Insightful Therapy Books To Read This Year

Trauma-informed therapist Amelia Kelley, Ph.D., offers evidence-based therapy and tools to help women detect and protect themselves from manipulation that can occur in all key areas of life — family, intimate relationships, work, academia, and healthcare. Her guided approach to healing from abuse helps survivors establish a greater sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and empowerment.

Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them — in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do “healthy boundaries” really mean — and how can we successfully express our needs, say “no,” and be assertive without offending others? Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram, Nedra Glover Tawwab, demystifies this complex topic for today’s world to help you end the struggle, speak up for what you need, and experience the freedom of being truly yourself.

A new understanding of memory is emerging from the latest scientific research. In Why We Remember, pioneering neuroscientist and psychologist Charan Ranganath radically reframes the way we think about the everyday act of remembering. Combining accessible language with cutting-edge research, he reveals the surprising ways our brains record the past and how we use that information to understand who we are in the present and to imagine and plan for the future.

From New York Times bestselling author Mari Andrew, a collection of essays and illustrations, divided into phases of the sky — twilight, golden hour, night, and dawn — that serves as a loyal companion for life’s curveballs. My Inner Sky empowers us to transform everything that’s happened to us into something meaningful, reassurance that even in our darkest times, there’s light and beauty to be found.

A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life. Powerful, enlightening, and hopeful, What My Bones Know is a brave narrative that reckons with the hold of the past over the present, the mind over the body — and examines one woman’s ability to reclaim agency from her trauma.

Coauthors Soo Jin Lee and Linda Yoon are professional therapists who witnessed firsthand how mental health issues often went unaddressed not only in their own immigrant families but in Asian and Asian American communities. Where I Belong shows us how the cycle of trauma can play out in our relationships, placing Asian American experiences front and center to help us process and heal from racial and intergenerational trauma. Lee and Yoon draw on their own stories, as well as those of a diverse segment of the Asian diaspora, to help us feel seen and connected to our wider community.

We already rely on science to tell us what to eat, when to exercise, and how long to sleep. Why not use science to help us improve our relationships? In this revolutionary book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller scientifically explain why some people seem to navigate relationships effortlessly, while others struggle.

Start Where You Are is an interactive journal designed to help readers nurture their creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. It helps readers navigate the confusion and chaos of daily life with a simple reminder: that by taking the time to know ourselves and what those dreams are, we can appreciate the world around us and achieve our dreams.

Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown bring together a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience.

“This groundbreaking book offers a compelling understanding of inherited trauma and fresh, powerful tools for relieving its suffering. Mark Wolynn is a wise and trustworthy guide on the journey toward healing.” —Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

Every family has a story. For some of us, our family of origin is a solid foundation that feeds our confidence and helps us navigate life’s challenges. For others, it’s a source of pain, hurt, and conflict that can feel like a lifelong burden. In this empowering guide, licensed therapist and bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to breaking the cycle and moving forward.

A road map for dismantling the fear and shame that keep you from living a free and authentic life. Rather than shrinking in the face of life’s difficulties, you will discover in Homecoming the therapeutic approaches and spiritual practices to live a more expansive life characterized by empowerment, healthier relationships, gratitude, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction. Through powerful prose, verse, and graphics, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes as they remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean that you’re defined by it. Each story is followed by a note from its author to the reader, and comprehensive back matter includes bios for the contributors as well as a collection of relevant resources.

Pema Chödrön’s perennially bestselling classic on overcoming life’s difficulties cuts to the heart of spirituality and personal growth — now in a newly designed 20th-anniversary edition with a new afterword by Pema — makes for a perfect gift and addition to one’s spiritual library.

When Man’s Search for Meaning was first published in 1959, it was hailed by Carl Rogers as “one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought in the last fifty years.” Now, more than forty years and 4 million copies later, this tribute to hope in the face of unimaginable loss has emerged as a true classic. Frankl’s seminal work offers us all an avenue to greater meaning and purpose in our own lives — a way to transcend suffering and find significance in the act of living.

Discover the power of collective healing in this research-based and real-world guide to moving past trauma and adversity — together. Through her unique mix of deeply honest personal stories, proven practices, and prompts for writing and reflection, wellness coach and licensed therapist Minaa B. helps readers finally face their struggles, get unstuck, and transform their thinking — to claim agency in their own lives and circumstances, and to use that power to help heal a broken world.

This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men — and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life.