Hatching Charlie: A Psychotherapist’s Tale by CC McCormack

Hatching Charlie is the story of evolution. It describes the evolution of a boy to a man, a child to a parent, a wild teenager into a responsible adult. It is also a story of the evolving awareness that psychic pain can be healed. And, while most people look to another for that healing, this autobiography reminds the reader that relationships with others are only part of the story. In fact, true growth and healing comes from knowing how to forgive and then accept the self, and Charles McCormack’s journey helps the reader learn this in a gentle but powerful way.
Hatching Charlie is a brave book. For a therapist, still seeing patients, to reveal so much of his own pain and suffering takes guts. Opening oneself to this much vulnerability means that the author has found a way to look at himself without shame. This book, therefore, becomes a roadmap for others who suffer, providing hope and insight that someone else might work through their traumas too. So, while the book serves as a memoir and as a source of healing to Charles McCormack, it is also a way for him to continue counseling others. It becomes clear that his search for happiness is universal, and that his journey is in fact our journey too. He teaches us valuable lessons; that we cannot rely solely on someone else to meet our needs, that happiness isn’t necessarily a constant, and that it is possible to look back on our lives with fondness, even if there was pain there too. I think this is a must read for anyone whose childhood was less than perfect, with imperfect parents and difficult circumstances. And, since most of us had at least some obstacles to face during our lives, this book is meant for everyone.