“The Compassionate Mind,” by Paul Gilbert
Summary: Our minds have developed in a way that makes them highly sensitive to perceived threats. This fast-acting system can…
Books – Healing & Growth
“Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown, Ph.D.
Summary: If you would like to live your life in a more reflective way, there is no better author than…
“Prisoners of Our Thoughts” by Alex Pattakos, Ph.D. and Elaine Dundon
Summary: Drawing on the work of Viktor Frankl, renowned psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, psychologists Pattakos and Dundon outline 7 core…
“How To Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks
Summary: I do not make New Year’s Resolutions. They too often rely on impulsive wishes, and result in feeling inadequate…
“Truth and Repair” by Judith Lewis Herman, M.D.
Summary: Psychiatrist Judith Herman is one of the most respected voices in the area of trauma – especially sexual violence. …
“The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams
Summary: If you only read one book this year, this is the book I would recommend. It is one of…
“The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World,” by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Summary: A frequent topic in my therapy sessions is forgiveness: Should we forgive another? How do we do that in…
“Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World,” by Vivek H Murthy, M.D. (Surgeon General of the United States)
Summary: Even when surrounded by people, and bombarded by endless stimulation, humans can often still feel lonely. The hidden impact…
“The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: a 4-step plan for resilient living” by Amit Sood, M.D.
Summary: Dr. Sood is a specialist in stress and resiliency who has spent decades studying the factors that help people…
“Healing and the Mind” by Bill Moyers
Summary: In this companion volume to the PBS series, television journalist Bill Moyers explores the fascinating, complex, powerful connection between…
“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.
Summary: Trauma is a fact of life. Most lives are touched by trauma to some degree. This book explores the…
“The War for Kindness: Building Empathy In A Fractured World” by Jamil Zaki
Summary: This book weaves science and stories together, examining why we struggle to understand people who aren’t like us, but…
“The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom” by Jonathan Haidt
Summary: Jonathan Haidt is a brilliant and engaging Social Psychologist who combines ancient wisdom with scientific research to study how…
“The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science” by Norman Doidge, M.D.
Summary: Scientists once thought the fully-developed adult brain was unchangeable. This has not turned out to be the case. The…
“Prisoners of Our Thoughts” by Alex Pattakos, Ph.D. and Elaine Dundon
Summary: Drawing on the work of Viktor Frankl, renowned psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, psychologists Pattakos and Dundon outline 7 core…
“Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown, Ph.D.
Summary: If you would like to live your life in a more reflective way, there is no better author than…
“The Compassionate Mind,” by Paul Gilbert
Summary: Our minds have developed in a way that makes them highly sensitive to perceived threats. This fast-acting system can…
“Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself” by Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
Summary: The mental health community got it wrong when we embraced the importance of self-esteem, and we are rapidly walking…