Arts & Entertainment

Take Walk With Author of 'Harriett'

Barrington psychotherapist Lucia Matthews to sign copies of her self-help book that reads like a novel, "Harriett's Walk," at Center ACE Hardware on Saturday.

Barrington psychotherapist Lucia Matthews is in the business of fixing people’s problems. Now she has one of her own – albeit a happy one.

“My book keeps selling out on Amazon,” Matthews said of “Harriett’s Walk” – a self-help book that reads like a novel.

Don’t fret. You can get a signed copy of her book on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 pm at , where she is doing a book signing. In a hardware store?

Find out what's happening in Barringtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I think of my skills as tools to fix the problematic situations in your life,” she said.

George and Susan Tamer, who own the hardware store, also are long-time friends and they get a mention in her book.

Find out what's happening in Barringtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you can’t make it to the book signing, you can also order a hard copy or an e-book version of “Harriett’s Walk” on her website: harriettswalk.com.

“The demand is slowly growing and I am pleased at the reception Harriett is receiving,” she said. “As of now, all the reviews left on Amazon have been 5-star and amazingly satisfying. People really seem to be ‘getting’ Harriett’s message.”

Matthews actually launched her book last Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Lobster Pot in Bristol. The fictional town in her book, Bay View, is a bayside community.

The book chronicles the therapeutic walk of Harriett, an unhappy, frustrated and fearful woman who thinks her husband is having an affair. She starts the walk by lunging at him with a kitchen knife -- a turning point that came out of a similar incident on the Barrington police blotter.

The book details how Matthews works with her clients to help them maker wiser choices for a better life.

“I present the same nine skills in the book that I teach clients,” she said. “The book matches my therapeutic approach.”

“There is a big difference between acting emotionally and behaving wisely,” Matthews said. “You can be overwhelmed by emotion, and it causes us to do unwise things.”

Click here to see the previous Patch story on Matthews and “Harriett’s Walk.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here