Breaking the Heart Open

Bestselling author and psychologist Tony Bates has spent his whole career examining and seeking to understand the lives of others. Here, he turns his therapeutic eye on himself and describes the events and people in his own life that have made him the insightful thinker and teacher that he is today.

Tony recalls traumatic events in his childhood that reverberated throughout his life for many years and describes how, with therapy and time, he was eventually able to heal those internal wounds. He recounts the stories of people in pain that affected him most deeply and informed both the direction of his work and his philosophy as a psychologist.

By interweaving his own life story with reflections on how psychology and society treat people with mental health vulnerabilities, Tony invites us to reflect with compassion on the meaning of emotional struggles in all our lives.

'A searingly honest, lucid and inspiring account of a life, moving from deep childhood trauma to the hard-earned wisdom of a wounded healer. A compelling read and remarkable achievement.' Richard Kearney

'I was moved by Tony's honesty; humbled by his courage; fascinated by the way he used psychology to make sense of his personal suffering; and inspired by the place he has arrived at this point in his life. Beautifully written, poetic in parts, Tony's book is a treasure trove of wisdom. Everyone should read it.' Alan Carr, PHD

'What a generous gift, so typical of Tony, to those who need to know that in their loneliness or depression they are not alone' Dr Mary McAleese

'This is an emotional read in which the psychologist bears their own soul and highlights why they are so skilled at their work' Niall Breslin