Reading has always been a passion of mine. It’s my favorite way to learn, and it’s a wonderful tool when I just need to take a break (and maybe escape a bit). In a society filled with distractions and never-ending list of things to do, it’s hard to give ourselves permission to slow down and engage in something like reading. At the start of 2019 I set two goals around reading: to read one book a month, and to track everything I read.. something I’ve never done before. Having goals like these really kept me on track, and I found that in 2019 I read more than I have in a very long time.

I wanted to share some of my 2019 reads, so here are a few of my favorite psychology and mental health focused books of 2019:

Feeling Good by David D. Burns, M.D.
This book is a classic. No really, it was originally published in 1980 and has been part of a foundation of understanding around how our thoughts impact our mood. Dr. Burns blends humor with important information you need to know about depression, and introduces how negative thinking keeps us stuck. This book is great to read cover to cover for tons of evidence-based strategies to improve your outlook on life. But it’s also okay to jump around to chapters that feel the most pertinent to you such as anger, self-esteem, guilt, procrastination or intimacy. Just make sure you read the first couple of chapters, which introduces concepts he uses throughout the rest of the book!

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love
by Amir Levine M.D. and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A.

This book is a fast read, and introduces concepts that everyone benefits from: knowing how your attachment style impacts your relationships. Attachment theory is our most advanced understanding of relationships, so knowing more about attachment and how it works can make a huge difference in understanding partner choice, and how you function within relationships.  It even comes with assessments that you can take, and have your partner take, to facilitate conversations about how you stay connected and feeling secure in your relationship.

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff, Ph.D.

This book has been so important to me this year, particularly as a reminder around how to be kinder to myself. It’s based around the idea that striving for self-esteem may not be as helpful as striving to be compassionate to yourself, and that this skill can translate to all areas of your life. This book reminds us that it’s okay to make mistakes, and to just be human. It’s full of wonderful information, as well as exercises that you can practice for years to come.

8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery: Take Charge Strategies to Empower Your Healing by Babette Rothschild

If you have experienced trauma, this is a wonderful, easy to navigate book with very specific strategies to cope more effectively with trauma related symptoms. Trauma recovery can be tricky, and this book is a great tool to embark on that process, plus you can take it at your own pace.

If you find you like this book, follow it up with Rothschild’s The Body Remembers. It’s a bit longer, but really builds an understanding of how trauma affects not only our body, but our decisions and our relationships. Both of these books are a wonderful reminder that healing from trauma is absolutely possible!

In 2020, I hope to continue pushing myself to choose reading as a self-care option, and as a tool to continue to grow. If you check out some of these books and want to learn more about these topics in an individual therapy setting, give me a call at 813-644-9659 or you can reach me by email at callie@nettlescounseling.com. Happy Reading!