Book Recommendations

The following books are presented for your information only and do not necessarily represent our opinions or advice or constitute our endorsement of these services. This list has been compiled from the MPA listserv. Thank you all for sharing these resources. If you would like to recommend any books to this list, please use this form.. 

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 Aging, Addiction, ADHD, Anger Management, Anxiety, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Couples, Depression, Divorce, Eating Disorders, Grief,  LGBTQIA+, Memoirs, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Parenting, Puberty, Racism, Retirement, Self-Compassion, Self Injury, Sexual Health, Shame, Suicide, Sports Psychology, Trauma/PTSD, Relationships

Aging

• From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald Miller
• The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister
• Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit by Rachel Cowan and Linda Thal 

Addiction 

• Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change by Jeffery Foote and Carrie Wilkens
• For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs by Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer
• Loving Someone in Recovery: The Answers You Need When Your Partner Is Recovering from Addiction by Beverly Berg

ADHD 

• A Family's First Guide: ADHD by Rebecca Resnik
• ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau
• ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction-- from Childhood through Adulthood by Edward Hallowell
• Adventures in Fast Forward: Life, Love, and Work for the ADD Adult by Kathleen Nadeau
• Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey
• Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?: Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder by Gina Pera
• Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parent's Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning  by Joyce Cooper-Kahn & Laurie Dietzel 
• Loving Someone With Attention Deficit Disorder: A Practical Guide to Understanding Your Partner, Improving Your Communication, and Strengthening Your Relationship by Susan Tschudi
• Moms with ADD: A Self-Help Manuel by Christine Adamec
• Reaching for a New Potential: A Life Guide for Adults with ADD From a Fellow Traveler by Oren Mason              
• Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare.
• Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child by Edward M. Hallowell
• The ADHD Toolkit: Using CBT to Facilitate Coping Inside and Out by J. Russel Ramsey and Anthony Rostain
• The Gift of ADHD: How to Transform Your Child's Problems into Strengths by Lara Honos-Webb
• You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo   

Anger Management 

• Cage Your Rage:  An Inmate's Guide to Anger Control by Murray Cullen
• Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions: Dialectical behavior Therapy Skills to Help Your Child Regulate Emotional Outbursts & Aggressive Behaviors by Pat Harvey and Jeanine Penzo
• Stop the Anger Now: A Workbook for the Prevention, Containment, and Resolution of Anger by Ron Potter-Efron
• Taking Charge of Anger: Six Steps to Asserting Yourself without Losing Control by W. Robert Nay

Anxiety 

• Annie Stories: A Special Kind of Storytelling by Doris Brett
• Anxiety-Free Kids: An Interactive Guide for Parents and Children by Bonnie Zucker
• Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens: A Workbook to Break the Nine Thought Habits that are Holding You Back by Mary Alvord
• Loving Someone with Anxiety: Understanding and Helping Your Partner by Kate Thieda
• Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts by Sally Winston and Martin Seif
• Parenting Kids With OCD: A Guide to Understanding and Supporting Your Child With OCD by Bonnie Zucker
• The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook by Martin Antony
• Stuff that's Loud: A Teen's Guide to Making Space for OCD and Living Life Anyway by Ben Sedley and Lisa Coyne 
• Talking Back to OCD: The Program That Helps Kids and Teens Say "No Way" — and Parents Say "Way to Go" by John March
• Outsmarting Worries (An Older Kid's Guide to Managing Anxiety) by Dawn Heubner
• Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely by Edward Hallowell 

Autism 

• A Parent's Guide to High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: How to Meet the Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive by Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson, and James McPartland
• Asperger Syndrome: The OASIS Guide: Advice, Inspiration, Insight, and Hope, from Early Intervention to Adulthood by Patricia Romanowski Bashe
• Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth by Tony Attwood
• Fitting In by Colin Thompson
• Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson
• Living Well on the Spectrum: How to Use Your Strengths to Meet the Challenges of Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism by Valerie Gaus
• Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
• The Aspie Teen's Survival Guide: Candid Advice for Teens, Tweens, and Parents, from a Young Man with Asperger's Syndrome by J.D. Kraus
• The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Atwood
• The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

Bipolar Disorder 

• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir for Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison
• Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for You and Your Loved Ones by Francis Mark Mondimore
• Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner by Julia fast and John Preston
• The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know by David Miklowitz

