Dr. Hamilton recommends:

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne, Ph.D.
With anxiety so pervasive, this book is the perfect adjunct to therapy. Virtually every client that has used this book has noted its simple and effective techniques. This comprehensive book addresses all kinds of anxieties and is a tremendous resource.

The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns, M.D.
This is the first book I recommend to clients who are battling depression. The main focus of the book is identifying and exposing thought distortions, largely believed to lead to depressive moods. Clients note that this book is also easy to use and understand.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Deviating from my first two more technical titles, I personally found this book to be life changing. A non-fiction read, this book is about a grown man who goes back to interview his beloved dying college professor. A question I often ask in therapy is, "Let's pretend you're 70-years-old, and we happen to cross paths again. Tell me about your life. Are you content and satisfied with how you lived it? What changes can we make in the here-and-now to ensure that you can answer that question satisfactorily when you are 70?" This powerful book can help lead the way through the eyes of a man reflecting on his life.

The Gift of Peace by Joseph Cardinal Bernadin
The late archbishop of Chicago penned this book during his battle with cancer. In a society where we are so life affirming and death denying, this book can help provide peace for someone who is facing end-of-life issues or is struggling with a loved one’s death. The author is a Catholic bishop and the book is clearly influenced by that, but most readers can learn many things from this man's journey toward death.

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Staff Therapist Tom Kent, LCSW, recommends:

I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression by Terrence Real.
Real addresses the innate sense so many men carry that depression is a sign of weakness and defeat. He posits that men are socialized to sublimate an inner sense of worthlessness in over work, alcoholism, abuse, rage, and avoidance of intimacy by keeping others at a distance. He suggests the cycle of depression is passed on to men’s children by sharing their pain with them. He suggests a hopeful path of recovery and reclaiming of one’s authentic self by identifying the original pain or loss, entering into the feelings of pain with a competent therapist, learning to take steps into authentic intimacy that begin with acceptance of one’s self. Real’s down-to-earth and common sense approach serves to de-mystify the cloud of fear that often over shadows mental health issues in men. As a man
myself, I was readily able to identify with his descriptions of loss and common reactions he describes. It’s a helpful tool for men who seem to get hung up about seeking therapy by helping them understand that feelings of darkness are common and widespread among men while rarely discussed openly.

Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix.
Getting the Love You Want is a helpful tool for couples seeking to rebuild their relationship following pain and hurt, but is also very applicable for those who seek to simply move past a rut where they have begun to take each other for granted. Hendrix’ approach is well grounded in family history as the basis for teaching us how to be men and women, how to relate with each other, how to be parents and more. He understands family history as the facet that defines our perspective of “normal.” Hendrix provides many exercises and tools for couples that help them understand their partner’s history and framework for normal. By growing in this awareness, Hendrix leads us to understand our partners better, to anticipate their needs and desires, and to relate better. He also provides material for couples to plan a new kind of normal together as they move into the future. This book is a resource I often comment to couples for ongoing maintenance of their relationship after therapy ends.

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Staff Therapist Martha Jackson-Oppeneer, LMFT, recommends:

“Thrilled to Death: How the endless pursuit of pleasure is leaving us numb” by Archibald D. Hart, Ph.D.
Dr. Hart’s research explores “anhedonia” – a condition in which the pleasure system shuts down completely, leaving us unable to experience pleasure. He contends that this occurs as a direct result of our relentless pursuit of pleasure. In overloading our “pleasure circuits,” we then find it necessary to seek more intense experiences of pleasure to prevent feeling numb. This, of course, becomes a vicious cycle. Dr. Hart offers readers a seven-step approach to recovery that will help them find healthy forms of pleasure, control stress, master relaxation, enhance happiness and create room in life for what really matters.

“Why Marriages Succeed or Fail.And How You Can Make Yours Last” by John Gottman, Ph.D.
Marriage is not a game of chance. There are very specific actions we can take to avoid divorce and enhance the quality of our marital relationships. Psychologist John Gottman identifies attitudes that doom a marriage and provides a wealth of helpful information that can help you take concrete steps to improve your marriage.

"Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is the book so many of my clients are talking about. It chronicles the author's descent into depression as she realizes that "having it all" has left her feeling empty and in a state of near panic. Gilbert's narrative describes her world travels as she searches for meaning, authenticity, peace of mind and a deeper sense of connection with God. The book subtly challenges her readers to explore their own lives, searching for meaning and fulfillment in the midst of the ordinariness of everyday life.

"Markings on the Windowsill; A Book About Grief That's Really About Hope" by Ronald Greer
Rev. Greer is a Pastoral Counselor and Marriage and Family therapist whose two-year- old son was killed in an auto accident. Many years later, Greer wrote this book, which chronicles his slow path toward healing and shares insights about how he and his family found ways to make meaning out of tragedy, strengthen their faith and offer support to others as a result of their loss.

"Solitude: A Return to the Self" by Anthony Storr, M.D.
Storr is a psychiatrist who writes about the fundamental human need to find time for solitude. Storr suggests that solitude offers us the opportunity to heal, discover and express creativity, commune with a higher power and connect with our deepest selves. Although more clinical than other books on our reading list, this is worth wading through if the topic is of interest to you.

