Recommended Resources: Book Edition

Throughout my career, I’ve lost count of how many times a client has asked for a resource for themselves or a friend or family member. I’ve also lost count of how many times a client has brought an awesome resource to my attention! While I know it’s impossible to make a completely comprehensive list of all of the best resources out there, I figured it was worth putting some…okay a lot…in one place.

Ever wondered where the heck to start learning more about yourself? Those around you? The world or existence on a whole? I’ve got you. I welcome you into this deep dive of frequently discussed and/or recommended books to help you start this journey.

Oh, and by the way, kudos to you! The world is jam-packed with mental health resources which is pretty intimidating. Even just reading some descriptions, putting something on your list to read later, or getting right into something is no small thing. Know that I’m cheering you on as you explore, uncover, and make sense of the new things you’ll learn.

As a bit of a disclaimer, I am going to highlight just a few recommended books for each category. That is not exhaustive of all of the recommendations! Click through on the link directly below to see the entire list for each category. I’m just shining the spotlight on a handful to get things started 😊

Want to shop these recommendations and/or see the rest of the list? Check out the list here.

Therapist Approved and Recommended Books for: Anxiety, Stress, Burnout, & Depression

While therapy can be immeasurably beneficial for these experiences, I also know therapy is not always accessible or feasible. Unfortunately, anxiety, stress, burnout, and depression don’t wait for moments in which you can access comprehensive support. Books, support groups, and online communities can be amazing supports to check out whether or not you can partake in therapy too.

There is a benefit to understanding the why’s and how’s of these experiences as well as answering the “what now?”. Reading pieces like those highlighted here (and many more if you click through on the link above or at the end of the blog) help to begin making sense of these big and unsettling topics. If possible, I recommend finding professional support to help you along this process and reaching longer-lasting change - specifically for the “what now?” types of questions.

Therapist Approved and Recommended Books for: Relationships, Communication, & Sex

Whew, what a combination of topics. As a therapist who works with individuals AND couples and relationships, I think it’s a disservice to separate these topics to be frank with you. No matter the type of relationship (sibling, romantic, sexual, coworking, etc.), there are certain perspectives and skills that can support them in being healthier and more beneficial for you. The specificities of communication and sex will obviously change depending on the type of relationship.

That being said, recognizing the connections and overlap serves your efforts in improving how you show up for yourself and others interpersonally. I want to address that these areas of life can be very nuanced, so please know that these highlighted books are a beginning place. There are many wonderful texts out there that get much more specific about everything that is focused on in this list, though I do find these to be a great start to to conversations around feeling closer to and better understanding those we have relationships with.

Therapist Approved and Recommended Books for: Wellness and Self-Help

What is wellness? And what am I helping myself with? I hear you. These are very vague categories or genres and, because of that, can be kind of daunting to jump into. This category in particular is really difficult to hone into because so much can be covered! Some of it really well…and some of it not so much. Here, I’ve highlighted both generally helpful pieces and some that get rather specific into particular experiences that have come up for a lot of my clients (and those in their lives).

If you find any especially helpful, I highly recommend looking into related works to continue your learning! Overall, these are authors that have published multiple books and sometimes have their own recommended readings throughout (or at the end) of their books for you to explore.

Therapist Approved and Recommended Books for: Trauma and Grief

Trauma and grief can feel so, so isolating to go through. Sometimes it can be helpful to read about the perspectives and experiences of others to help feel a sense of community - and maybe even direction. A valuable aspect of these books is that they also include how the authors and people in the books moved through their experiences, what they have taken away, and how they continue to move forward.

I’m also not naive to recognize that ‘trauma’ and ‘grief’ are massive topics that could not possibly be appropriately reduced to a number of resources. This list includes various experiences of trauma and grief to start exploring.

Therapist Approved and Recommended Workbooks and Journals

Want to go a bit further as you read the books on our list? Or just generally level up your work on your self-improvement journey? Here is a list of some awesome workbooks on all of the topics (and subtopics) covered above.

These vary on level of involvement and text. Some will have more given insight or background and direction than others. Also, please note that some of these are companions to books! Totally your choice to do them together, sequentially, or not together whatsoever and simply choosing the book or workbook.

When it comes to workbooks and journals, a big component of how successful it is for you comes down to personal preference and readiness. Are you able to devote consistent energy to this topic? Are you open to hearing different perspectives? What about learning some things about yourself that might be challenging or saddening?

Much like therapy itself, these texts encourage you to confront how you’ve been operating to see what adjustments can be made to achieve that life you’re desiring. Usually, that doesn’t happen without learning and committing to some level of change.

IN GENERAL: If you’re feeling like you’re not getting much out of a book, workbook, or journal, I recommend honestly speaking with yourself about your readiness to do the tasks. It’s possible now, for whatever reason, just isn’t the best time! Come back to it another time. On the flip side, if you’re just really not connecting with the format or writer, give yourself permission to leave this one behind and experiment with another!

Want to shop these recommendations and/or see the rest of the list? Check out the list here.

The journey of growth and improvement is commendable and, let’s be real, a lot. I would love to support you and help you make sense of the thoughts and feelings that come up as you explore these resources. Learn more about me and my approach for individual therapy in NJ and MA to see if you’d like to work together!

As always, take good care of yourself

-Elise

About our affiliate links:

For those of you that don’t live in a state we can provide therapy in and/or maybe you don’t want therapy, here are some great resources.

The world is chock full of resources and mental health materials; these are things that our clinicians have found as some of the best and now use and recommend all the time.

Thank you in advance for buying through these links. We use any money gained from these links to help our lower income clients. If you love/hate a resource, please tell us. If it has changed and is bad, we want to stop recommending it.