Leesa Abbott

I wish I’d had some of these poems when I was teaching! My students would have enjoyed reading them. Most important though, is that the students would have understood what was being said.

The Sign is probably my favorite, at least for now. It’s both sad and encouraging. Ms. Abbott managed to zero in on what most people worry about. How am I perceived? Will anyone ever see the real me?

For me poetry is visual. So many of Ms. Abbots poems paint pictures that your minds’ eye can clearly see.
Ms. Abbott is without a doubt a very talented poet!… (mere)

With talks of prisons, cat tongues in lunches, botched haircuts and “Fertile Mertile” the turtle, the personality embedded in this book will keep you entertained as well as educate you in the field of mental illness. This book is the brutally honest memoirs of Dr. Abbott.

Dr. Abbott recalls her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood in explicit detail. Although Dr. Abbott is a professional psychologist this book really feels like it was written by Leesa Abbott, a woman who has battled with and come to terms with having mental illnesses.

You really experience the journey and see the story behind what made Leesa into the woman she is today and the choices and circumstances that led her to becoming Dr. Abbott.
Dr. Abbott is a very unique writer in that rarely do you see an unbiased story told from both sides and that is exactly what you get with this book. A must read for those who are suffering with mental illness, those around them and those who want to understand the often silent struggle that people with mental illnesses go through.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, it is a must read, an inspiration and a true survival story from a very brave woman.… (mere)

Abbott's guidebook is a very helpful tool for those who suffer from mental illness or care for individuals who endure sickness of the mind. It's brief, yet to the point and she discusses the topic without flaw. She teaches one how to overcome their obstacles using positivity and great optimistic views. The author even confesses her own personal issues which she has struggled with which provides great inspiration. And, her story makes the readers feel more comfortable as they connect with her past battles. This book also provides peace of mind and offers strategies that will produce great strength to overcome the woes of mental illness.… (mere)

These poems reach out from the page to connect with the lonely, the misfits, the struggling and the lost. Grounded with a lyrically-articulated compassion, the author bares all and shares all to create a volume full of meaning and solace. Through varying techniques and styles, the author gracefully uses language, rhythm, repetition and rhyme to give form to feeling and shape to emotions. Individually the poems tell stories that feel both personal and universal. I often found the poems reminded me of someone who might relate and to whom I should send the poem because it sums up so eloquently those hard-to-define feelings of deep love, regret, longing for second chances, confusion, or particular life or emotional struggles.

The title describes a self-acceptance credo and a call-to-action for understanding that threads throughout, as well as serving as the title of the last poem. The last two poems in the volume work as a powerful pair, with "A Work in Progress" answering the cries of "Broken Girl." These two are diamonds to be shared widely. Another poem that deeply connected with me is "The Journey." Several of the works in this volume explore duality and are a reminder that as with nature, people can contain many seasons. A Work in Progress is a tender and provocative work that would be a lovely gift for someone who needs affirmation and connection, and a lovely gift for yourself.… (mere)