Tell Me About Myself

My debut book, Tell Me About Myself: How Pop Culture Swallowed Psychotherapy, about the rise and impact of therapy on how we see ourselves and each other, will be published in 2027 by Harper Collins in the UK and One Signal (Simon & Schuster) in the US.

From the press release:

A sharp and compelling critique of therapy culture and its effect on our relationships, self-perception and emotional wellbeing, Sarah Manavis explores what happens when therapy becomes content, self-care becomes branding, and healing becomes performance. We’re living in a golden age of therapy – apps at our fingertips, endless self-care mantras, and everyone fluent in ‘trauma’, ‘boundaries’ and ‘toxicity’. But is all this making us better, or just more self-involved? Does everyone truly need therapy?

In Tell Me About Myself, Manavis investigates how the language and practice of psychotherapy have been co-opted by pop culture, capitalism and influencers – flattened into a one-size-fits-all model of self-optimisation that alienates us from what therapy can actually achieve and from each other. From TikTok therapists to therapy-industry grifters, Manavis interrogates this new cultural ethos and the way it’s quietly warping our relationships, expectations and sense of self.

Blending reportage, cultural commentary, and personal insight, this is a razor-sharp, timely exploration of what happens when therapy becomes content, self-care becomes branding, and healing becomes performance.

If you are a therapist – or someone else who feels you have something relevant to contribute to this story – please do get in touch via email. I would love to speak and hear your thoughts, on the record or even anonymously.