Writing Accurately About Mental Health Issues – Kassandra Lamb

Kassandra Lamb, a retired psychotherapist/college professor turned mystery writer, will speak at the Millhopper Branch of the Alachua County Library at 2:30 p.m. on February 11, 2024. In her talk, she will clarify several misconceptions and misrepresentations she has encountered as a reader of fiction.

While most writers are astute observers of human nature, they may not know the ins and outs of the psychotherapy field or the specific symptoms and etiology of various mental disorders.

Among the topics Lamb will discuss are:

•      * Confidentiality in the therapeutic relationship
•      * The nature of therapy ~ much more than listening
•      * The difference between schizophrenia and multiple personalities
•      * Terminology ~ psychopath, sociopath, or neither
•      * Matching backstory to the mental disorder
•      * The fickle nature of human memory

Lamb says she now spends most of her time with her characters in an alternate universe. She lives and writes in North Central Florida where her husband and her dog catch occasional glimpses of her.

She has authored 36 novels/novellas in three mystery series and a romantic suspense trilogy, plus a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book. Her latest Kate Huntington series book is The Twelve Heists of Christmas.

You can read more about Lamb and her books at https://kassandralamb.com.