distressing. She knows that faith as much as the justice system is what keeps evil at bay, and in her work over the years she has looked evil in the eye. But this is in no way a bleak book nor is its author grim. How could it be when one of the accomplishments she can boast of has been to guarantee that one of her most troubled clients -- and a clam-fisherman to boot -- will not, after all, shove a stick of dynamite up “the government’s” ass! A truly captivating memoir.Tell Me About It: Memoir of a PsychotherapistTell Me About It: Memoir of a Psychotherapist
June 13, 2025
This fascinating memoir gives an inside look at the workings of the human mind through case histories of a psychotherapist. It reminded me strongly of neurologist Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, but with much more soul.
Pinny grew up with a dysfunctional family: her father was an alcoholic; her mother had a mood disorder; the author herself suffered childhood trauma at the hands of a stranger – so it’s probably not surprising that she went into psychotherapy as a career. Tell Me About It documents this career. There are sad, funny, heartwarming, and downright strange stories and these case histories are intermingled with the author’s own story which brings the book together as something special and ties it all up in a perfect red ribbon.
Pinny talks with sensitivity about the patients she has helped treat and comes across as surprisingly self-effacing; she says at one point, ‘the rare sense that, just maybe, I made a difference–at least to one kid’. I feel Pinny has made a difference to many people through her long and varied career.
Pinny grew up with a dysfunctional family: her father was an alcoholic; her mother had a mood disorder; the author herself suffered childhood trauma at the hands of a stranger – so it’s probably not surprising that she went into psychotherapy as a career. Tell Me About It documents this career. There are sad, funny, heartwarming, and downright strange stories and these case histories are intermingled with the author’s own story which brings the book together as something special and ties it all up in a perfect red ribbon.
Pinny talks with sensitivity about the patients she has helped treat and comes across as surprisingly self-effacing; she says at one point, ‘the rare sense that, just maybe, I made a difference–at least to one kid’. I feel Pinny has made a difference to many people through her long and varied career.
January 29, 2023
Great Read
I am a social work major who holds two degrees and several certifications. Helping others navigate through their life issues has long been a passion of mine. Thus, when I saw this book I knew I had to order it. I am not disappointed!
I enjoyed reading the true stories (with client confidentiality carefully and ethically preserved) the author, a psychotherapist encountered in her day to day practice. I found it interesting also to see how the therapist handled certain situations as I considered how I might have approached the situation. I felt her to be a dedicated, caring therapist with great clinical skills and instincts.
I also feel she is an engaging and solid writer! This book flowed easily and captured my attention. I was sorry to see it end!
I am a social work major who holds two degrees and several certifications. Helping others navigate through their life issues has long been a passion of mine. Thus, when I saw this book I knew I had to order it. I am not disappointed!
I enjoyed reading the true stories (with client confidentiality carefully and ethically preserved) the author, a psychotherapist encountered in her day to day practice. I found it interesting also to see how the therapist handled certain situations as I considered how I might have approached the situation. I felt her to be a dedicated, caring therapist with great clinical skills and instincts.
I also feel she is an engaging and solid writer! This book flowed easily and captured my attention. I was sorry to see it end!
June 26, 2024
“...if people ever knew who walks among us freely, they’d never leave their homes.”
I liked the shorter stories. Most had just enough detail that I was not left desperate to know more, but I think I still would have liked to know more. I was not expecting so much praying to God, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the description or the reviews I skimmed. So when it came up initially I was like ok, then it came up again, and again. It's fine, but not what I was expecting in a book about therapizing. It wasn't preachy, just, unexpected. I did find it interesting that the author lets us know eventually that she doesn't subscribe to a formal religion, but is a true believer in a higher power and believes that in time, all her prayers will be answered. Interesting.
I liked the shorter stories. Most had just enough detail that I was not left desperate to know more, but I think I still would have liked to know more. I was not expecting so much praying to God, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the description or the reviews I skimmed. So when it came up initially I was like ok, then it came up again, and again. It's fine, but not what I was expecting in a book about therapizing. It wasn't preachy, just, unexpected. I did find it interesting that the author lets us know eventually that she doesn't subscribe to a formal religion, but is a true believer in a higher power and believes that in time, all her prayers will be answered. Interesting.
April 20, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this interesting memoir. I found it to be engaging and well-written, and it also had just the right mix of personal circumstances in the mix of the stories relating to the author's clients/patients. I loved how Pinny is such an instinctive therapist and isn't afraid to use some unorthodox methods to reach her patients in their isolation and sadness. Having suffered trauma herself, she's walked the walk, and because of that, her empathy and insights are on another level. She also has an awareness of danger concerning certain clients, and her safeguarding skills are tip-top. She relays some very interesting cases that she's dealt with over the years, and gives the reader a fascinating insight into her work as a psychotherapist and social worker.
