Loving Someone with a Serious Mental Illness

“Katherine and Izzy provide the couple lens—offering long-needed, lived-experience expertise exploring and honoring both worldviews with simple but much-needed tips for individuals or their loved ones new to understanding about living with mental illness and distress. When I think back to my not knowing much at all about how to live with a mental illness—well, I knew it as a clinician/researcher, but to understand it personally, I went searching or rather digging for simplistic, straightforward information with accessible language and examples that I could use to normalize my experiences; rather than feeling isolated and engulfed in an illness. Katherine and Izzy—you provide the language to family and friends to talk about living life and recovery, giving them a sense of hope that families can thrive through these experiences.”
—Chyrell D. Bellamy, PhD, MSW, professor in the Yale University department of psychiatry, and director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health – Chyrell D. Bellamy, PhD, MSW
“Mental illness is common and often prolonged. While professionals provide important aspects of care and treatment, a substantial burden often remains with the affected persons. In this book, the authors share their extensive lived experience as someone with mental illness and her caregiver who addressed these many issues. The nine chapters are filled with knowledge and techniques critical to reducing illness experience and enhancing life.”
—William Carpenter, MD, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland Baltimore – William Carpenter, MD
“Mental illness challenges not only people struggling with symptoms and disabilities, but also their families and friends. This book is an elegant mix of hope and direction so caregiver and person with lived experience can partner toward recovery. The book is filled with practical information related to navigating psychiatric treatment, dealing with triggers, and forming a wellness plan. Along with her husband Izzy, Katherine tells a story of aspiration.”
—Patrick Corrigan, distinguished professor of psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology where he directs the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research – Patrick Corrigan
“I have spent my career studying and building knowledge about recovery from mental illness. Katherine and Izzy bring many of the principles in this field to life in their new book, Loving Someone with a Serious Mental Illness. Their practical and deeply personal guide offers a step-by-step approach to help individuals and caregivers navigate the complex journey toward recovery, making this book a vital resource for anyone facing similar challenges.”
—Larry Davidson, PhD, emeritus professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the Yale University Program for Recovery and Community Health – Larry Davidson, PhD
“Nothing in our culture prepares us to become caregivers for someone we love who lives with serious mental illness. This book provides a hands-on blueprint for the challenges and trauma that devastate so many families. In concrete and compassionate storytelling, it teaches collaboration with your loved one plus caregiving for the caregiver. As a family peer supporter, this is a gift that brings sensitivity and confidence to the family in crisis.”
—John DeNatale, father of sons living with serious mental illness, and NAMI Family-to-Family instructor – John DeNatale
“In her latest book, patient advocate and recovery coach Katherine Ponte, along with her husband Izzy Goncalves, present a treasure trove of information for patients and their loved ones on how best to navigate the complexities and challenges they face while on the road to recovery from mental illness. Practical, readable, well researched and sourced, and infused with the wisdom of lived experience, this is a must-read for anyone living with (or caring for someone with) mental illness who strives for the best life possible.”
—Joseph F. Goldberg, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – Joseph F. Goldberg, MD
“Katherine and Izzy have written a highly informative and digestible book in a relatable style from both a family member and consumer perspective. While very much grounded in science, it offers insightful and doable strategies for handling common challenges that arise in the everyday life of caring for and living with a serious mental illness. A must-read for families, consumers, and professionals alike. It has much to offer everyone.”
—Phyllis Solomon, PhD, professor/associate dean for research in the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania – Phyllis Solomon, PhD
“Katherine and Izzy’s book is a practical guide all families engaging with loved ones with mental health conditions should be able to access. As a parent of a child who developed a serious mental illness that led to his death, I believe deeply in the importance of resources that can help everyone navigate this journey and help ensure different, more hopeful outcomes. Katherine and Izzy’s collaboration honors both the expertise of the individuals living with serious mental illness and their family caregivers, while delivering easy-to-understand information that is underpinned by the premise of hope for recovery and thriving.”
—Ken Zimmerman, CEO of Fountain House, a national mental health nonprofit that empowers people living with serious mental illness through direct services, practice innovation, and policy change – Ken Zimmerman
“This accessible, evidence-based work makes a vital contribution toward promoting the health and well-being of people on the journey to mental health recovery. The authors are expert guides who skillfully and compassionately interweave their own individual lived experiences. They share best practices, person-centered approaches, and comprehensive resources to promote understanding, support, and communication with loved ones undergoing mental health challenges.”
—Emily Chaya Weinstein, PhD,OTR/L, occupational therapist at the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic at New York-Presbyterian Hospital – Emily Chaya Weinstein, PhD, OTR/L

About the Author

Katherine Ponte is a mental health advocate, author, nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, coach, and lawyer. She is a certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner and a lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. She is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania.

Katherine built the ForLikeMinds platform of recovery-focused mental health initiatives and its associated community of over 150,000, which has reached millions. She serves on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-NYC. Katherine is the author of ForLikeMinds. She has lived with severe bipolar I disorder with psychosis, including extended periods of suicidal depression, for over twenty years and has been happily living in recovery since 2018. She is based in New York, NY, and the Catskills.

About Izzy Goncalves

Izzy Goncalves has worked in finance for nearly thirty years and has been the primary caregiver for his spouse, Katherine. He has been instrumental in helping her develop several mental illness recovery initiatives. He is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Brown University.

Foreword by Matt Kudish, LMSW, MPA

Matt Kudish is CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, Inc. He has taught at the Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University and has guest lectured at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University.

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