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Reading list

Books Worth Your Time

These are the books that come up most often in session — the ones clients ask "wait, what was that book again?" about. Organized by what you're working through.

Teen & Family

  • Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain

    Daniel J. Siegel

    Makes teenage behaviour make sense instead of feeling personal. The book parents most often say they wish they'd read sooner.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Hold On to Your Kids

    Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté

    For families where a teen has turned entirely toward peers and away from home. Explains the pull, and how to reconnect.

    Find it on Amazon

  • The Whole-Brain Child

    Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

    Practical language for staying regulated while your kid isn't. Useful for parents of younger teens especially.

    Find it on Amazon

Anxiety & Trauma

  • The Body Keeps the Score

    Bessel van der Kolk

    The starting point when something old is still showing up in your body. Dense in places — read it in pieces.

    Find it on Amazon

  • What Happened to You?

    Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey

    A gentler entry into trauma than most. Conversational, and it reframes shame into history.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Getting Past Your Past

    Francine Shapiro

    Written by the developer of EMDR. Helpful if you're curious about what EMDR actually does before trying it.

    Find it on Amazon

Couples & Relationships

  • The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

    John Gottman

    The foundation of the Gottman work used in couples sessions here. Research-backed, not advice-column material.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Hold Me Tight

    Sue Johnson

    For couples stuck in the same fight. Names the attachment need sitting underneath the argument.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Bringing Baby Home / And Baby Makes Three

    John & Julie Gottman

    Pairs with the Bringing Baby Home program — protecting the relationship through the transition to parenthood.

    Find it on Amazon

Burnout & Self-Worth

  • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

    Emily & Amelia Nagoski

    For the exhaustion sleep doesn't fix. Explains why rest alone hasn't worked.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Set Boundaries, Find Peace

    Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Concrete scripts for people who say yes when they mean no.

    Find it on Amazon

  • Self-Compassion

    Kristin Neff

    For clients whose inner voice is harsher than anything anyone else would say to them.

    Find it on Amazon

These are recommendations, not clinical advice, and reading a book is not a substitute for therapy or a diagnosis.