Open When… cover art

Open When…

A Companion for Life’s Twists & Turns

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Open When…

By: Julie Smith
Narrated by: Dr Julie Smith
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST SELLER.

THE NEW BOOK FROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST DR JULIE.

Start the New Year with fresh insights, renewed purpose, and strategies for personal development

"This is the book for us all, for ourselves when we need to find a way through, for our children as they fly the nest, our friends that live out of reach, and for our family when we can't find the words to say."

This is the book for life's twists and turns, when being human starts to get complicated.

A must-have companion to Dr Julie's international bestseller Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, which taught us the skills to strengthen our future mental health, Open When... is the book to turn to when you find yourself in the eye of the storm.

Within this book are a series of Open When style letters from Dr Julie to help navigate the moments of overwhelm, confusion or self-doubt that we all face when life gets messy. Offering calm, clarity and a laser focus on the best way forward, each personal letter is followed by real-time tools that will help you re-frame the situation and decide on your next move.

Every chapter covers a new scenario; universal problems that each of us will likely face at some point. So, whether you are experiencing stress, pressure to perform, dealing with difficult people, trying to fit in, making big decisions, arguments with your partner, or big emotions that are causing anxiety, Open When... brings the words you need to hear to put you back on the front foot, feeling ready to take on everything life throws your way.

Praise for Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

'Sound wisdom, easy to gulp down. I'm sure this book is already helping lots of people.' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
'If you want to feel like you have a therapist sitting across from you, empowering you with how to be your best self, this book is for you!' Nicole LePera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work
'Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress' Sunday Times

© Julie Smith 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Best of 2025 Emotions Mental Health Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Stress Management

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Critic reviews

Praise for the author
Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress
It's so engaging that it's even led me to switch off my phone for several hours so I can read it, and in this social media-obsessed age, I don't think I can give a bigger recommendation than that (Bryony Gordon)
This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now - when I feel an unpleasant feeling brewing or come up against a tricky moment at work or in my relationships, my first thought is to wonder what Smith might suggest
So much advice on such a wide variety of things: it's brilliant. So helpful
The book's great. It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful
All stars
Most relevant
I appreciated the structure of the chapters, which were thoughtfully organized and addressed a broad range of important topics related to mental health. The book offers in-depth insights into issues that are commonly experienced, making it both relevant and informative. I frequently recommend this book to my patients in clinical practice, and I have also found it personally engaging, insightful, and supportive—particularly during periods of emotional difficulty or uncertainty. Moreover, the writing style is accessible and clear, which makes the content easier to understand and the author’s message more impactful.

Clear, Insightful, and Supportive!

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A very informative and helpful read. I would buy any book of the author's. Interesting and inciteful.

the information it contained

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I enjoyed the first book and it really helped me though a lot, this second book has also been incredibly helpful and listened to it multiple times now. It has been helping me deal with a lot of things currently going on in my life and jsut want to say thank you for helping me out!

Help me in tough moments

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The words every child should hear to became a better adult. Break childhood or generation trauma so your child don't have to struggle, learn how to treat and love yourself more. With the kind soft voice of Dr.Julie

One of the best books I've read

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Loved her other book and this was equally as beneficial which everyone could use tools from!

So helpful and one of the best self-help books!

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