Our journey through life is often shaped by answers that we give ourselves without pausing to consider the questions.

When is it time to give up on a relationship? Why are we able to control our anger in some situations but not in others? Is religious faith a strength or a weakness? When does helping another become destructive? How can we move from guilt to regret? Why are we sometimes resilient and at other times unable to pull ourselves together?

In A Very Narrow Bridge, psychologist Dr. Rickey Miller brings many of our choices and questions into the light as she interweaves her stories with those of her patients who struggle with stress and other mental health challenges.

In her memoir, she shares her struggles raising a gay daughter and a son with a developmental disability. She tells the story of her divorce and her efforts to care for her mother as she ages. When faced with hardship and loss, Dr. Miller questions her Jewish faith. She recounts her clinical experiences of working with adolescent boys who were required to participate in group therapy, an abused woman who suffered a workplace injury, and a man who struggled with post-traumatic anxiety, among others.

As the narrative flows back and forth from her stories to her patients’ stories, our common humanity emerges. With humour and wisdom, Dr. Miller pulls us toward greater understanding and compassion for ourselves and others.