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Holding Onto the Ideas That Excite Us

My book is out in paperback today!

Kathleen Smith

Mar 3

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The paperback version of my book True to You is out in the world! If you’ve been grumbling about the cost of the hardcover, today is your day.

Getting to revisit your work is an interesting process. It is nice to stumble across a clear sentence, and think, “Well that’s a banger.” It’s a bit like reading your old fan fiction and wondering what’s going to happen next.

What has been most meaningful to me about this book? The notes I get from folks. People who’ve listened to the audiobook and found it opened up whole new conversations with family members. Or they found it in a library, then had to buy a copy to scribble in. Therapists who feel like their clients are making more progress because of it. People who signed up for a Bowen theory program to keep their learning going.

I learned long ago that any functional boost from praise or success dies quickly. Relying on it sets you up for a rollercoaster of emotions and personal compromises. I don’t write this newsletter twice a week to put that kind of unreliable fuel in the tank. I keep at it because I have never not been riveted by watching relationship systems and by people tinkering with their part in them.

It always feels a little cringey to sell your work, but it helps to reflect on my journey. These ideas jumpstarted something in me because someone else bothered to sit down and try and make the concepts in Bowen theory accessible. It is an honor to try and do the same. To be allowed to do it with 30 Rock quotes and hidden Mean Girls references is just icing on the cake.

So here’s some cringe to make the amazing team at St. Martin’s Essentials happy (because they’re awesome). I promise I won’t do it again until I write another book: These ideas are exciting. And I think I’ve done a damn good job at communicating them.

Some things people have said about True to You in reviews:

Bought it, read it, changed my life, immediately bought a second copy to lend to loved ones.

I can’t imagine a single person that this book might not help.

Beautifully written. Couldn't put it down.

I suspect I highlighted half the book.

This book deserves to be in the library of every therapist who works with individuals, couples and families.

Fantastiqqqqqueeee.

It’s easy for me to focus too much on THE NEXT THING, so I’m taking the day off to visit a few bookstores and see this child in the wild. If you’re looking for content today, feel free to browse the approximately seven billion newsletters I’ve written, most of which are free.

Thanks to all for your continued support! I’ve enjoyed thinking with you.

News from Kathleen

**BONUS JOURNAL FOR TRUE TO YOU paperback! I’ve created a digital bonus journal to accompany the paperback launch of True to You. Email me a copy of your receipt and I’ll send it to you.

Email me if you want me to speak to your group or are interested in doing family systems work with me.

Buy my books True to You and Everything Isn’t Terrible for more in-depth stories of people working on their relationships and themselves. If you love them, consider giving them a review on Amazon so other folks can find them. If you haven’t gotten the free digital workbooks for them, email me.