Cutting it Out: A Journey through Psychotherapy and Self-Harm

by Carolyn Smith

Cutting it Out is a largely autobiographical account of a young woman's battle with self-harm. Carolyn's story documents her own challenging journey, offering unique insights into her feelings about self-harming and also her attitudes towards the therapy sessions commonly employed to help people who self-harm. It explores the complex nature of her relationship with the therapist, her initial resistance to recovery and her eventual progression towards self-knowledge and taking responsibility for her own actions. The first-person narrative offers a vividly honest voice to the feelings and compulsions that drive someone to harm themselves and explores the conflict between the desire to self-harm and the struggle to control and overcome this addictive, self-destructive behaviour. This timely book breaks the silence surrounding a difficult subject. It will provide valuable insights for therapists, counsellors, people who self-harm and their families and friends.

Genres: Mental Health, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that certainly makes you think. The attachment to her psychotherapist is disturbing at times but very powerful. A short book that could be very triggering but very interesting too.

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather, Shenandoah patron, June 2019, 4 stars:

Point of view told from the cutter; some of it felt forced, but did give some insight.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

More emotionally detached than I feel is helpful. Would also hate to have her therapist.

[Madteapartier · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, intense book. I found the main character hard to relate to & feel that the story lacks suspense, however, I enjoyed the author's writing style & found some of her comments very insightful.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a little more distracting to read as it was based in UK style of writing. That aside, I thought this was a touching book and could be very valuable to those that self-harm or to those that know someone who self-harms.