You With the Sad Eyes: A Memoir (2026) by: Christina Applegate
The woman behind the name and the facade/persona of Christina Applegate shows herself to the world. With courage and humility, she embraces the vulnerability of showing her true Self to the world. She shares stories of trauma (trigger warning), love, struggle, success, her love for dance and movement, and the heartbreak of living in a body that is constantly in pain and has been transformed by various medical conditions (such as breast cancer and what she has very recently shared was misdiagnosed MS). She embraces vulnerability as she shares all the parts of her Self with us and allows herself to be seen for who she is. And that takes some real courage in this day and age.
How was this book recommended to me? A friend of mine read it
Would I recommend this to my colleagues? Yes
Would I recommend this to my clients? Yes
How do I apply this content to my work: There are a number of aspects of this book and this woman’s story that resonates with my work. Not least of which is helping folks heal from trauma (loved ones of those struggling with addiction, survivors of all forms of abuse/interpersonal violence, etc.) and address the negative impact this has on our sense of Self–often fracturing it in the process and leading us to create masks/facades/personas to survive. But also, something I never knew about the woman we know as Christina Applegate, is her love of dance and how therapeutic it has been in her life. (Also, yes to Doug Caldwell! His classes were always one of my favorites at conventions and my dance teacher used to be pretty close with him back in the day). The value she describes about dance allowing her to be in her body and move through challenges is something I can now understand more clinically through my training as a dance/movement therapist and can intentionally guide clients through somatically healing interventions to provide opportunities for healing, release, and re-connection with Self. Additionally, while I’m not a doctor or biomedical provider, my credentials as a dance/movement therapist also lend me to be curious about the impact of the biomedical on our mental health, and vice versa. Much like Dr. Gabor Maté explores in his books, the author brings curiosity and highlights research that identifies strong correlations between a history of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) and a diagnosis of MS in women (which, again, I understand she has recently shared that she has been misdiagnosed). But I appreciate the curiosity and openness to appreciate the interrelationship between body-mind and long-term implications of trauma on the body.
If you live in WA state and you are interested in exploring healing from trauma through a blend of talk and movement-based therapies, contact me. Let’s schedule a free 15-minute consultation and see if we might be a good fit to work together.
