ADHD. OCD. Toxic. Unwell. Over the past decade, psychiatrist Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell noticed that girls were coming to her office with an increasingly long list of psychiatric diagnoses, often pulled from social media. It seemed like it was becoming impossible for young women to talk about their feelings without the framework of ‘therapy speak’ or mental illness. At the same time, she saw parents responding to this jargon with either alarm or dismissiveness, both of which only broadened the communication gap with their daughters. In Girlhood, Translated, Dr Garfinkle-Crowell explores how ‘therapy speak’ is fundamentally reshaping the identities of girls. Drawing on vibrant, moving stories from the therapy room, she reveals, with stunning insight and compassion, the dynamics at play underneath the labels. She helps us see why girls rely on this lexicon to be heard - and teaches us to listen better. Girlhood, Translated is a powerful call to change the conversation around mental health, showing how girls can move beyond the language of illness for real agency, healing and connection.
