Reading & Mental Health Resources
These resources are shared for educational and personal growth purposes. While they can support reflection and learning, they are not a substitute for therapy or professional care.
Disclaimer: These titles are personal recommendations, not clinical prescriptions. Some cover difficult or potentially triggering material — please look into a book before diving in, and check with me if you're unsure whether the timing or content is right for you.
Featured Reading
My Grandmother's Hands — Resmaa Menakem
How centuries of racialized trauma live in the body, and practical somatic steps toward healing — widely used in work with Black clients and communities.
Grief Is Love — Marisa Renee Lee
A grief guide that names the particular weight of loss in Black communities while speaking to anyone learning to live alongside it.
Attached — Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
An accessible introduction to attachment styles and why the same patterns keep showing up in relationships.
Homecoming — Thema Bryant, Ph.D.
A clinical psychologist and past APA president's guide to reclaiming a whole, authentic self after trauma, written with real attention to identity and culture.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace — Nedra Glover Tawwab
Practical, non-preachy guidance for anyone who struggles to say no or feels resentful when they don't.
Self-Compassion — Kristin Neff
For the inner critic that never lets up — research-backed practices for treating yourself like someone you actually care about.
What Happened to You? — Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry, MD
A conversational, accessible introduction to trauma-informed thinking for clients who find clinical language alienating.
The Courage to Be Disliked — Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
A conversational introduction to Adlerian psychology and the idea that you can choose a different way of relating to your past.
When Things Fall Apart — Pema Chödrön
Short, plainspoken essays on staying present with pain instead of fighting it — helpful during grief, transition, or crisis.
Break the Cycle — Dr. Mariel Buqué
An Afro-Latina psychologist's guide to healing intergenerational and family trauma, blending research with practical, holistic exercises.
Atlas of the Heart — Brené Brown
A field guide to naming what you feel. Useful for anyone who says “I don't have the words for this.”
Why Does He Do That? — Lundy Bancroft
One of the clearest explanations available of controlling and abusive behavior in relationships, written for the person living with it.
Reading Lists
Recommended Reading by Topic
Recommended reading for clients and individuals organized by topic.
Recommended Reading for Clinicians
Recommended reading for clinicians, providers, coaches, educators organized by topic.