Loving Someone With a Mental Illness or History of Trauma (Johns Hopkins University Press, 280 pages, $22.95) serves as an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to learn how to support a loved one in coping with mental health challenges or trauma issues. Sherman and Sherman (2025) provide readers with a comprehensive toolkit emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and acknowledging the uncertainty and isolation often felt in caregiving.
In Chapter 1, “Your Emotional Journey,” the authors begin by validating the complex emotions that caregivers experience. Feelings—ranging from anxiety about a loved one’s self-sufficiency to sadness, anger, or ambivalence in the face of societal judgment—are normalized as a relatively common experience. This chapter establishes a welcoming tone by acknowledging the emotional challenges that caregivers face, creating a supportive learning opportunity, especially for those with limited mental illness and trauma exposure.
Readers can expect many self-reflective activities throughout the book’s chapters. For example, there are self-assessments of one’s well-being, checklists for identifying coping tools, and writing prompts with space at the end of nearly every chapter to record responses to questions that encourage a deep exploration of the reader’s thoughts and feelings on the central topic.
This book is thoughtfully structured into four parts, facilitating easy navigation of content, resources, and reference materials. For example, the appendix comprehensively lists resources readers can integrate into their personal support plans. Appendix D, “Advocating To Fight Stigma and Discrimination,” stands out among these resources. This section empowers caregivers by offering practical guidance on using their voices—whether through personal storytelling, writing blogs, letters to journal editors, or engaging with policymakers—to challenge and dispel myths surrounding mental illness and trauma. These advocacy approaches are emphasized in Chapter 4, “Stigma and Discrimination,” where the authors define the concepts, examine their underlying causes, and propose strategies for creating a supportive network that can validate them.
The tone throughout the pages is nurturing yet hopeful, emphasizing choice, voice, and the transformative power of self-awareness. A discussion on mental health disparities at the intersections of age, race, gender, and sexual orientation would further enhance the book by drawing attention to the unique challenges faced by youth of color and LGBTQIA+ communities. The overall resource remains a helpful guide.
This book is highly recommended for anyone seeking support and guidance in managing the uncertainties that often accompany caring for a loved one with trauma and mental health challenges. Sherman and Sherman (2025) do an excellent job of establishing a foundation for readers. The comprehensive range of resources simplifies finding the right book, website, or professional organization for assistance.
Additionally, social workers in private practice could benefit from recommending this book as a form of bibliotherapy that fosters self-help, mental health literacy, and self-empowerment among their clients. Furthermore, graduate students in social work interested in clinical practice will find the insights provided about the experiences of caregivers, family members, or partners of individuals with mental illness to be both enlightening and practically helpful. This often-overlooked perspective deserves more attention and resource allocation.
Reviewed by Shakima Tozay, MSW, LICSW, CCM, PMH-C, a Doctor of Social Work candidate at the University of Alabama School of Social Work, with more than a decade of experience in various social work settings.