Always answer when a book knocks on your door
I’m one of those therapists that’s always talking about a book I read, that I recommend my clients read or that I want to read. There’s an ever-growing list of books I want to read and hopefully will actually get around to. I love it when clients come to the session and discuss a book they read or suggest one to me. It helps me understand them better within the context of a book that’s important to them. Reading is a big part of my life, my learning and my enjoyment of my unscheduled time.
I prefer to read books first before I recommend them, as it’s so much more beneficial for me to be sure I am recommending something clinically sound, relevant and that matches current research as well as my values. It seemed like a reasonable idea to centralize that list here. I’ll section them by already read in italics and “on the list” in bold for clarity. This isn’t every book I’ve read and enjoyed, it wouldn’t be practical to list all of them. This, however, was an easily-thought-of list that came to mind fairly spontaneously, in no particular order.
While I am linking to the author or publisher’s page typically, remember your local library is a great resource to get many of these books, in print or e-book or audiobooks via free app download.
I do not receive any compensation from anyone regarding recommendation of these books, it’s only because I or my clients have benefited so much that I’m sharing my list.
Here we go!
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents https://www.newharbinger.com/author/lindsay-c-gibson/
What Happened To You? https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250223210/whathappenedtoyou
It Didn't Start With You - https://markwolynn.com/it-didnt-start-with-you/
Emotional Inheritance - https://www.galitatlas.com/emotional-inheritance1
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - https://lorigottlieb.com/books/maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone/
The State of Affairs - https://www.estherperel.com/books
Mating in Captivity - https://www.estherperel.com/books
Attached - https://www.attachedthebook.com/wordpress/
I Want This To Work - https://elizabethearnshaw.com/
The Dance of Anger - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dance-of-anger-harriet-lerner?variant=39876006445090
Shameless - https://nadiabolzweber.com/shameless/
The Tao of Pooh - https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477
The Te of Piglet - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/327832/the-te-of-piglet-by-benjamin-hoff/
The Body Keeps the Score - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
Passionate Marriage - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/403927/passionate-marriage-by-david-schnarch/9780393334272
The Four Agreements - https://www.miguelruiz.com/the-four-agreements
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*@& - https://markmanson.net/books
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts - https://drgabormate.com/book/
Healing the Child Within - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Healing-the-Child-Within/Charles-Whitfield/9780932194404
Codependent No More - https://melodybeattie.com/books/codependent-no-stop-controlling-others-start-caring/
Man’s Search for Meaning - https://viktorfranklamerica.com/viktor-frankl-books/
The Myth of Normal - https://drgabormate.com/book/
Scattered Minds - https://drgabormate.com/book/
When The Body Says No - https://drgabormate.com/book/
Good Inside - https://www.goodinside.com/book/
Set Boundaries, Find Peace - https://www.nedratawwab.com/set-boundaries-find-peace-1
The Body is Not an Apology - https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/
Hold Me Tight - https://drsuejohnson.com/books/
Wired for Love - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250790606/wiredforlove
No Bad Parts - https://ifs-institute.com/nobadparts
What My Bones Know - https://www.stephaniefoo.me/
The 7 Principles of Making Marriage Work - https://www.gottman.com/product/the-seven-principles-for-making-marriage-work/
The Mountain is You - https://shopcatalog.com/people/brianna-wiest/
10 Percent Happier - https://www.tenpercent.com/dan-harris-books
The Courage to Be Disliked - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Courage-to-Be-Disliked/Ichiro-Kishimi/9781501197277
Tell me below in the comments the books you’ve loved!