Introducing our Book Club!
Are you a clinician who loves to read? Do you ever read great books and wonder how to use them with clients? Every month it seems another book is published in our industry or our close cousin, the self-help industry. It is hard enough to find time to read these books, and if you can, it can be confusing to incorporate the material into your clinical practice. We've got you.
Join our monthly club of fellow clinicians on zoom as we take a deep dive into each book.
Please invite your friends and colleagues. The more the merrier 🎉
Did we mention it's FREE!!
Previous Selections
Check out what you missed. Be sad. Then make sure you don't miss another one!
May 2024 Pick:
The Other Side of Sadness by George Bonanno
The conventional view of grieving--encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance--is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure.
In The Other Side of Sadness , psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions--anger and denial, but also relief and joy--help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm. In fact, grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can actually deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.
‘ Fascinating and readable . . . a sensitive and sensible view of loss ...’
– THE NEW YORK TIMES
‘ There are a lot of books on bereavement and now you can throw them all away. Bonanno carefully assembles scientific evidence to show that most of what we thought we knew is just plain wrong. The Other Side of Sadness is a game changer. There’s nothing else like it. If you want to know the truth about the human experience of loss, there’s only one book on the shelf . ’
– DANIEL GILBERT, Harvard University, author of Stumbling on Happiness
Check out this website for more information about this book.
April 2024 Pick:
What Happened to You by Bruce Perry
This book is going to change the way you see your life.
Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question.
Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
In conversation throughout the book, [Winfrey] and Dr. Perry focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future—opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.
‘Through therapeutic frameworks and the curative power of community, belonging, human connection, and mindfulness, the authors show how renewal of mind and spirit is attainable. Though many of these issues have been addressed before, Perry and Winfrey’s partnership is notable, and their book is worthy of attention. A candid guidebook to exorcising mental trauma. ’
– KIRKUS REVIEWS
Check out this website for more information about this book.
March 2024 Pick:
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
n the United States, teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time, and office workers average only three minutes. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions—even abandoning his phone for three months—but nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention—and he discovered that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong.
Crucially, Hari learned how we can reclaim our focus—as individuals, and as a society—if we are determined to fight for it. Stolen Focus will transform the debate about attention and finally show us how to get it back.
‘ The book the world needs in order to win the war on distraction.'
– ADAM GRANT, author of Think Again
‘ Read this book to save your mind.'
– SUSAN CAIN, author of Quiet
‘ A visionary, systemic, revolutionary and practical guide for creating the new world. Through tireless research and genius insight Johann Hari certainly snapped me to attention. A life changing book .’
– EVE ENSLER
Check out this website for more information about this book.
February 2024 Pick:
The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O'Connor
n The Grieving Brain , neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human.
The Grieving Brain addresses:
Why it’s so hard to understand that a loved one has died and is gone forever
Why grief causes so many emotions—sadness, anger, blame, guilt, and yearning
Why grieving takes so long
The distinction between grief and prolonged grief
Why we ruminate so much after we lose a loved one
How we go about restoring a meaningful life while grieving
‘ The Grieving Brain answered fascinating questions that I would not have thought to ask. State-of-science studies, fun facts and fascinating insights kept me turning pages and losing track of time ’
– IRA BYOCK, MD, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible
‘Absorbing and wise, The Grieving Brain offers insights and coping mechanisms for those of us who have peered up from the depths of grief and wondered, why does this hurt so much? How can I make a meaningful life for myself now? ’
– MARYANNE O’HARA, author of Little Matches
Check out this website for more information about this book.
January 2024 Pick:
The End of Trauma by George Bonanno
In The End of Trauma , pioneering psychologist George A. Bonanno argues that we failed to predict the psychological response to 9/11 because most of what we understand about trauma is wrong. For starters, it’s not nearly as common as we think. In fact, people are overwhelmingly resilient to adversity. What we often interpret as PTSD are signs of a natural process of learning how to deal with a specific situation. We can cope far more effectively if we understand how this process works. Drawing on four decades of research, Bonanno explains what makes us resilient, why we sometimes aren’t, and how we can better handle traumatic stress.
Hopeful and humane, The End of Trauma overturns everything we thought we knew about how people respond to hardship.
‘ A fresh perspective… Bonanno adeptly succeeds in capturing the profound lived experience of trauma and in balancing these accounts with cutting edge findings from psychology and neuroscience .’
– SCIENCE
‘ Everything you know about trauma -- about how human beings deal with the worst things that can possibly happen to them – is probably wrong. One book can fix that, and this is the one. The world's expert on human resilience has written a powerful, important, and fascinating book that explains how ordinary people take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them ’
– DANIEL GILBERT, Harvard University, author, Stumbling on Happiness
‘ George Bonanno has hit a home run .’
– SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY, author The How of Happiness
Check out this website for more information about this book.
December Pick:
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
We are repeating this favorite from the year!
From street-dwelling drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our culture.
Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Dr. Gabor Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew.
‘ With unparalleled sympathy for the human condition, Gabor Maté depicts the suffocation of the spirit by addictive urges, and holds up a dark mirror to our society. This is a powerful narrative of the realm of human nature where confused and conflicted emotions underlie our pretensions to rational thought. ’
– DR. JAAK PANKSEPP, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychobiology, Bowling Green University, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College of Ohio, and author of Affective Neuroscience
‘ [ In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts ] shows an unflinching look at addiction… Dr. Maté makes observations that cut through all the myths and misinterpretations about addicts and how they live… There are many nuggets of wisdom and insight throughout the book. Readers can literally pick up the book and leaf to any chapter and begin reading—and learn something valuable. It’s never boring, never condescending, never too much to read. ’
– ADDICTION TREATMENT MAGAZINE
Check out this website for more information about this book.
