Description

‘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.
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‘Examines the power that comes from dealing effectively with change’ Elizabeth Day

Publisher Review

Full of compassionate wisdom ... a rich, wise book * Christina Patterson, Sunday Times * 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 * Kate Saunders, The Times * 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 * Bel Mooney, Daily Mail * Cannot recommend it highly enough * Lorraine Kelly * 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 * Stylist * 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 * Metro * 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 * The Bookseller * 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. * Susie Orbach, author of 'In Therapy' * 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' * Shane Watson * An important book for our times. It is both wise and compassionate which will be helpful to many readers * Thomas Harding * I absolutely loved it. Clear, compassionate, occasionally very very funny but mostly heart wrenching * Rabbi Julia Neuberger * 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 * Adwoa Aboah, 'Gurls Talk' podcast host * 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 * Kate Reardon * 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 * Rosie Boycott * The considerable force of this book lies in Julia's ability to listen completely. Being such an extraordinary listener she becomes an extraordinary storyteller * Christa D'Souza * 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 * Bel Mooney * 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 * Raffaella Barker * 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' *