Gods Shrink: 10 Sessions and Lifes Greatest Lessons from an Unexpected Patient

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Gods Shrink: 10 Sessions and Lifes Greatest Lessons from an Unexpected Patient

Written by John Casquarelli

Friday, 06 June 2008 07:56

Michael Adamse, PhD has written a wonderfully entertaining new book called God’s Shrink: 10 Sessions and Life’s Greatest Lessons from an Unexpected Patient. At the beginning of Dr. Adamse’s story, a mysterious but engaging patient who goes by the name of Gabriel, calls to set up an appointment to meet psychiatrist Richard Johnson, because, as he puts it, “I’m God, and I’m here to vent.” What transpires between the two characters is a discourse in 10 sessions about a number of spiritual questions, including ideas pertaining to faith and free will that transcend specific religious affiliations and doctrines.

God’s Shrink: 10 Sessions and Life’s Greatest Lessons from an Unexpected Patient is written in a first person narrative, from Richard’s point of view, allowing the reader to get into the mind of a doctor who is having his own problems, including feelings of isolation and detachment. Richard and Gabe’s Tuesday sessions become an outlet for the emotional troubles both appear to be experiencing, and their meetings, at times, create a marvelously enjoyable reversal of roles, where the reader often wonders which one of the two men is playing the part of the doctor, and which one is truly the patient.

Dr. Adamse has constructed a number of characters in his book that touch on some of the same psychological and spiritual topics that have been, and continue to be, discussed by many of the most respected psychologists, scientists and theologians from both our present and past. What is our connection to each other and the world we all live in? Is the duality of “good” and “evil” real forces, or simply human constructs? These and other questions are explored throughout the book during Richard’s various meetings with the other characters, bringing together a number of experiences that appear to be more than common coincidences.

The plot never feels rushed, written both fluidly and in easy to read language, inviting the reader into a wonderfully imaginative world, where the Devine seeks both counseling and communion. The story is set in the present-day, giving a contemporary feel to the characters’ responses with regard to their own spiritual journeys and contemplations.

Dr. Adamse combines humor with his own spiritual insight, making this book difficult to put down. One may even be inclined to read it in a single sitting. The characters are all very believable, and, as the story unfolds, it becomes quite easy for the reader to care for each of them, hoping that they all overcome their different psychoses.

Although the story is written as fiction, there are a number of internal truths about the human experience that move beyond individual cultures and regional ideologies. Whether one chooses to believe in a God or not (another of the book’s many themes) is secondary to the genuine act of kindness, which allows for the acceptance of diverse viewpoints, as we all try to discover answers to life’s most difficult questions.

Within the last pages of God’s Shrink: 10 Sessions and Life’s Lessons from an Unexpected Patient, Dr. Adamse poses book discussion questions that might prove helpful for those people who may be interested in having a discourse on some of the topics alluded to in his book.

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