Book Recommendations

I love learning and reading about mental health is one of my favourite pastimes. Therefore, I find ‘bibliotherapy’ extremely helpful and enjoyable. I have gained many insights about myself and how I function in the world through the books listed below. They have allowed me to navigate some hard times and allowed me to increase my resilience and sense of well being. I hope they do the same for you.

The book descriptions are from Amazon. I am not endorsing Amazon – in fact many of these books can be found at your local library or used book store.

Co-Dependent No More

This is an oldie, but goodie!

Summary: Melody Beattie’s compassionate and insightful look into codependency—the concept of losing oneself in the name of helping another—has guided millions of readers toward the understanding that they are powerless to change anyone but themselves and that caring for the self is where healing begins. Is someone else’s problem your problem? If, like so many others, you’ve lost sight of your own life in the drama of tending to a loved one’s self-destructive behavior, you may be codependent—and you may find yourself in this book. With personal reflections, exercises, and instructive stories drawn from Beattie’s own life and the lives of those she’s counseled, Codependent No More helps you break old patterns and maintain healthy boundaries, and offers a clear and achievable path to healing, hope, freedom, and happiness.

Perfect Daughters: adult daughters of alcoholics by Robert J. Ackerman

This is another golden oldie, but it is still relevant!

When this groundbreaking book first appeared over ten years ago, Dr. Ackerman identified behavior patterns shared by daughters of

alcoholics. Adult daughters of alcoholics-“perfect daughters” - operate from a base of harsh and limiting views of themselves and the world. Having learned that they must function perfectly in order to avoid unpleasant situations, these women often assume responsibility for the failures of others. They are drawn to chemically dependent men and are more likely to become addicted themselves. More than just a text that identifies these behavior patterns, this book collects the thoughts, feelings and experiences of twelve hundred perfect daughters, offering readers an opportunity to explore their own life’s dynamics and thereby heal and grow.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

I am a former Registered Massage Therapist and in my massage practice I treated many women who were dealing with chronic pain and autoimmune conditions. Many of these women survived traumatic childhoods. During this time I surmised that there was a connection between their childhood experiences and their current medical conditions. I was discussing my theory with a friend several years ago and she suggested I read this book. After I finished the book I decided to become a Counsellor. Therefore, this book has had a profound effect on my life.

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes

the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal— and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate

It is no surprise that Bessel Van Der Kolk and Gabor Mate know each other and have presented seminars together. I have a great deal of respect for what Gabor Mate says because as a physician he served Vancouver’s east side and counselled many patients who were dealing with trauma in the best way they could.

In this accessible and groundbreaking book–filled with the moving stories of real people–medical doctor and bestselling author Gabor Maté shows that emotion and psychological stress play a powerful

role in the onset of chronic illness, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis and many others, even Alzheimer’s disease.

Please contact me to discuss any of the issues mentioned above. email: claritastherapy123@gmail.com or telephone: 306.249.4119.