This Year Will Be Different – Dominique Bertolucci

A gentle invitation to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves and how small shifts can create meaningful change. 

Dominique Bertolucci’s This Year Will Be Different speaks directly to a familiar and often tender human experience: the quiet hope that next year will somehow feel better, calmer, or more aligned. Written in a warm, reflective style, the book explores why good intentions so often fade and how change may become more sustainable when approached with honesty and self-compassion rather than pressure. From a therapeutic counselling perspective, the book offers a thoughtful companion for clients who feel stuck in cycles of intention and disappointment. 

Rather than presenting a strict self-improvement framework, Bertolucci invites readers to slow down and examine the internal narratives that shape their choices. She explores themes such as expectations, identity, responsibility, and the subtle ways we may undermine ourselves without realising it. The tone throughout is non-judgemental and curious, aligning well with therapeutic values that prioritise understanding over correction. 

One of the book’s central ideas is that change often falters not because of lack of willpower, but because intentions are built on unexamined assumptions. Bertolucci encourages readers to ask gentle but meaningful questions: What am I really hoping will be different? What do I believe that change will give me? These reflections echo the kind of exploratory work often undertaken in counselling, where insight arises through curiosity rather than force. 

The structure of the book is intentionally accessible. Short chapters, reflective prompts, and relatable examples make it easy to engage with in small, manageable pieces. This can be especially supportive for readers who feel overwhelmed or fatigued by more intensive self-help approaches. Rather than urging dramatic transformation, the book consistently returns to the idea that awareness itself can be a catalyst for change. 

From a therapeutic viewpoint, one of the book’s strengths is its normalisation of ambivalence. Bertolucci acknowledges that people often want change and fear it simultaneously. This duality is not framed as resistance or failure, but as a natural part of being human. Such validation can be deeply reassuring for clients who feel frustrated by their own inconsistencies or who interpret setbacks as personal shortcomings. 

The book also gently challenges the culture of constant self-optimisation. Bertolucci questions the assumption that there is something inherently wrong that needs fixing, suggesting instead that meaningful change often emerges from alignment rather than  correction. This perspective resonates with relational and compassion-focused therapies, which emphasise acceptance as a foundation for growth. 

While This Year Will Be Different is reflective rather than clinical, it touches on emotional themes such as self-trust, disappointment, and hope. The language is supportive without being prescriptive, allowing readers to interpret and apply insights in ways that feel relevant to their own lives. For some, this openness will feel freeing; others may prefer more structured guidance. In a counselling context, the book may be most effective when read alongside therapeutic support, where reflections can be explored more deeply. 

It is also worth noting that the book does not promise quick results. There is no implication that reading it will suddenly resolve long-standing patterns or emotional pain. Instead, Bertolucci offers something quieter and more sustainable: an invitation to notice where expectations may be unrealistic, where self-pressure may be counterproductive, and where kindness might create more space for change than determination alone. 

Clients who struggle with New Year resolutions, repeated goal-setting, or feelings of “starting over” may find this book particularly resonant. It can help reframe change as an ongoing relationship with oneself rather than a pass–fail project. This shift alone can reduce shame and open the door to more compassionate self-reflection. 

In summary, This Year Will Be Different is a thoughtful, gentle exploration of change, intention, and self-understanding. For a therapeutic counselling website, it offers a perspective that honours complexity and emotional reality. The book reminds us that difference does not always come from doing more or trying harder, but from listening more carefully to ourselves—and allowing change to unfold in its own time. 

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