Bibliotherapy
Enhancing Your Therapeutic Experience
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Bibliotherapy, the use of books to enhance therapy, is ideal for those who absorb information best by reading, or want more information on a topic. Reading a book can provide in-depth knowledge as well as comfort, insight, and the reminder that you are not alone. Below are some books that I recommend on a variety of the topics that I address in my therapeutic work.
ANXIETY
The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, & Worry Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (Second Edition)
John P. Forsyth, PhD & Georg H. Eifert, PhD
This workbook is designed to move chapter by chapter through changing the way that you view anxiety and the role it plays in your life.
When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life
David D. Burns
It is very important to note that anxiety is not always pathological. As a matter of fact, anxiety is not usually pathological. While you may not love having it around, anxiety is your body's natural response to stress and is helpful in many ways.
PERSONAL GROWTH & LIFE TRANSITIONS
Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them
Karl A. Pillemer
In Fault Lines, Cornell professor and family sociologist, Karl A. Pillemer addresses the common, but not commonly discussed, issue of familial estrangements. One study found that around 27% of American adults have experienced estrangement from at least one family member.
The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love
Sonya Renee Taylor
The Body Is Not an Apology moves beyond a focus on self-esteem and acceptance to combating self-hate and body terrorism through the concept of radical self-love. Radical self-love is our inherent state of being worthy and enough.
The Body Positive Journal
Virgie Tovar
The Body Positive Journal is part diary, part workbook filled with prompts, reflections, and fun illustrations designed to encourage the reader to release judgment and shame, and love and value their body as is.
You Are Here
Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace activist and Zen monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, is a revered teacher and well known for his ability to make the principles of Buddhism accessible to a wide audience. You Are Here is a wonderful book that highlights the primary messages of Buddhist thought in an easy to follow text.
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
Towards the beginning of the book, Frankl quotes Nietzsche, "He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How." This concept is the premise of Frankl's philosophy of logotherapy – the assertion that the primary motivation for human existence is to find meaning in life.
Mindfulness for Chocolate Lovers: A Lighthearted Way to Stress Less and Savor More Each Day
Diane. R. Gehart
What I love about this book is its compassionate and non-judgmental approach, combining positive psychology and Eastern wisdom into an easy-to-follow path to find your joy & your "flow."
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
If you have followed Glennon Doyle's work over the years, you have been witness to her moving back and forth in the way she views the world, herself, and her truth. In "Untamed" she gives recognition and validation to the process of making, taking apart, and remaking the way we move in the world.
TRAUMA
Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance
Lisa Olivera
With a down-to-earth approach, Lisa Olivera introduces principles to work on self-worth and self-acceptance from the perspective of narrative therapy.
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
Tricia Hersey
What if rest was a political act? This is the concept that Tricia Hersey explores in her manifesto on rest. Despite her popular project, the Nap Ministry — rest, she summarizes, isn't just about napping.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
The Body Keeps the Score is the preeminent book on the study of how trauma impacts us mentally, emotionally, neurologically, and physiologically, giving voice to the lived experience of trauma survivors everywhere.
The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence
Gavin de Becker
The Gift of Fear, written by one of the leading national experts on personal safety, threat assessment, and violence prevention was designed to give anyone the tools they need to provide their own threat assessment.
RELATIONSHIPS AND INTIMACY
How to Love
Thich Nhat Hanh
This small book of meditations is filled with wisdom and opportunities for reflection on the way that we invite love into our lives. A few of the topics covered include love in intimate relationships, self-love, empty sex, crushes, and listening and communication.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert
John M. Gottman, Ph.D. and Nan Silver
Dr and Dr Gottman are the creators of the Gottman Method of couples therapy, a form of therapy that I chose to train in because of the strength of the research-based interventions.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
When conflicts intensify and communication breaks down, this book is a wonderful guide to help parents put empathy first and begin steps toward communicating more effectively with their children.
CHILDREN, TEENS, & YOUNG ADULTS
HIGH CONFLICT DIVORCE, SEPARATION, AND CO-PARENTING
Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive
Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. & Mary, Hartzell, M.Ed.
Multigenerational trauma, also known as transgenerational or intergenerational trauma, is the concept that trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next.
NARCISSISTIC ABUSE RECOVERY
Will I Ever Be Free of You?: How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family
Karyl McBride Ph.D.
This book does a wonderful job of walking the reader through the impact of recovering from a narcissistic romantic relationship, with a heavy focus on divorces and partnership separations.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist
Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D.
When you are in the midst of a relationship with a narcissist, it can be difficult to get an objective view of what is happening – that's part of the abuse.