Book Review: Dinner for Vampire by Bethany Joy Lenz

As a therapist, it’s important to stay informed about advances in the mental health field. Many therapists seek out trainings and scholarly resources to grow their knowledge base. However, I think it’s important to also read books, watch documentaries, and listen to podcasts from people who have lived through the issues and diagnoses that we study. Hearing firsthand accounts of the symptoms and experiences that people face can help therapists learn more about how these concepts manifest in actual people. It can also help build empathy and understanding in a field that often teaches about mental health in a medical model way.
In this week’s episode, I discuss the autobiography “Dinner for Vampires” by Bethany Joy Lenz. She shares her experiences growing up and how those circumstances, combined with loneliness in her early 20’s, led to her join a high demand group a.k.a. a cult. Joy (the name she prefers to goes by) describes the manipulation she experienced personally and spiritually. She identifies the tactics that were used against her (and others in the cult) to obtain control over their money, careers, relationships, families, and religious beliefs. Joy also discusses her abusive marriage and how she eventually left that relationship to rebuild her life with her young daughter (minus 2 million dollars that the cult stole from her).
As a fan on One Tree Hill, I was really interested in reading this book. Joy was vulnerable, honest, and raw in her depiction of the events she experienced as a result of being a part of this cult. She discusses the mental and financial toll it took on her during and after her time with the cult, which I think will be helpful for therapists who have worked/want to work with clients experiencing religious trauma, D.V., and/or financial abuse. Overall, it can provide insight into what this type of trauma can look and feel like for an individual experiencing it.
Watch this episode now and subscribe above!
Link to the Book:
www.amazon.com...
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Welcome to The Keys to Therapy! I’m Samantha Newton, a licensed mental health therapist and owner of The Therapy Suite PLLC. I create videos for aspiring, new, and established therapists to provide support and help increase knowledge about being a therapist.
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[@alyssashannon1218]

I want to discuss this book with a friend on my bookish podcast and your ways of discussing the DV was so grounded and respectful. Amazing video

[@thekeystotherapy]

Thank you for that feedback!! I’m a fan and wanted to highlight her story in a kind and therapeutic way. Feel free to comment with your podcast link when you do your episode on it! I’d love to check it out 🤩