A VIVID PORTRAYAL OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE Martha Elliott, maverick psychotherapist, harbours some dark secrets from her own past, and is more interested in achieving good outcomes for her clients than playing by the rules. Martha blends counselling with breathing exercises, meditation, foot massages . . . whatever it takes. In a series of intense encounters with her clients, deep insights and raw truths about human nature emerge, including reflections on the nature of psychotherapy itself. Rob, Martha's colleague, is trapped in a tempestuous relationship with the beautiful and feisty Constancia, and Martha wonders if he will ever find the resolve to free himself. Samantha, Martha's daughter, hears her biological clock ticking, but finding the right sperm donor is proving to be harder than she expected . . . Then there's the mysterious couple who arrive in Martha's office. Who are they? And what is it that they know about her? With tenderness and compassion, Hugh Mackay's captivating new novel, The Therapist, explores some of the deepest yearnings of the human heart.