Do self-help books ever deliver, or are they full of over-promises? Can a book ever replace a trained counsellor? And what are the best strategies to use if you want to improve your life?

In their Life Curious series, Psychologies columnists Philippa Perry and Oliver Burkeman discuss what to read, what to do and who to believe, at Waterstone’s flagship store in Piccadilly, London.Psychotherapist Philippa Perry, writer of their monthly Casebook column and author of Couch Fiction: A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy and Oliver Burkeman, author of Help! How To Become Slightly Happier And Get A Bit More Done, are uniquely placed to offer their words of wisdom on what will really work for you.