Books And CDs

Why are so many books listed, you may wonder. For years I just referred to myself as a book nerd, hopelessly drawn to Amazon's used books. I openly admitted they were my security blanket. But, I had it wrong. The only reason I found myself apologizing was to help those people who were ribbing me about reading so much, not feel bad. It turns out that bibliotherapy has been found to be almost on par with psychotherapy for assisting an individual in the change process. It makes perfect sense. The hours we spend with the written or spoken word are actually helping to rewire our circuitry. Reading can be an extremely useful daily discipline to keep our mind and spirit nutured and moving in the direction of our intention.

In fact, if one or a few of the following selections allows you to 'get' something on a deeper level and your aha moment frees you from the symptoms which trouble you, then actually, I have already been a good therapist to you, without even meeting face to face. If you have questions about the publications and would like to discuss which might be most useful, I would be happy to answer your email or give you a call back. Of course, no charge....except maybe to let me know how your journey is going or to recommend a 'treasure' to someone else.

So take some time for yourself, turn around and chase after what's bothering you...

Resources for Living AWESOMELY

Openness and Optimism – Learning to see what’s right with you, rather than what’s wrong

• Breaking Down is Waking Up - Russell Ruzzeque, MD
• Mindset - Carol Dweck, PhD
• Tao Te Ching series - Waynes Dye, PhDr – 6 CD set is excellent listening material
• Waking Up – Learning What Your Life is Trying to Teach You – John Earle
• One Mind – Larry Dossey, MD
• E2 – Pam Grout
• The Untethered Soul –Michael Singer
• The Surrender Experiment - Michael Singer
• Loveability – Robert Holden, PhD
• Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success – John C. Maxwell
• The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind - Alan Wallace
• The Dao of Neuroscience - Alexander Simpkins, PhD
• Learned Optimism - Martin Seligman, PhD
• The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silvertein
• If You Meet the Buddha on the Road Kill Him - Sheldon Kopp, PhD
• Conversations with God - Neale Donald Walsch
• Healing Emotions – Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, Emotions and Health by Daniel Coleman, MD
• The Spontaneous Healing of Belief – Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits - Gregg Braden
• Mystic Cool - Don Joseph Goewey
• Big Mind Big Heart – Finding Your Way - Dennis Genpo Merzel
• The Mandala of Being - Richard Moss, MD
• Spontaneous Evolution - Bruce Lipton, PhD
• The Velveteen Principles - Toni Raiten-D’Antonio
• Consciousness Beyond Life - Van Pimmel, MD
• The Ultimate Series - Depak Chopra, MD (a set of 20 CD’s)
• Imagine – How Creativity Works - Jonah Lehrer
• Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and You Are the Placebo - Dr.Joe Dispenza (also offers training in this material)
• The Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life 6-CD Prerecorded Lecture: Living the Wisdom of the Tao - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
• F**k it theraoy - John C Parkin
• The Secret of Letting Go - Guy Finely
• Living the Inspired Life - Wayne Dyer
• The How of Happiness - Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD
• More Than a Life by Sadguru
• The Struggle for Your Mind - Dennis Kinsley
• Outliers - Malcom Gladwell
• The Originals - Adam Grant
• 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy: An Inspiring Guide to Discovering Effortless Joy - Saviuc, Luminita D.
• The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth - May, Gerald G., MD
• Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation – Daniel J. Siegel This is a unique synthesis between meditation, psychoanalysis and neuroscience; combining emotional and social intelligence. Brimming with techniques, insights and epiphanies for reprogramming your brain, it is a good book for spiritual seekers and scientists alike.
• Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy - David D. Burns Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective therapy consisting of identifying thought patterns that have a detrimental effect on self-image and mood, and deconstructing these in order to break out of these destructive cycles.
• The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle Addresses living a more fulfilling and compassionate life through the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness consists of moment to moment non-judgmental awareness. It is a technique that alleviates depression, increases emotional intelligence and develops compassion . The Power of Now teaches you how to release your attachment to certain thoughts and states of mind, thereby clearing the mind to fully embrace the present moment.
• The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch watch this powerful message here A very down to earth exploration of what it means to chase your dreams, to be a good person and live a life that gives value to others.
• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Brené Brown, PhD Vulnerability , unlike we have been taught, is not a weakness, but a power to be tapped. From a place of vulnerability comes a sense of worthiness. Only if we get in touch with that tender spot of our hearts can we connect with others and develop genuine compassion, which are prerequisites, Brown tells us, for living a ‘wholehearted life.’
• Rising Strong by Brene Brown, PhD
• Man’s Search For Meaning – Victor. E. Frankl, MD For three years Viktor Frankl labored in four different Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. He tells us about his experience and that of his fellow prisoners. Both chilling and uplifting, confronted with the idea that they would be trapped there for the rest of their lives, he gives us an account of those who found meaning and those who succumbed to nihilism. A blend between a memoir, a psychological investigation and a self-help book, Frankl delivers a powerful message: finding meaning lies at the core of being human. From his own experience as a psychiatrist combined with anecdotes from his time in the concentration camps, he tells us how important it is to find meaning in our own lives and what we can become if we don’t. Suffering, he conveys to us, is inevitable. But as to how we cope with it is dependent on ourselves. If we can find meaning, even in the worst acts our species has ever inflicted upon his fellow man, we will be able to move forward with renewed purpose.
• Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It – Kamal Ravikant The fundamental ground upon which all true self improvement is build is called self-love. Because in the end, no matter which way you turn, if you don’t love yourself, you will sabotage yourself at one point. You will think that, for some reason or another, you are not worthy. And if you think that, why would you truly want to achieve anything? And this is not just about achievement. This is about how you approach yourself every day; this is what you see when you look in the mirror. We make so many snap-judgments about ourselves- often without being conscious of them- that are filled with negativity, haltering us before we can even begin to heal. This powerful book shows you the antidote. Self love. Not to be confused with creating some narcissistic image of ourselves that some books endorse, but self love, that inner gratefulness that no external condition can take away.
• The Age of the Unthinkable - Joshua Cooper Ramo - Why the new world disorder constantly surpr ises us and what we can do about it
• Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramhansa Yogananda - This is the one book that Steve Jobs reread every year.
• The Essential Laws of Fearless Living - Guy Finely, director of Life Learning Foundation - guyfinely.org
• Power Up Your Brain - David Perlmetter, MD
• Mindsight - The New Science of Personal Transformation - Daniel Siegel, MD
• The Places That Scare Your - A guide to fearlessness in difficult times - Pema Chodron
• Brain Spotting - New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change - David Grand, PhD
• Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So - Mark Vonnegut, MD
• Meeting the Shadow - The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature, edited by Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams
• Imagine- How Creativity Works - Jonah Lehrer
• Love 2.0 - How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do and Become - Barbara Frederickson, PhD
• You Will Not Have My Hate - Antoine Leiris
• Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain - Why Medication Isn't Enough - Elio Frattaroli, MD
• Love and Respect Workbook for Couples, Individuals or Groups - The Love She Most Desires and the Respect He Desperately Needs - Emerson Eggerichs, MD
• Waking Up - A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Sam Harris

Natural approaches to general mental health

• Ultra Prevention - Mark Hyman, MD
• The ADHD and Autism Nutritional Supplement Handbook: The Cutting-Edge Biomedical Approach to Treating the Underlying Deficiencies and Symptoms of ADHD and Autism. – Pam Compart, MD
• The Ultra Mind Solution - Mark Hyman, MD
• Never Be Sick Again - Raymond Francis, M. Sc.
• Perfect Health - Deepak Chopra, MD
• The Brain Diet - Alan Logan, N.D., FRSH
• Unstuck - James Gordon, MD
• The Diet Cure -8 Step Program to Rebalance Body Chemistry, and End Food Cravings, Weight Problems and Mood Swings - Julia Ross, MD
• The Edge Effect - Eric Braverman, MD
• Healing Body, Mind and Spirit - Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH
• The Alchemy of the Heart
• The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide,Everything You Need to Know About Living with BPD - Alex Chapman, Kim Gratz and Pery Hoffman, 2007. Very straightforward, informed, empathic and practical guide for someone who has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder or has a loved one with this condition.
• The Dialetical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance - Matthew McKay, PhD, Jeffery Wood, Psy D, Jeffery Brantley, MD, 2007. If you suffer from emotional dysregulation (you get overwhelmed and feel out of control), this is a great workbook to help you practice the skills taught in DBT.
• Buddha and The Borderline - Kiera Van Gelder
• BrainChains: Your thinking brain explained in simple terms. Full of practical tools, tips and tricks to improve your efficiency, creativity and health - Theo Compernolle MD.PhD