Borderline Personality Disorder 

• I Hate You - Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality by Jerold Kreisman and Hal Straus
• Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How to Keep Out-of-Control Emotions from Destroying Your Relationship by Shari Manning
• Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder by Paul Mason
• Surviving a Borderline Parent: How to Heal Your Childhood Wounds and Build Trust, Boundaries, and Self-Esteem by Kimberlee Roth 

Depression 

• Depression: A Teen's Guide To Survive and Thrive by Jacqueline B. Toner and Claire A. B. Freeland
• The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
• The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb
• Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion by Elisha Goldstein
• What to Do When Someone You Love Is Depressed: A Practical, Compassionate, and Helpful Guide by Mitch Golant and Susan Golant 

Divorce 

• Growing Up With Divorce: Helping Your Child Avoid Immediate and Later Emotional Problems by Neil Kalter
• Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way by M. Gary Neuman
• How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce: Healthy, Effective Communication Techniques for Your Changing Family by Samantha Rodman
• Making Divorce Easier on Your Child: 50 Effective Ways to Help Children Adjust by Nicholas Long and Rex Forehand
• Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce by JoAnne Pedro-Carroll
• The Truth About Children and Divorce: Dealing with the Emotions So You and Your Children Can Thrive by Robert Emery 

Eating Disorders/Food

• Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don't Work by Michelle May
• Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Recovery by Lindsey Hall and Monika Ostroff
• Binge No More: Your Guide to Overcoming Disordered Eating by Joyce Nash
• Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery by Lindsey Hall and Leigh Cohn
• End Emotional Eating: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Cope with Difficult Emotions and Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food by Jennifer Taitz
• Fat is a Family Affair: How Food Obsessions Affect Relationships by Judi Hollis
• Loving Someone with an Eating Disorder: Understanding, Supporting and Connecting with Your Partner by Dana Harron
• Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Chozen Bays
• Mindless Eating Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink
• Obese From The Heart: A Fat Psychiatrist Discloses by Sara Stein
• Overcoming Overeating: How to Break the Diet/Binge Cycle and Live a Healthier, More Satisfying Life by Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter
• Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends by Michele Siegal, Judith Brisman, and Margot Weinshel
• The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler
• The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Bulimia: A Guide to Breaking Free from Bulimia Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Emily Sandoz, Kelly Wilson, and Troy DuFrene
• When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies: Freeing Yourself from Food and Weight Obsession by Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter
• The World is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products that are Fattening the Human Race by Barry Popkin

Grief

• Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore
• It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Greif and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine
• Living Through Personal Crisis by Ann Kaiser Stearns
• The Loss That Is Forever: The Lifelong Impact of the Early Death of a Mother or Father by Maxine Harris

LGBTQIA+

• The ABC's of LBGT+ by Ashley Mardell
• Free Your Mind: The Book  for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth and Their Allies by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman
• Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity edited by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane
• Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son by Lori Duron
• You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery by Dara Hoffman-Fox

Memoirs

• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison
• Fitting In by Colin Thompson
• How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention by Susan Rose Blaune
• Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
• Lost in the Reflecting Pool: A Memoir by Diane Pomerantz
• Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity edited by Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane
• The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon
• The Ghost in the House: Motherhood, Raising Children & Struggling with Depression by Tracy Thompson
• The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
• Will's Choice: A Suicidal Teen, a Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Recovery by Gail Griffith

Mental Health

• A User's Guide to Therapy: What to Expect and How You Can Benefit by Tamara Kaiser
• Becoming Whole: A Healing Companion to Ease Emotional Pain and Find Self-Love by Bruce Alan Kehr
• I AM NOT SICK I Don't Need Help!: How to Help Someone Accept Treatment by Xavier Amodor
• Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M Scott Peck
• The Lies We Tell Ourselves: How to Face the Truth, Accept Yourself, and Create a Better Life by Jon Frederickson
• When Talk is Not Cheap: Or How to Find the Right Therapist When You Don't Know Where to Begin by Mandy Aftel and Robin Lakoff

Mindfulness 

• Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Rewire Your Brain for Love: Creating Vibrant Relationships Using the Science of Mindfulness by Marsha Lucas
• The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems by Ron Siegel
• The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Jon Hershfield

Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

• Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up's Guide to Getting over Narcissistic Parents by Nina Brown
• Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving & Thriving with the Self-Absorbed by Wendy Behary
• Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward and Donna Frazier
• Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited by Sam Vaknin
• Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists by Craig Malkin
• The Human Magnet Syndrome: The Codependent Narcissist Trap by Ross Rosenberg
• Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life by Susan Forward and Craig Buck
• Trapped in the Mirror: Adult Children of Narcissists in their Struggle for Self by Elan Golomb
• Why Is It Always About You?: The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism by Sandy Hotchkiss
• Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Karyl McBride
• The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists: Coping with the One-way Relationship in Work, Love, and Family by Elenor Payson  

Parenting

We had so many that they get their own page

Puberty

• The Every Body Book: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families by Rachel Simon
• Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters by Melisa Holmes and Trish Hutchison
• Guyology: A Guy's Guide to Growing Up by Melisa Holmes and Trish Hutchison
• It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, Gender, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris
• Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings and YOU by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
• What's Going on Down There?: A Boy's Guide to Growing Up by Karen Gravelle
• What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras and Area Madaras
• What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls by Lynda Madaras and Area Madaras 

Racism

• A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
• Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Drew Nelson
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Retirement 

• Finding Your Perfect Work: The New Career Guide to Making a Living, Creating a Life by Paul and Sarah Edwards
• My Time: Making the Most of the Bonus Decades After Fifty by Abigail Trafford
• Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, and Purpose by Nancy K. Schlossberg
• Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit from your Passions during Semi-Retirement by Nancy Collamer
• What Color is Your Parachute for Retirement: Planning a Prosperous Healthy, and Happy Future by John E. Nelson and Richard N. Bolles.  

Self-Compassion 

• Rewiring Your Brain for Love: Creating Vibrant Relationships Using the Science of Mindfulness by Marsha Lucas
• The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristen Neff and Chris Germer
• The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook: A 14 Day Plan to Transform Your Relationship with Yourself by Tim Desmond 
• Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion by Elisha Goldstein
• Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn 

Self Injury 

•  A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain by Marilee Strong 
• Cut by Patricia McCormick  

Sexual Health 

• Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
• Healthy Sex by Miriam Stoppard, MD
• Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic by Esther Perel
• Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido by Andrew Goldstein and Marianne Brandon
• The Magic of Sex Miriam Stoppard
• The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Wendy Maltz 

Shame

• I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame by Brene Brown
• Radical Acceptance: Awakening the Love that Heals Fear and Shame by Tara Brach

Suicide 

• Dying to Be Free: A Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide by Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch
• Grieving a Suicide:  A Loved One’s Search for Comfort, Answers, and Hope by Albert Y Hsu
• Take the Dimness of My Soul Away: Healing After a Loved One's Suicide by William A Ritter
• Will’s Choice: A Suicidal Teen, a Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Recovery by Gail Griffith 

Sports Psychology

• Biofeedback & Neurofeedback Applications in Sport Psychology by Michael Linden,
• Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Sports by Jim Thompson
• Positive Sports Parenting: How Second-Goal Parents Raise Winners in Life Through Sports by Jim Thompson

Trauma/PTSD

• A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M Holmes
• Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists by Suzette Boon, Kathy Steele, Onno van der Hart
• Coping with Trauma: Hope Through Understanding by Jon G. Allen
• Growing Beyond Survival: A Self-Help Toolkit for Managing Traumatic Stress by Elizabeth  G Vermilyea
• I Can’t Get Over It: A Handbook For Trauma Survivors by Aphrodite Matsakis
• Loving Someone with PTSD: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Connecting with Your Partner after Trauma  by Aphrodite Marsalis
• My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
• Healing Trauma: Restoring the Wisdom of the Body by Peter Levine
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
• Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman                 
• Trauma is Really Strange by Steve Haines

 Relationships

• 52 E-mails to Transform your Marriage: How to Reignite Intimacy and Rebuild Your Relationship by Samantha Rodman
• An Emotionally Focused Workbook for Couples: The Two of Us By Veronica Kallos-Lilly and Jennifer Fitzgerald
• Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman, Julie Schwarts Gottman, Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams
• Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts by Suzann Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski
• Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Susan Johnson  
• How to Get and Give Love -- Relationship Maps by Benna Sherman
• Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships by David Schnarch
• The Art of Loving by Eric Fromm
• The New Rules of Marriage: What you Need to Know to Make Love Work by Terrence Real
• The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples by John Gottman
• The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved by Matthew Kelly
• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Gottman and Nan Silver
• Things Just Haven't Been the Same: Making the Transition from Marriage to Parenthood by Brad Sachs