WHAT'S BEING SAID ...

I love books that, besides being well-written and entertaining, help me learn something important. Wounded Workers is one of those!

Dr. Bob Larsen skillfully interweaves the inspiring story of his development from a self-described nerdy kid to a well-regarded psychiatrist and advocate for working people. The text explodes with fascinating stories of clients Dr. Bob has helped and with tales of those who mentored and helped him. 

A crusader for making mental health care accessible as a basic human right, Dr. Bob’s advocacy sought to persuade insurance companies and employers to consider the long-term psychological impact of debilitating work-related injuries.

Some of the many moving encounters highlight the amazing resilience of maimed and traumatized workers who, instead of giving up, found value in the life that was left for them. Dr. Bob’s descriptions of how his clients struggled to deal with the psychological effects of loss of limbs, scarring accidents, and other traumatic events testify to the need for major and compassionate change. Many of the stories focus on “essential workers,” people who need the practical and kind advice of a working man’s shrink more than ever. His astute observations on overcoming victimization and the inspiring reality of Post Traumatic Growth resonated deeply with me, especially in the trying times of COVID grief and isolation.  

Wounded Workers will resonate with general readers as well as anyone with a special interest in mental health care and making it more accessible as a basic human right.

Anne Hillerman

N. Y. Times’ Best Selling Author

“Wounded Workers” is a wise, entertaining memoir that teaches while it describes Dr. Larsen’s journey at becoming an occupational psychiatrist.   From “slap therapy” to “post traumatic growth”, it introduces new ideas that challenge our field.  The clinical tales are often gripping and self-revelatory.  This is a wonderful read for clinicians, trainees and anyone interested in the richness that is the practice of psychiatry today.  

Steven S. Sharfstein, M.D., President Emeritus, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Past President, American Psychiatric Association  

In Wounded Workers Dr. Bob Larsen is engaging, entertaining, compassionate and generous about his own journey, as well as about people whom he evaluated and treated. He is a psychiatrist with heart and brains.

I spent 34 years representing injured workers in San Francisco, and I can tell you that every vignette Dr. Bob relates is representative and true. This well-written book is must reading for anyone interested in the price paid daily by many working men and women in America for doing their job. Well done Dr. Bob!

Yale Jones, Esq., retired labor law attorney & Senior Partner, Jones, Clifford, LLP 

Although the current COVID-19 pandemic has increased appreciation of first responders, similar to what was seen post 9-11, Dr. Larsen has dedicated this book, and much of his professional career, to American workers and their collective ongoing contribution to our greater good. We can honor them through a thoughtful read of the cases he shares, reminding ourselves to not take what they do for all of us for granted.

David Baron, D.O., Provost - Western University of Health Sciences; Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of Southern California.

“Wounded Workers” is an entertaining and insightful deep dive into the world of workers hurt at work and the psychic difficulties they face.  Dr. Larsen writes with experience as a forensic psychiatrist at the intersection of medicine and law, and his stories about the workers, written with wit and compassion, make the book sparkle.

Julius Young, Esq., Boxer & Gerson

One will finish this excellent book not only being touched by the compassion and humanity of this dedicated psychiatrist but also being grateful for seeing how necessary psychiatry often is for individuals who have been physically injured.

Gary E. Wise, Ph.D, Professor & Head, Emeritus, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University