In Mending the Shattered Mirror by Analie Shepherd, the autobiographical account is told through emails sent from Analie, a mental health patient, and Laurie Steiner, a retired psychiatrist (and former abuse victim) and volunteer with Therapy Exploitation Link Line. Analie was a wife, mother of four children, a choir teacher and a former journalist and airplane pilot. But after she learned that her daughter had been sexually molested by her sister's son, Analie experienced a resurfacing of her own issues involving five personalities within her. Her mother fled from an abusive alcoholic husband and subsequently displayed tirades. Analie was bullied at home and school. When she discusses her life with Julia, a therapist, the relationship becomes marred by Julia's unethical behaviour. After two years of meeting with various therapists and a pastor, she finally finds the answer. But it was not necessarily in the place where she thought it would be. Readers will relate to Analie's struggle and be inspired by her perseverance.

I loved this memoir. The original emails were the perfect format for conveying the intimate details of the sensitive subject of abuse. It also provided proof of the presence of the "others." Analie's heartfelt poetry and beautiful drawings added authenticity. I learned about gas lighting, dissociative disorders, the purpose of therapy and other facts that debunked myths. This nonfiction work is Shepherd's first book, but it is worthy of critical acclaim. Mending the Shattered Mirror is a must-read for patients, families, and mental health professionals.

In an absolutely heart-wrenching true story of betrayal and survival, Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy, authored by Analie Shepherd, readers will find themselves engrossed in a gripping tale that will keep them reading from the very first page all the way through until the very end. The author retells the horror story of the abuse she endured at the hands of a manipulative therapist that she sought out at a time when she needed a great deal of help. The emotional, physical and verbal abuse that she suffered was horrible, and thankfully, Analie was able to break the bond with this therapist, reach out to TELL, an international organization that seeks to support victims of abuse at the hands of health care workers.

Through TELL, she is connected with Laurie, a retired psychiatrist who had suffered sexual abuse in therapy. An email relationship ensues, and the book recounts the support that the women shared. Analie also deals with dissociative identity disorder, and needs to flesh out the abuse suffered by each of her alter personalities in order to deal with exactly all she endured. While a difficult story, the book holds hope and an enlightening message that many will appreciate.

Mending the Shattered Mirror is a triumph of a book written beautifully by a woman who has encountered a great deal of trauma in her life. Any reader who loves a fascinating, heartbreaking and ultimately victorious true story should absolutely read this book. I am so pleased to be able to highly recommend Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy and hope to see more from author Analie Shepherd in the very near future.