Recommended Reads for Healing & Growth
The Body Keeps The Score
The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.This groundbreaking book explores how trauma reshapes both the body and mind, leaving lasting imprints that traditional talk therapy alone can’t always reach. Drawing on decades of clinical research and practice, van der Kolk shows how trauma is stored in the nervous system and how it influences emotions, relationships, and even physical health.Rather than focusing only on symptoms, The Body Keeps the Score highlights pathways to recovery through approaches such as EMDR, yoga, mindfulness, and somatic therapies. It’s an essential read for anyone wanting to understand the deep connection between trauma and the body—and the hope for true healing.
Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection
Deb Dana translates Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory into simple, practical exercises that help regulate the nervous system and restore a sense of safety. This book is full of accessible tools—breathing, grounding, gentle movement, and reflective practices—that make the science of connection usable in everyday life.It’s a valuable resource for anyone wanting to understand their nervous system and build pathways back to calm, safety, and connection.
The Noonday Demon: An Anatomy of Depression
Andrew Solomon’s award-winning book is a sweeping exploration of depression—personal, cultural, and scientific. Blending memoir with research, Solomon captures the lived reality of depression, its biological roots, and its impact across societies. He examines treatment approaches, from medication to psychotherapy to alternative methods, while also reflecting on stigma, politics, and the broader human struggle with despair. Both deeply personal and profoundly informative, The Noonday Demon is a compassionate guide for understanding one of the most pervasive mental health challenges of our time.
What Happened to You
This powerful book shifts the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Through conversations between Oprah Winfrey and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry, it explores how childhood experiences shape the brain, behavior, and emotional health. With warmth and clarity, the book offers science-based insights into trauma, resilience, and healing—making complex neuroscience accessible and deeply human. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand themselves or support others on the path to recovery.
DARE: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks
Barry McDonagh’s DARE offers a fresh, practical approach to overcoming anxiety, worry, and panic. Instead of avoiding fear, McDonagh teaches readers to face it directly using the DARE response—Defuse, Allow, Run toward, and Engage. Backed by psychology and real-life tools, the method helps break the cycle of fear while restoring confidence and calm. Straightforward and actionable, DARE is designed for anyone ready to stop managing anxiety and start living freely.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul invites readers to step back from the constant chatter of the mind and discover inner freedom. With clarity and simplicity, Singer explains how to release limiting thoughts, let go of fear, and connect with a deeper sense of self. Blending spiritual insight with practical guidance, this book is a roadmap for living with openness, presence, and peace.
Yoga for Depression
In Yoga for Depression, Amy Weintraub integrates ancient yoga practices with modern psychology to offer a holistic path to healing. Drawing on research and personal experience, she shows how breathwork, postures, meditation, and mantra can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Accessible and compassionate, this book provides practical tools for restoring balance, lifting mood, and reconnecting with inner vitality.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightement
Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now teaches the art of living fully in the present moment. By moving beyond past regrets and future anxieties, Tolle shows how awareness and stillness can dissolve suffering and open the way to peace and freedom. Simple yet profound, this book is a guide to mindfulness, presence, and spiritual awakening.