May 4, 2025
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. Many of the memoirs I read are travel based, and humorous, so this would be out of my comfort zone. However, I loved it. Short stories dealing with one patient at a time, and talking through their difficulties, and how she worked with them, were fascinating. And I loved that she tied up the endings, so you weren't left wondering "what happened next?" Dealing with people suffering from mental illness isn't an easy job, and Pinny was honest about some of the problems she encountered on a personal level. This is a well-written, easy to read book, and although some of the stories have darker themes, it's an enjoyable read, that I would definitely recommend.
January 15, 2023
Well.. Here I am, finally finishing my very first read of the year. I've been reading this book for a while now.
I'm going to write a brief review as what I felt during the reading, I felt a lot of things but mostly confussion. As I was reading the book, I kept thinking a lot as to why the writer didn't tell the story to the fullest. I can totally understand about the ethic etc. But overall, I really like the book. It gave me a new insight to a profession that I've been curious about.
Thank you for writing the book.
I'm going to write a brief review as what I felt during the reading, I felt a lot of things but mostly confussion. As I was reading the book, I kept thinking a lot as to why the writer didn't tell the story to the fullest. I can totally understand about the ethic etc. But overall, I really like the book. It gave me a new insight to a profession that I've been curious about.
Thank you for writing the book.
November 29, 2023
I had quite a few big issues with this book. While the author was practicing in the 80-90s, and different terms and practices were more acceptable then, I still found quite a few excerpts in the book to be not okay for a book that was published in 2018. (For example, the author calls multiple clients “a little slow” on multiple occasions.) I also think there were a few situations in the book that were not handled correctly at all, and that rubbed me the wrong way. Besides those issues, I also just felt like there wasn’t a lot of substance to this book and it could have been fleshed out more.
January 14, 2024
4.5 stars. Really enjoyable, moving, quick read especially for fans of "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone."
It's different in the way that it tells more stories in shorter bites, so a broad look at psychotherapy rather than a deep dive.
Pinny had a wide range of experiences from working in prison environments, to assessing foster parents, to clinical and hospital work which is really interesting.
It's different in the way that it tells more stories in shorter bites, so a broad look at psychotherapy rather than a deep dive.
Pinny had a wide range of experiences from working in prison environments, to assessing foster parents, to clinical and hospital work which is really interesting.
May 7, 2024
Just… meh. As a therapist, I enjoyed her perspective of her vast clientele. However, I was looking for techniques and skills I could use with my own clients and was let down. I also wanted to make it known that the rating is specifically for the author’s writing and not the personal stories of the clients that were written about. It takes courage and vulnerability to open up and agree for your life experiences to be written for the world to read.
November 16, 2025
Therapists...
When you're having a little pity party read a book written by a therapist. You'll quickly see that there are millions of people who have had awful things happen to them in life. It might put your struggles in perspective.
We all have struggles, and we need to be aware that struggling people just want understanding, compassion and empathy. They don't want you to save them. They just want you to listen, and to care.
When you're having a little pity party read a book written by a therapist. You'll quickly see that there are millions of people who have had awful things happen to them in life. It might put your struggles in perspective.
We all have struggles, and we need to be aware that struggling people just want understanding, compassion and empathy. They don't want you to save them. They just want you to listen, and to care.
August 25, 2018
Tell Me About It: Memoir of a Psychotherapist is a delightful read, simultaneously poignant and hilarious. Pinny Brakeley Bugaeff has woven a touching and insightful memoir that will no doubt resonate with the eager idealist in each of us while evoking bursts of laughter at the most unexpected moments. Read this book!
October 23, 2018
I was enlightened by this memoir. Pinny tells it like it is (or was). I liked how she had sympathy as well as empathy for her clients. Each chapter was about one case and I liked Pinney enough to want to read another chapter and another! Memoirs are fast becoming my favorite genre. Even without pets I enjoyed this!
February 16, 2023
👏
Not exactly sure what I assumed this story would be about, but I must say that Ms. Bugaeff to all of my presumptions and threw them out the window for something far more grand. This story was fabulous, with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued until the very end! 💕
Not exactly sure what I assumed this story would be about, but I must say that Ms. Bugaeff to all of my presumptions and threw them out the window for something far more grand. This story was fabulous, with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued until the very end! 💕
September 16, 2023
positive from pain
This counselor took the negative from childhood to a positive in life. She also showed her path allowing to help others and if she couldn’t she found someone who could. She also showed me that there is a balance between life and work. Bless you for the positive and showing me I can do this too!
This counselor took the negative from childhood to a positive in life. She also showed her path allowing to help others and if she couldn’t she found someone who could. She also showed me that there is a balance between life and work. Bless you for the positive and showing me I can do this too!
October 28, 2023
Such an easy read & so interesting. Just wish the stories had more depth to them because most of them were pretty rushed. Kind of feel like the practices/narrative is a bit outdated when author reflects.. which is understandable given her age and the story’s timeline, but I think I’d prefer something more currently relevant
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews