Posted on April 21, 2025

Here are a few books I often recommend to clients who are looking to deepen their understanding of mental health, trauma, and personal growth. These resources can offer insight, support, and perspective between sessions. While they’re not a substitute for therapy, many people find them helpful on their healing journey.

Addictions

• It Will Never Happen to Me (Growing up with addiction as youngsters, adolescents, adults) by Claudia Black, Ph.D – Order from www.hazelden.org
• Recovering Joy: A Mindful Life After Addiction By Kevin Griffin
• Just for Today: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts by Narcotics Anonymous World Services
• Loosening the Grip: A Handbook of Alcohol Information by Jean Kinney
• Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave: Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel (Resources for Changing Lives) by Edward T. Welch
• Daily Reflections: A Book of Reflections by A.A. Members for A.A. Members by Alcoholics Anonymous
• How to Quit Drinking without AA: A Complete Self-Help Guide by Jerry Dorsman
• Managing Your Recovery from Addiction: A Guide for Executives, Senior Managers, and Other Professionals by David F O’Connell, Bruce Carruth, and Deborah Bevvino
• Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective by Katherine van Wormer
• The Recovery Book: Answers to All Your Questions About Addiction and Alcoholism and Finding Health and Happiness in Sobriety by Al J. Mooney M.D., Catherine Dold, Howard Eisenberg, Harry Haroutunian M.D. (Foreword)
• Willpower’s Not Enough: Recovering from Addictions of Every Kind by Arnold M. Washton
• The Heroin Diaries: Ten Year Anniversary Edition: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx
• Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones
• Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy by David Sheff
• The Addiction Recovery Skills Workbook: Changing Addictive Behaviors Using CBT, Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing Techniques by Suzette Glasner-Edwards PhD, Richard A Rawson PhD (Foreword)
• Why Don’t They JUST QUIT?: Hope for families struggling with addiction by Joe Herzanek and Judy Herzanek
• Marlena: A Novel by Julie Buntin
• Survivors of Addiction: Narratives of Recovery by Mary Addenbrooke
• Hope Street by Amanda Andruzzi
• Choices and Consequences:  What to do when a teenager uses alcohol/drugs by Dick Schaefer

Anxiety

• The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne PhD
• The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You by Robert L. Leahy
• The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit: Rapid techniques to rewire the brain by Melissa Tiers
• The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron
• The Highly Sensitive Person’s Workbook by Elaine N. Aron
• Face Your Fears: A Proven Plan to Beat Anxiety, Panic, Phobias, and Obsessions by David F. Tolin
• Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
• Dancing with Fear: Overcoming Anxiety in a World of Stress and Uncertainty by Paul Foxman
• The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
• Anxiety Gone: The Three C’s of Anxiety Recovery by Stanley Hibbs PhD
• The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life by Deepak Chopra MD
• Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of Anxiety, Fear, and Worry by Jennifer Shannon, Michael A. Tompkins (Foreword)
• When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life by David D. Burns MD
• Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
• You Are Not Your Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and Taking Control of Your Life by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Rebecca Gladding MD
• Resolving the Anxiety Dilemma by Dylan M. Kollman, David H. Barlow (Foreword)
• Angel of Fear: A Guide to End Stress & Anxiety by Albert Buhr
• The Mindful Way through Anxiety: Break Free from Chronic Worry and Reclaim Your Life by Susan M. Orsillo, Lizabeth Roemer, Zindel V. Segal (Foreword)
• Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic: Workbook (Treatments That Work) by David H. Barlow and Michelle G. Craske
• The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) by John P. Forsyth PhD and Georg H. Eifert PhD
• The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns
• Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) by Steven C. Hayes and Spencer Smith
• NEVER GOOD ENOUGH: How to use Perfectionism to Your Advantage Without Letting it Ruin Your Life by Monica Ramirez Basco
• The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
• The Dance of Intimacy by Harriet Lerner

Autism Spectrum Disorder

• The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch
• Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison
• Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teens and Young Adults by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke
• The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-So-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teens With Asperger Syndrome by Jennifer Cook O’Toole
• All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann
• Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant
• Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer
• Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet

Bipolar

• The Bipolar Workbook, Second Edition: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings by Monica Ramirez Basco
• Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers by E. Fuller Torrey
• Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families by Francis Mark Mondimore MD
• Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner by Julie A. Fast and John D. Preston
• Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So: A Memoir by Mark Vonnegut MD
• Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life by Melody Moezzi
• He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter’s Quest to Know Him by Mimi Baird and Eve Claxton
• The Eden Express: A Memoir of Insanity by Mark Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut (Foreword)

