Resources
SUGGESTED READINGS
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