Resources

The following self-help books were considered excellent by a significant number of mental health practitioners in a large survey. This is only a partial list of the most highly rated books.

Anger:

• Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion by Carol Tavris
• The Anger Workbook by Lorrainne Bilodeau
• Letting Go of Anger: The 10 Most Common Anger Styles and What to Do About Them by Ron Potter-Efron, et al
• A Volcano in My Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger: A Resource Book for Parents, Caregivers and Teachers by Eliane Whitehouse, Warwick Pudney
• The Explosive Child by Ross Greene

Anxiety:

• The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne
• Don’t Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks by R. Reid Wilson Ph.D
• Stop Obsessing!: How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions (Revised Edition) by Edna B. Foa, Reid Wilson
• The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Bruce M. Hyman, Cherry Pedrick

Battered Women:

• The Battered Woman by Lenore E. Walker
• Getting Free: You Can End Abuse and Take Back Your Life by Ginny Nicarthy
• The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships by Harriet Lerner

Communication:

• How to Communicate: The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Personal and Professional Relationships by Davis, McKay, et al
• People Skills by Robert Bolton
• You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen
• Boundaries by Henry Cloud, John Townsend

Death & Grieving:

• How to Survive the Loss of a Love by Peter McWilliams, et al
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner
• On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
• Helping Children Grieve: When Someone They Love Dies by Theresa Huntley

Love:

• Love Is Never Enough by Aaron T. Beck
• The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• The Triangle of Love: Intimacy, Passion, Commitment by Robert J. Sternberg
• Obsessive Love: When It Hurts Too Much to Let Go by Susan Forward, Craig Buck

Marriage:

• Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last by John M. Gottman, Nan Silver
• Intimate Partners: Patterns in Love and Marriage by Maggie Scarf
• Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix
• Divorce Busting: A Revolutionary and Rapid Program for Staying Together
  by Michele Weiner-Davis
• Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Mood Disorders:

• Feeling Good by David Burns
• The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns
• Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger, Christine A. Padesky
• Control Your Depression by Peter M. Lewinsohn
• When Living Hurts: For Teenagers and Young Adults – A Lively What-To-Do Book for Yourself or Someone You Care About Who Feels Discouraged, Sad, Lonely by Sol Gordon

Self Management:

• Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind & Your Life by Martin E. Seligman
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• What You Can Change… and What You Can’t: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement: Learning to Accept Who You Are by Martin P. Seligman
• Overcoming Procrastination: Or How to Think and Act Rationally in Spite of Life’s Inevitable Hassles by Albert Ellis, et al

Sexual Abuse:

• The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
• Victims No Longer: Men Recovering from Incest and Other Sexual Child Abuse by Mike Lew, Ellen Bass

Stress:

• The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, et al
• The Stress and Relaxation Handbook: A Practical Guide to Self-Help Techniques by Jane Madders
• The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining Health and Treating Stress-Related Illness by Herbert Benson, Eileen M. Stuart