"Rituals For Our Times: Celebrating, Healing, and Changing Our Lives and Our Relationships" by Evan Imber-Black, Ph.D., and Janine Roberts, Ed.D.
Imber-Black and Roberts are Family Therapists and Educators who specialize in exploring the role of rituals in the life of a family. They suggest that rituals are the catalyst for bringing families closer together, making meaning of their experiences and forging deeper emotional bonds. Rituals can be as simple as sharing a meal or as complex as designing a ritual to help bring a blended family together. Imber-Black and Roberts offer many stories and examples that can help their readers better incorporate rituals into their daily lives.

"Inner Work: Using Dreams & Active Imagination For Personal Growth" by Robert A. Johnson
Johnson is a Jungian analyst who writes about the inner world of our dreams and imagination in a way that is easily understood. Johnson believes that being in touch with this hidden depth within ourselves can provide greater clues about who we are, who we long to become and strengths we can call upon to continue our quest toward personal growth and transformation. He outlines ways to explore and analyze our dreams and the "material" that surfaces when we allow our imaginations to become active.

"I'm Grieving As Fast As I Can: How Young Widows and Widowers Can Cope and Heal." by Linda Feinberg, MSW, LCSW
Feinberg is a psychotherapist who specializes in grief counseling. Through her work and research, she discovered that the experiences of young widows/widowers were markedly different than those of much older persons. Using many vignettes from her own work with widows/widowers, she offers the reader valuable insights and helpful suggestions for navigating this difficult transition. This is a helpful, hopeful book for people going through this experience.

"How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk." by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
Although this book has been in print for many years, the concepts outlined by the authors are still relevant and sound. Using many practical, "real life" examples, Faber and Mazlish teach parents to validate and empathize with their children. These simple techniques can go far toward ending the cycle of obstinacy that parents often experience with their children.

"Food and Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best." by Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
We have probably all noticed that what we eat affects everything from our energy level to our mood. Yet, it can be difficult to distill mountains of complex scientific data in an attempt to discover what changes we might make that will yield positive results. Somer has summarized scientific literature from over 2000 studies in an attempt to offer practical, comprehensible information about diet and health. This book includes practical tips for choosing nutrients that will improve your memory, energy level, sleep patterns, weight management and mood.

"Reconcilable Differences" by Andrew Christensen, PhD and Neil S. Jacobson, PhD
This is a well-written, easy to read book for couples. It helps readers understand why they have the same fights over and over, and guides them through exercises which can assist them in quickly defusing arguments, accepting differences, respecting each other's emotional needs and identifying what can and cannot be changed in each person.

"Continuing Bonds: New Understandings of Grief" by Dennis Klass, Phyllis R. Silverman, and Steven L. Nickman, Ed.
We often assume that the function of grief is to "get over" our loss; to cut emotional ties with the deceased and move on with our lives. The authors' research reveals that this approach is based more on cultural values than upon what actually occurs. In exploring individual experiences and grieving rituals from other cultures, the authors offer opportunities for readers to examine ways of grieving which honor and incorporate the relationship they had/have with the deceased. While not a "light read," this is well worth it if you or a loved one are attempting to navigate your own grieving process.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
This is a compelling novel about a young man with autism and his struggles to understand and cope with a world that intrigues, mystifies and sometimes terrifies him. Haddon has done an unforgettable job of helping the rest of us better understand the inner workings of someone with autism.

"An Unquiet Mind; Memoir of Moods and Madness" by Kay Redfield Jamison
The author chronicles her journey from an emotionally volatile child to a bipolar adult, writing candidly about her self-destructive behavior as she struggled to accept and appropriately treat her illness. Dr. Jamison lends the unique perspective of a also being a psychologist and professor of psychiatry. She is a brilliant individual with the finest education who nonetheless struggled to accept the diagnosis in herself - a precipitous path that almost resulted in personal and professional ruin. Jamison's willingness to be so candid about her illness offers a great gift of understanding to those living with this disease and to those who care about them.

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Staff Therapist Joy Hartman, MSW, LCSW, recommends:

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, by Mary Pipher, PhD.
"At adolescence, says Mary Pipher, "girls become 'female impersonators' who fit their whole selves into small, crowded spaces." Many lose spark, interest, and even IQ points as a "girl-poisoning" society forces a choice between being shunned for staying true to oneself and struggling to stay within a narrow definition of female. Pipher's alarming tales of a generation swamped by pain may be partly informed by her role as a therapist who sees troubled children and teens, but her sketch of a tougher, more menacing world for girls often hits the mark. She offers some prescriptions for changing society and helping girls resist."
(Amazon.com review)

Parenting With Love and Logic, by Foster W. Cline & Jim Fay.
"Psychiatrist Cline and educator Fay's "Love and Logic" parenting method advocates raising responsible children through practice. "Helicopter" parents hover around their children while "drill sergeant" parents give orders to theirs, they claim. Neither of these styles permits children to learn how to make choices and learn from the consequences. The result is that as early as adolescence these children too often make bad decisions. In the context of a healthy, loving relationship, "Love and Logic" parents teach their children responsibility and the logic of life by solving their own problems, providing skills for coping in the real world. After laying out the principles of "Love and Logic," the authors provide "parenting pearls," which are strategies for applying the method to actual situations such as back-seat battles in the car, homework, and keeping bedrooms clean. The narration, performed by Tim
Kenney and Bert Gurule, is clear and energetic. This is an upbeat and sensible approach to child rearing that will be popular in public libraries." -Nann Blaine Hilyard, Fargo P.L., N.D.

