PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT READING LIST

Instead of a blog post on a particular topic, this month I thought I’d offer a reading list with books that I often suggest to clients during therapy sessions. This list ranges a variety of topics. Some are specifically mental health related, others poetry, and some are simply gifted writers who I’ve enjoyed over the years. My hope is that there is something for everyone in this list and that if you are seeking intellectual stimulation, you can find a great read among these suggestions.

Please note, some authors on this list hold religious and political ideologies that are expressed in their writings. I am not personally aligned with everything expressed in these books, however; I find it valuable to read various perspectives and experiences. I hope you can take from these resources what is right for you and leave what doesn’t serve you.

MENTAL HEALTH

Mother’s, Daughter’s, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are - Hillary McBride

The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodies Living  - Hillary McBride

The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van den Kolk

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies - Resmaa Menakem

Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others - Scott Lyons

Mother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Heal From Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance - Kelly McDaniel

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model - Richard Schwartz

CULTURAL ANALYSIS + MEMOIR

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good - Elise Loehnen

To Shake The Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia and a Quest for a Life with No Regrets - Jedidiah Jenkins

Like Streams to The Ocean: Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are - Jedidiah Jenkins

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times - Pema Chödrön

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times - Michelle Obama

Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change - Angela Garbes

Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy - Angela Garbes

Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living - Krista Tippett

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot - Mikki Kendall

PARENTING AND FAMILY

Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) - Eve Rodsky

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be - Becky Kennedy

Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive - Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell

The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind - Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

POETRY AND JOURNALS

Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver - Mary Oliver

The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul - Danielle LaPorte

How To Carry What Can’t Be Fixed: A Journal for Grief - Megan Devine

Hopefully there is something here that is enjoyable or helpful to where you are at in your life. If you find yourself needing support in addition to these resources, please reach out to me and let’s connect about next steps for you. In the meantime, take good care! - Rachael