When Anna
Wickins began counselling with her therapist, Paddy Magrane, she could barely
speak in their sessions, silenced by traumatic memories from two decades
before. But as trust built, Anna felt able to open up and she started to talk
about the terrifying ordeal she experienced at university. As Anna examined her
past, a transformation was occurring across the room. Listening to her tale
awakened painful memories in Paddy about the horrors that occurred at his
boarding school.
After two
years of healing work, Anna and Paddy embarked on an unusual therapeutic
exercise: a visit to the site of her trauma, where Anna physically confronted
the scenes of her nightmares. With Paddy's reassurance and support, she was
finally able to leave her demons behind. Once robbed of a voice, Anna now helps
others to find theirs, in the same way that Paddy helped her.
Told in
alternating perspectives, Both Sides of the Couch is a searingly honest
account of how counselling shapes both client and therapist. A unique window
into therapy, it shows, for the first time, the journey through the eyes of
both participants. Both Sides of the Couch is a moving and inspirational
story of finding light in the darkest of times.
Hardback | 288 pages | Published August 2024