Natural approaches to lowering anxiety

• The Confidence Gap – Russ Harris
• Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers, Ph
• Hope and Help for Your Nerves – Claire Weekes, MD
• Brain Lock - Jeffrey Schwartz, MDNatural Relief for Anxiety- Complementary Strategies for Easing Fear, Panic and Worry by Edward Bourne, PhD
• The Fear Cure - Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind and Soul - Lissa Rankin, MD
• The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution by Trudy Scott, forward by James Lake, MD
• The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play (Paperback) - Neil A. Fiore
• Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (Paperback) - Brian Tracy
• Procrastination: Why You Do It, What To Do About It (Paperback)
  - Jane B. Burka
• http://www.stop-anxiety-attack...

Trauma

• The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
• Trauma and the Soul - A Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Human Development and Its Interruption - Donald Kalsched, Ph.D
• The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process - David Berceli, PhD
• Trauma and the Body - A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy - Pat Ogden, Kekuni Minton and Clare Pain

Depression and Bi-Polarity

• Listening to Depression - Honos-Webb, PhD
• The Breakthrough Depression Solution - Dr. James Greenblatt
• Natural Prozac – Learning to Release Your Body’s Own Anti-Depressants - Joel Robertson, MD
• A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives - Kelly Brogan, M.D.
• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness –Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD
• Welcome to the Jungle: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bipolar but Were Too Freaked Out to Ask – Hilary T. Smith
• The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know- David J. Miklowitz
• Healing Depression and Bipolar Disorder - Gracelyn Guyol

Eating Issues - Rewiring Habits

• Brain over Binge: Why I Was Bulimic, Why Conventional Therapy Didn't Work, and How I Recovered for Good, 2011 - Kathryn Hansen
• Brain Over Binge REcovery Guide - A Simple and Personal Plan for Ending Bulimia and Binge Eating DIsorder - Kathryn Hansen
• Never Binge Again - Glenn Livingston, PhD
• Eating in the Light of the Moon - Anita Johnston, PhD
• Eating Disorders- Gaining the Truth About Life After Eating Disorders - Annie Liu
• Shrink Yourself – Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever - Roger Gould, MD

Substance Abuse - Rewiring Habits

• The Little Book of Big Change - The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit - Amy Johnson, PhD
• The Heart of Addiction - Lance Dodes, MD
• The Sober Truth - Lance Dodes, MD
• Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction Dodes, Lance M., M.D.
• Chasing the Scream - The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs - Johann Hari - Journalist - His TED talk, "Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong" was one of the most viewed of 2015
• The Realm of the Hungry Ghost by Gabor Matte, MD
• Rational Recovery by Jack Trumpy
• The 12 step Buddhist by Darren Littlejohn
• The Angry Heart – Overcoming Borderline and Addictive Disorders by Joseph Santoro, PhD
• Her Best Kept Secret - Why Women Drink and How They Can Regain Control - Gabrielle Glaser
• How To Quit Drinking Without AA - and How to Quit Drugs for Good - Jerry Dorsman, therapist and former drinker

Making changes in life (career, etc)

• Finding the Open Road: A Guide to Self-Construction Rather than Mass Production (Roadtrip Nation) - Marriner , McAllister , Gebhard
• One Small Step Can Change Your Life – The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, PhD
• Finding Your Way in a Wild New World by Martha Beck
• Reinventing Your Life, The Breakthrough Program to End Negative Behavior...and Feel Great Again, by Jeffrey Young PhD and Janet Klosko, PhD, 1994. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model for assessing and treating problematic personality traits/disorders, called lifetraps in the book.