These are therapy/self-help (or roughly adjacent) books that I’ve either read, am reading, or plan to read. Have you read any of these, or are you wondering about any of them? Do you have any book suggestions? Let’s start a conversation!
Complete
Chronic Illness
The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O’Rourke
Cultural Awareness
So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
In Search of Our Roots by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
White Women by Regina Jackson & Saira Rao
General Wellbeing
The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… And It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
Lost Connections by Johann Hari (this was technically a school assignment, but it’s very easy reading and a bit motivating)
LGBTQIA+
The T in LGBT by Jamie Raines
Neurodiversity
Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD: Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldly, and Break Through Barriers by Sari Solden, Michelle Frank & Ellen Littman
Parenting
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
Simplicity Parenting by Lisa M. Ross & Kim John Payne
Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel & Mary Hartzell
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
Religious Trauma
Pure by Linda Kay Klein
Sex & Relationships
Desire by Lauren Fogel Mersy & Jennifer A. Vencill
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
Come Together by Emily Nagoski
Attached by Amir Levine
Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work by John Gottman & Julie Gottman
Rethinking Narcissism by Craig Malkin
Therapy Modalities
Introduction to Internal Family Systems by Richard Schwartz
No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma & Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz
Trauma
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
The Healing Power of Play by Eliana Gil
The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color by Natalie Gutierrez [bonus: it’s very IFS-based!]
Vulva-Owner Concerns
Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden
Moody Bitches by Julie Holland (I actually gave up on this one; it chafed a bit)
It’s Not Hysteria by Dr. Karen Tang
In Progress
Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility by Arthur Rosengarten
I Want to Connect: Rewire Your Nervous System for Stress Resilience and Secure Attachment by Annie Chen
The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
Not Started
Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel
Trauma and Recovery by Judith L. Herman
South to America by Imani Perry
1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan