Diary of a Country Therapist

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I must admit I let myself take about 6 months to read it, only because I was enjoying it so much. It offers a rare glimpse into what some people have gone through emotionally. The author is a wonderful writer, with a love of nature.

Reading this book was a moving experience for me as a therapist. I found Marcia Hill's observations to range from mildly amusing to profoundly wise. She modeled the kind of vulnerability within a framework of integrity which no doubt makes her a very special clinician. She has the ability to laugh at herself and the profession while it is obvious she is deeply committed to her clients and her vocation. I would recommend this book to anyone who wonders about what makes good therapy.

Hill's understanding of and compassion for her clients touched me deeply. Her entries reminded me of Rachel Naomi Remen's My Grandfather's Blessings in that each entry stands alone as a single pearl of wisdom but the whole is a beautiful strand of intimate knowing. I felt bereft when I finished; I wanted to continue in the company of this wise and powerful woman.

In graceful prose Marcia Hill opens her heart about the job she loves--being a psychotherapist. As the seasons of her Vermont year turn, tiny details of the changes nature makes in the woods and sky reflect and enhance the human stories she tells. To open the heart of another, one must endure the heartbreak and revel in the joy of each moment, but above all, one must listen. From violent to nearly mute, the voices of Marcia's clients speak to her soul, transforming therapist and patients alike. To relish this book, one needs no formal training in psychology, although therapists will appreciate the companionship of a walk with Marcia Hill. However, anyone who has worked with people and watched them grow, anyone who has ever paid attention to her own cycles of loss and fruition, and anyone who enjoys sensitive, authentic writing will delight in this book.