Sharing My Favorite Reads
If you're like me, you’re always on the hunt for a good read, especially when it comes to mental health. Today, I'm diving into three books that tackle mental health in unique and insightful ways. I’ll be sharing my personal take on each, so grab a comfy seat, maybe a cup of tea, and hopefully at least one will catch your eye to read! I will say, some of these books tackle difficult topics so please only read if you are in a good mind space.
Letters To a Young Therapist
I wish I read this book while I was in my Master’s program rather than years into my career. However, better late than never. Mary Phipher has been a therapist for 30+ years so this book speaks from her own experiences with everyone across the lifespan. This book follows fictitious letters written to a young grad student to help her tackle various obstacles that come our way during this career. One thing that really stood out to me is the way this feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’ is broken down! There is no ‘quick fix’ in this career and this really helped me ground myself and truly believe in the food I have the skillset to do while also realizing and accepting that mistakes happen and that is okay! I will say, this book is from 2005, so it may feel a little dated so keep that in mind if you choose this.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Trigger warning for this book: trauma talk. Bessel van der Kolk explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. This book has been published in 36 languages; Just to show how popular and captivating it is! What trauma is defined as and its relation to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the effects of human behavior from the brain, healing, and so much more are thoroughly discussed as well as trauma treatments like Neural Feedback and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). He even uses real life examples from his experiences as a clinical and researcher. This book is a must read if you want to understand the biological impact that adverse experiences have on your body.
Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being
I wanted to include this text because it's recently published (February 2024) and I think it has the potential to be one of the more well known mental health books! This book also has some trauma talk as Sue Varma discusses her career. In it, Varma shares her journey with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helped her, like many others, manage stress and led to her developing Practical Optimism (PO). She discusses the 8 pillars that PO is built on-—Purpose, Processing Emotions, Problem-Solving, Pride, Proficiency, Present, People, and Practicing Healthy Habits. These pillars offer strategies to build resilience, enhance emotional regulation, and promote personal growth, ultimately fostering a positive, resilient outlook on life. This book left me feeling inspired and equipped with more knowledge on the use of PO in everyday life.
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