"This Book Is Cheaper Than Therapy" by Liz Kelly, a clinical social worker and therapist, intended to offer mental health strategies when professional capacity is limited. Kelly establishes the book as a resource, clarifying that client stories are fictionalized accounts based on her clinical and personal experiences. The content focuses on practical advice across several key areas, including understanding authentic self-care (distinguished from quick fixes), managing the inner critic and cognitive distortions, emotional regulation techniques, the importance of healthy boundaries and communication (especially for people-pleasers), navigating grief and loss, and finally, seeking meaning over fleeting happiness through values-based goals. Kelly also dedicates significant space to the mind-body connection, explaining the nervous system's role in stress, the impact of alcohol, and offering advice on finding and affording professional therapy when needed.
