Baek Sehee is back with more notes from her therapy sessions, sharing her healing process in-depth. Unlike her first book, the sessions are more insightful and go deeper and there is a conclusion about the impact therapy had on Sehee’s healing. 

I applaud any book that promotes asking for help with your mental help, especially in countries where there is a stigma attached to it (like South Korea, and even here, in Malaysia). I find it thrilling to see Sehee have to courage to expose her deepest thoughts and vulnerabilities openly, showing us that we are all the same, we share the same struggles to survive the broken system we live in. Moreover, her writing and self-awareness insights have grown exponentially compared to the first book. 

Additionally, reading this book feels like second-hand therapy at times. I related to some of her pain (such as fighting depression, a disease that runs in my family) and I felt validated by her sharing. It’s normal to feel discomfort when reading the memoir. This might indicate that there are areas you might struggle with and work on as well. Embarrassment and shame, in particular, are feelings that can be connected to internalised external norms you grapple with, perhaps unconsciously. The stronger the feelings elicited by the book, the more attention you should pay to its words. As we say in my line of work, “stay with it”.

Another essential insight from the memoir is that “healing” is a life-long process. There is no “healed” end-state when it comes to mental health. Therapy helps you create awareness about what causes your issues, change what is in your power to change about yourself and learn coping mechanisms that allow you to live a fulfilled, happy life, which is not defined by your trauma or pain. 

Overall, the memoir is a quick read that can give you a lot, if you’re open to taking it, another testament that the world is changing toward more openness, vulnerability, and growth.