This Book Is a Safe Space by Amy Tran

Published on July 13, 2023

Reviewed by Samantha Calderone

“Your mind can be a safe space, and I want this book to be a safe space, too.”

Amy Tran begins this book by presenting her own experiences with anxiety and mental health struggles. She explains the emotions and actions she was taking during her time in college, and how she continued to brush off her feelings of anxiousness until they began to affect her day-to-day life. She presents her experiences and struggles to connect with readers while also pointing to the meaning behind the creation of her book. Tran points out that our brains are always learning, which means we can ultimately unlearn what no longer benefits us, and through her work, Tran has provided readers with tools and strategies that can be used alongside therapy to assist with one’s personal wellness journey.

This Book is a Safe Space is written in a way that makes it feel personal to the reader. Tran’s own wellness journey is shared throughout the book, by providing anecdotes from her own life that coincide with each of the book’s sections.  While this book may appear text heavy, readers can simply skim and focus on the doodles rather than reading the entire book and they will still understand the message and be able to differentiate between the different mental health strategies presented. However, if they read the entirety of the text, it is written in a way that is simple to understand without a psychology background or experience. Tran has written her book in a way that makes it feel as if readers are simply listening to a friend speak about their own wellness journey. This book is not only written in a way that is non-judgmental, it also provides readers with a sense of understanding, which makes it truly feel like a safe space.

Amy Tran is a Clinical Psychologist with over 245 thousand Instagram followers. Her account @doodledwellness uses the same technique as her book by using cute doodles to help support well-being and self-love.