November Pick:
Dissociation Made Simple by Jamie Marich
Guided by clinical counselor Jamie Marich—a trauma-informed clinician living with a dissociative disorder herself—this book tells you everything you need to know about dissociation...but were too afraid to ask. Here, you’ll learn:
What dissociation is—and why it’s a natural response to trauma
How to understand and work with your “parts”—the unique emotional and behavioral profiles that can develop from personality fragmentation
There’s nothing shameful about dissociating—that, in fact, we can all dissociate
Skills and strategies for living your best, authentic, and most fulfilled life
What to look for in a therapist: choosing a healer who sees you and gets it
Foundational elements of healing from trauma, including PTSD and C-PTSD
With practical guided exercises like “The Dissociative Profile” and “Parts Mapping,” this book is written for those diagnosed with dissociative disorders, clinicians and therapists who treat trauma and dissociation, and readers who are exploring whether they may have dissociative symptoms or a condition like dissociative identity disorder (DID). Dissociation Made Simple breaks it all down accessibly and comprehensively, with empowerment and support—and without stigma, judgment, or shame.
"Just as important as The Body Keeps the Score (but an easier read for me)."
—5-star reader review
Check out this website for more information about this book.
October Pick:
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity.
In this “compelling and utterly convincing” ( The Sunday Times ) book, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night.
“ Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” —Bill Gates
"Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book. Written with the precision of Atul Gawande, Andrew Solomon, and Sherwin Nuland, it is recommended for night-table reading in the most pragmatic sense” ( The New York Times Book Review ).
Check out this website for more information about this book.
September Pick:
Resilient by Rick Hanson
True resilience is much more than enduring terrible conditions. We need resilience every day to raise a family, work at a job, cope with stress, deal with health problems, navigate issues with others, heal from old pain, and simply keep on going.
With his trademark blend of neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Rick Hanson shows you how to develop twelve vital inner strengths hardwired into your own nervous system.
Warm, encouraging, and down-to-earth, Dr. Hanson’s step-by-step approach is grounded in the science of positive neuroplasticity. He explains how to overcome the brain’s negativity bias, release painful thoughts and feelings, and replace them with self-compassion, self-worth, joy, and inner peace.
“Tremendously practical neuroscience. Resilient is wise and helpful: skill building for the brain, medicine for the heart,
and guidance for living a beautiful and enjoyable life.”
—Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., author of A Path With Heart
“In the jungle of books on mindfulness and neuroscience, Rick Hanson hacks a comprehensive and enlightening path through, while giving insight on how to understand your wild and wooly mind. And if that wasn't enough, he gives us tools to achieve peace and happiness. What more could you ask for?” —Ruby Wax, O.B.E., author of Sane New World; A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled; and How to Be Human: The Manual
Check out this website for more information about this book.
March 2023 Pick:
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
From street-dwelling drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our culture.
Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Dr. Gabor Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew.
‘ With unparalleled sympathy for the human condition, Gabor Maté depicts the suffocation of the spirit by addictive urges, and holds up a dark mirror to our society. This is a powerful narrative of the realm of human nature where confused and conflicted emotions underlie our pretensions to rational thought. ’
– DR. JAAK PANKSEPP, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychobiology, Bowling Green University, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College of Ohio, and author of Affective Neuroscience
‘ [ In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts ] shows an unflinching look at addiction… Dr. Maté makes observations that cut through all the myths and misinterpretations about addicts and how they live… There are many nuggets of wisdom and insight throughout the book. Readers can literally pick up the book and leaf to any chapter and begin reading—and learn something valuable. It’s never boring, never condescending, never too much to read. ’
– ADDICTION TREATMENT MAGAZINE
Check out this website for more information about this book.
February 2023 Pick:
Grit by Angela Duckworth
Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research, Angela explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success.
Angela has found that grit—a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal—is the hallmark of high achievers in every domain. She’s also found scientific evidence that grit can grow.
Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that —not talent or luck—makes all the difference.
‘...persuasive and fascinating...’
– MALCOLM GLADWELL
‘I kept wanting to read this book aloud - to my child, my husband, to everyone I care about. There are no shortcuts to greatness, it’s true. But there is a roadmap, and you are holding it.’
– AMANDA RIPLEY
‘ As a coach, I’m convinced there are no more important qualities in striving for excellence than those that create true grit. Here, Angela does a great job describing those qualities. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.’
– BRAD STEVENS, COACH OF BOSTON CELTICS
Check out this website for more information about this book.
January 2023 Pick:
Lost Connections by Johann Hari
Depression and anxiety are now at epidemic levels. Why?
Across the world, scientists have uncovered evidence for nine different causes. Some are in our biology – but most are in the way we are living today.
This New York Times best-selling book – lauded by everyone from Oprah to Elton John – offers a radical new way of thinking about this crisis.
It shows that once we understand the real causes, we can turn to pioneering new solutions – ones that offer real hope.
‘If you have ever been down, or felt lost, this amazing book will change your life. Do yourself a favour – read it now’
– ELTON JOHN
‘Lost Connections offers a wonderful and incisive analysis of the depression and alienation that are haunting American society’
– HILLARY CLINTON
A brilliant, stimulating, radical take on mental health’
– MATT HAIG, AUTHOR OF ‘REASONS TO STAY ALIVE’
“An exquisitely lucid treatise on why no person is, has been or ever should be an island. This book is the most exciting thing I’ve read this year. From slightly seedy to suicidal – however you are feeling – read this book and it will honestly help you to understand which roads we must walk if we want to see true, lasting change”
– EMMA THOMPSON
Check out this website for more information about this book.
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