Mental Health Books

As a therapist, I've encountered a lot of books related to mental health. Below are the books I recommend to clients most often. If you have books I should add to the list, please reach out! I'd love to hear from you.

Books are arranged in alphabetical order by author last name.

• Madwoman, Chelsea Bieker (novel)

• Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, and Waking Up in this Life, Christine Caldwell

  • For clients who want to continue the work of somatic therapy at home, this book offers some really approachable practices.

• Tastes Like War: A Memoir, Grace M. Cho

• Crazy...Or Something Else Entirely: A (Mostly) Secret Journey with Bipolar Disorder, Jillian DuMond

• Louise Erdrich novels

  • Most, if not all, Louise Erdrich books offer exquisite and nuanced views of intergenerational trauma and resilience.

• What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma, Stephanie Foo

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, Lori Gottlieb

• Rest is Resistance: Free Yourself From Grind Culture and Reclaim Your Life, Tricia Hersey

  • If you've ever wondered if perhaps you should slow down, this book will offer some exceedingly beautiful and powerful validation.

• How the Pill Changes Everything: This is Your Brain On Birth Control, Sarah Hill

  • While the title of the book may make it sound like this author is anti-birth control, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Rather, Hill wants readers to have as much information as possible so that they can best advocate for themselves, know what to look for, and feel validated as they interact with birth control.

• Hold Me Tight, Sue Johnson

• Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy, Rachel Krantz

  • Although this book is primarily about non-monogamy, I think it offers a really accurate, sophisticated, and validating perspective on abuse and domestic violence as well.

• This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life, Lyz Lenz

• Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life, Melody Moezzi

• The Rumi Prescription: How an Ancient Mystic Poet Changed My Modern Manic Life, Melody Moezzi

• My Belly: Exploring Why it's So Hard for Women to Love their Bodies, Hilde Østby

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk

  • To be honest, I rarely recommend this to clients for two reasons: one, there are books that are a lot less dense/a lot easier to read to get similar information; and two, the author has been accused of creating a toxic work environment, bullying, and more. And yet, a number of clients have found parts of the book helpful and want to talk about it in therapy, so it remains on the list.

• Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities, Nick Walker

• Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol, Holly Whitaker