Book Recommendations
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der Kolk
This is an essential book for understanding the effects and treatments for trauma. Although it can be clinical at times, many people find that this book gave them a deep understanding of themselves. The author does an excellent job of incorporating various approaches to treating trauma such as EMDR, neurofeedback, somatic therapies, yoga, etc. If you’re looking to start your journey to heal from trauma or difficult life experiences, this is a book that will present you with many paths to explore.
Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari
Another excellent book to read is Lost Connections which is an excellent reframing of the ideas behind anxiety and depression. It looks capitalism directly in the face and confronts how it deeply impacts our mental health through social alienation, consumerism and literal isolation. In addition, this is a great critique of the way that the American mental health system refuses to recognizing these factors play all while over-emphasizing the role of brain chemistry. If you’ve ever wondered, “why do I feel so miserable?” this is the book for you.
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find--And Keep-- Love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
Another book that I find myself recommending time and time again is Attached which is about attachment theory and relationships. I think when I say that I’m pretty tired of the day-time TV explanations for relationship issues, I’m preaching to the choir. This book uses a strong evidence base to analyze common issues in relationships and dating such as feeling overly-dependent or feeling overwhelmed by your partner’s needs and breaks down the solutions to these issues into simple, easy to follow steps. Many times our childhood experiences and trauma influence how safe we feel with our partners and when we don’t feel safe many commonly known issues result. If you find yourself having the same issues with partners or dating again and again, this book will definitely get some wheels turning and make a huge difference in how you respond to your partner’s needs or what kind of partner you’re looking for