Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

Christie Tate was a top law school student with her eating disorder under control, yet she found herself fantasizing about death while driving through Chicago. Despite her achievements, she remained isolated and sad. A therapist named Dr. Rosen convinced her to join one of his psychotherapy groups, assuring her he could transform her life if she simply showed up and was honest about everything—her eating habits, childhood, sexual history, and more. Tate was skeptical, believing herself beyond help, until Dr. Rosen offered a nine-word prescription: "You don't need a cure. You need a witness." Tate entered group therapy with initial resistance to Dr. Rosen's directives. As her defenses weakened and she learned to trust both her therapist and the group members—including nightly phone calls with them—she began to understand what genuine connection meant. Through this process of vulnerability and breakdown, Tate discovered how group therapy could reassemble her so that all the pieces finally fit together.