Borderline Personality Disorder

• Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How to Keep Out-of-Control Emotions from Destroying Your Relationship by Shari Y. Manning, Marsha M. Linehan (Foreword)
• Lost in the Mirror: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder by Richard Moskovitz
• Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder by Paul T. T. Mason MS and Randi Kreger
• I Hate You–Don’t Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus
• The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley
• DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets by Marsha M. Linehan
• DBT Skills Training Manual by Marsha M. Linehan
• Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: A Family Guide for Healing and Change by Valerie Porr

Depression

• Mind Over Mood, Second Edition: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think by Dennis Greenberger, Christine A. Padesky, and Aaron T. Beck (Foreword)
• Thoughts and Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life by Matthew McKay PhD, Martha Davis PhD, and Patrick Fanning
• The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns
• Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns
• The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by by Alex Korb PhD and Daniel J. Siegel MD (Foreword)
• There Is Nothing Wrong with You: Going Beyond Self-Hate by Cheri Huber and June Shiver (Illustrator)
• Ten Days to Self-Esteem by David D Burns MD
• Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem by Matthew McKay PhD
• Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes and Spencer Smith
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, William J. Winslade (Afterword), Harold S. Kushner (Foreword)
• You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
• Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron
• Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time: The New Behavioral Activation Approach to Getting Your Life Back by Michael Addis and Christopher Martell PhD
• ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris, Steven C. Hayes PhD (Foreword)
• The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Move Through Depression and Create a Life Worth Living by Kirk D. Strosahl PhD, Patricia J. Robinson PhD, and Steven C. Hayes PhD (Foreword)

Divorce

• DIVORCE: Think Financially, Not Emotionally® Volume I: What Women Need To Know About Securing Their Financial Future Before, During, and After Divorce by Jeffrey A. Landers
• DIVORCE: Think Financially, Not Emotionally® Volume II: What Women Need To Know About Securing Their Financial Future Before, During, and After Divorce by Jeffrey A. Landers
• The Verbally Abusive Relationship, Expanded Third Edition: How to recognize it and how to respond by Patricia Evans
• Will I Ever Be Free of You?: How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family by Dr. Karyl McBride PhD
• Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Bill Eddy and Randi Kreger
• Becoming the Narcissist’s Nightmare: How to Devalue and Discard the Narcissist While Supplying Yourself by Shahida Arabi
• Love Warrior: A Memoir by Glennon Doyle
• Should I Stay or Should I Go?: A Guide to Knowing if Your Relationship Can–and Should–be Saved by Lundy Bancroft and JAC Patrissi
• Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Decide Whether to Stay In or Get Out of Your Relationship by Mira Kirshenbaum
• Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce by JoAnne Pedro-Carroll
• How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed: A Memoir of Starting Over by Theo Pauline Nestor
• Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft

OCD

• The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Bruce M. Hyman PhD, LCSW and Cherlene Pedrick RN
• Stop Obsessing!: How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions by Edna B. Foa and Reid Wilson
• Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior by Jeffrey M. Schwartz
• The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Jon Hershfield MFT, Tom Corboy MFT, James Claiborn PhD, ABPP (Foreword)
• Getting Control: Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions by Lee Baer
• Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty by Jonathan Grayson
• OCD Treatment Through Storytelling: A Strategy for Successful Therapy by Allen H. Weg
• Treating Your OCD with Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention Therapy: Workbook (Treatments That Work) by Elna Yadin, Edna B. Foa, and Tracey K. Lichner
• When a Family Member Has OCD: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Skills to Help Families Affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Jon Hershfield MFT

Parenting

• Parenting Your Out of Control Teenager by Scott Sells, PhD
• When to Worry:  How to Tell if Your Teen Needs Help – and What to Do About It by Lisa Boesky, Ph.D
• Tear Soup by Pat Schwiebert (A book on grief for elementary school age children)
• Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M. Ed

Relationships and Sexuality

• It’s Mostly (His) Fault by Robert Mark Alter
• The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman

Trauma

• The Rite of Return by Dr. Karen Lansing
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Vanderkolk
• Getting Past your Past by Dr. Francine Shapiro
• Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk MD
• Healing Invisible Wounds: Paths to Hope and Recovery in a Violent World by Richard F. Mollica
• Healing the Wounded Heart by Dan B. Allender
• The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Dan B. Allender

Mindfulness

• Meditation Made Simple: Meditations for Mind & Body Healing
• Meditation Made Simple: Meditations for Mind & Body Healing Plus Meditations for Easy & Comfortable Sleeping
• Meditation Made Simple: Meditations for Releasing Fear & Resentment Plus Meditations for Building a Loving Relationship

Order from www.cmhrecords.com