Michelle Tobin:

Author, LCSW, and advocate for the unheard

The insightful & compassionate voice behind the debut novel, Home for the Bewildered

“As a society, we tend to brush off the mentally ill as if the illness is the sum total of the person. I seek to change that perception.”

– Michelle Tobin

Meet the Author

Hi, I’m Michelle!

After practicing as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 20 years, I’ve learned that despite our differences, the themes in each of our stories are often universally shared. Though I’ve been writing for nearly 30 years, my journey as a practicing therapist, rife with rejection as a writer, made me unsure of whether I’d ever publish a book. Ultimately, it was my therapy background, experience as an avid reader, and undying appreciation for stories about the disenfranchised that inspired me to forge ahead. 

Unlike a self-help book, my novel is a fictionalized version of how to, well, “do therapy.” It constructs three-dimensional characters who are more than their mental health struggles and simply trying to heal from their complex trauma. 

What keeps me dedicated to this work, even when it gets hard, is the belief that what I have to say is vital to healing. By giving a voice to the unheard, I hope to foster empathy, understanding, and, ultimately, transformation for those navigating their trauma.

Inside the book:

Home for the Bewildered

In 1974, as asylums are shuttered due to changing public attitudes about caring for the mentally ill, Dr. Dorothy Morrissey becomes the first female psychologist at St. Lawrence Asylum in Lansing, Michigan.

Dorothy’s patients mirror her emotional issues as they draw her into their often chaotic lives. Thomas Perfect’s impulsiveness and attention-seeking behavior—both symptoms of his Bipolar Disorder—often prove dangerous as a gay man in 1970’s Lansing, Michigan. His flair for drama makes Dorothy laugh as much as his trauma makes her want to cry. Dorothy wrestles with an inexplicable aversion to George, who had been remanded to St. Lawrence after pleading Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Ruth’s post-partum psychiatric break threatens to draw Dorothy in with her, and Marcella, labeled as borderline, frustrates Dorothy's efforts to keep her from self-harm.

As good as Dorothy is at holding and interpreting her patients’ past traumas, she resists looking at her own, causing a strain on her relationship with Kenneth. Dorothy has no problem saving her patients... but can she save herself?

What readers are saying

  • “It’s remarkable how much ground Michelle Tobin covers with this complex, flawed, and dynamic cast of characters. I feel connected to them from the very first page.”

    — Beth Gylys, Ph.D., author of Body Braille, English Literature professor at Georgia State

  • “Michelle Tobin’s Home for the Bewildered is a poignant, funny, inspiring exploration of the healing power of empathy and common humanity. A compelling work of fiction that could also serve as an excellent resource for teaching the art of psychotherapy.”

    — John Neafsey, psychologist, author of A Sacred Voice is Calling

  • “Tobin masterfully takes us deeper and deeper into the stories and the minds and hearts of her characters. She brings us with them into their mental confusion, their efforts to cope, but then on to their heroic efforts to heal. You finish, wanting a sequel.”

    — Dan Mulhern, J.D., Former First Gentleman of Michigan (Governor Jennifer Granholm), TedX speaker, UC Berkeley professor

It’s time for a narrative that touches on true healing without oversimplifying the process.

Purchase your copy of Home for the Bewildered to read a powerful tale of healing and the profound impact of human connection amid the wounds we inflict on one another.