Shelter of Each Other, by Mary Pipher, PhD.
"As she tells stories of families her own and others, therapist Pipher (Reviving Ophelia) focuses on small victories in what she calls "the current family-hurting culture." Distancing herself from therapies that pathologize families, Pipher claims to have experienced the power of hope that can be stimulated through carefully chosen family stories. In even the most dysfunctional families, she discerns threads of connectedness that have led to empowerment of her clients as they became more capable of handling their own lives. Pipher recommends an empathetic approach to families' efforts to survive in a difficult era, one that parallels the homesteading years of her grandparents earlier in this century. She offers plain and practical talk for beleaguered parents and the families they are trying to protect." (From Publisher's Weekly/Amazon.com)

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Staff Therapist Gary Breuer, MA, LPC, recommends:

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E.P. Seligman PhD
The author helps the reader to challenge pessimistic, negative, and depressive thinking patterns and to replace them with positive thinking patterns; the result is experiencing an optimistic outlook and improved mood.

Clear Your Past, Change Your Future: Proven Techniques for Inner Exploration and Healing by Lynne D. Finney, J.D., M.S.W.
This book guides the reader by identifying past hurts that affect the present, changing maladaptive thought and behavior patterns, and creating a vision for one’s future. It also discusses the joy and importance of living in the present moment and inner-transformation.

The Self-Forgiveness Handbook: A Practical and Empowering Guide by Thom Rudledge, LCSW
The reader will learn to challenge unhealthy belief patterns, forgiving self, and developing personal responsibility, awareness and compassion. This book discusses the importance of relationship with self.

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Newsletter Reader Recommendations:

Self-Esteem by Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning
This is a very thorough look at the issue of low self-esteem which is often a piece of the depression and anxiety our clients experience. It talks about ways to disarm your inner critic, cognitive distortions that perpetuate low self-esteem, how to develop self-esteem in children and many other issues around self-esteem. I believe there is a companion workbook that can also be used to do exercises around self-esteem.

After the Affair by Janis Abrahms Spring
I think this is an excellent book to recommend to couples struggling to restore their relationship after an affair. The thing I like most about it is that it looks at the issue from both points of view - from the point of view of the person that cheated and from the point of view of the person that was cheated on. Couples I have recommended it to have found it very helpful in helping them try and understand the other person's point of view.

Lifemates: The Love Fitness Program for a Lasting Relationship by Harold Bloomfield and Sirah Vettese
This book has many good exercises for couples to use to revitalize their relationship. I especially like the “Heart Talks" that encourage deeper and deeper levels of sharing for the couple.

The Seven Principles for Making a Marriage Work by John Gottman and Nan Silver
John Gottman has done a lot of scientifically-verifiable work on the characteristics of relationships that work and relationships that don't work. He gives very practical advice on things to incorporate into your relationship to make it stronger. He also discusses very clear things to avoid which are often red flags for problems down the road.

I Hate You - Don't Leave Me Understanding Borderline Personality by Jerold Kreisman
For anyone working with or in a relationship with someone with borderline personality disorder, this does a good job of helping you understand the person. It also offers help with learning how to cope with them and their violent mood swings, chronic depression and self-destructive tendencies.

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante H. Gunaratana
"This one seemed to have the best reviews and I like the apparent simple approach to describing mindfulness."

Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn
"I liked that this was available digitally so that I can take advantage of the drive for work."

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. “Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity. Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one. In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely” (Amazon.com description).

How To Win as a Step-Family by Emily Visher PhD and John Visher MD
For all blended families I work with, I highly recommended this book. Personally, it helped me as I adjusted to my new family. It normalizes the adjustment period families need to go through and is easy to understand. Great book!!!

You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life In Perspective by Richard Carlson, PhD
This is my most recent best book recommendation. It looks at how changing a person's thoughts and thinking can improve his/her outlook in life and build contentment. An easy to read book.

Fighting for Your Marriage by Howard J Markman, Scott M. Stanley, and Susan L. Blumberg. This book is based on groundbreaking studies that reveal strategies to help handle conflict more constructively, protect happiness and reduce the odds of breaking up.

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Dr. Gary Chapman reveals how different people express love in different ways. These love languages include: Quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service and physical touch.

Honeymoon Marriage by Darren and Donna McNees. Success in any area of life can be obtained by following a detailed road map written by someone who knows how to get there. "Honeymoon Marriage" is such a road map. It will guide you down the path to self-improvement, optimal health, financial prosperity, self-discovery, spiritual enlightenment, self-confidence, romance and intimacy.