This week’s blog post is the 3rd and final part of a 3-post series of my personal book
recommendations on specific topics. As this series comes to a close I realize how much I love sharing this information with you, and am so excited to share even more. As a background this series was inspired by my sister-in-law, who is my book reading buddy and discussion board for all the books we share with eachother. Seeing how much we both benefited from all these books and the incredible discussions that developed I thought it would be a great idea to compile some of my favorites into my blog posts for anyone else out there who may be looking for a new (and hopefully helpful) read!
My one ask is to please send me some of your favorites - I am always trying to build my reading list and sometimes browsing the book store can grow stale…THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Do Books Replace Therapy?
It is important to answer this question time and time again, and he answer to this is no. Books can give a reader valuable insight; however, therapy with a registered professional allows you to explore internally and find extremely valuable insights that are usually not portrayed in a book. In addition, therapy with a professional allows for guided growth and healing. I recommend books from time to time to my clients either because I feel they may resonate with them in the season of life they are in presently, or because they have asked me for something to read in between our sessions that can reaffirm what we’ve been discussing. These book recommendations are all books I have personally read and have enjoyed. While this is not an exhaustive list by any means, I hope it can be a starting point for you, wherever you may be in your journey.
Book Recommendations for New or Potential Therapists
I remember finishing graduate school and thinking a bleak “now what”. Thankfully I had a fantastic site supervisor (and overall experience) during my internship, but even with that I was extremely nervous going into my first few sessions with “real life” Clients. I recommend the below books to students completing their practicums with me and I recommend them to anyone looking into becoming a therapist, or anyone just starting off!
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Another one of my favorite authors, Lori makes the process of explaining the art of therapy and the process one takes to get to the point of wanting/needing therapy in a funny and relatable way. This book is framed from the perspective of the client, however, also brings in Lori’s experience of being a therapist seeking therapy and I’ve read this book probably 5 times and enjoy it every single time.
The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom
This book was recommended to me by the therapists I interned with when I was out of high school and was unsure about whether I wanted to become a therapist and would be able to help people. This book made me cry, and laugh, and feel almost every emotion in between. It was raw, real, and really made me self-reflect and think. This book is where I first connected with the term “active listening” and reflected on what other therapists have always told me; that studying various modalities and strategies is effective and helpful, but the art of active listening and holding space for someone going through something can sometimes be the most valuable “thing” you bring to the session.
Sometimes Therapy is Awkward by Nicole Arzt
This book made me at times laugh out loud (literally) and was such a FUN read. As a therapist this book was meant for us. The detail in the vignettes and the “oops” moments outlined in this book are ones I think we (therapists, but also just humans) can relate to. For anyone worried about needing to be perfect for our clients, please read this book…asap.
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