Hello September! For me, September is all about setting goals and starting new. Who needs to wait till January? In the United States, it is also Fall, my favorite season. I love curling up with a cup of tea, book and nice fire. There is just something cozy about this time of year, as we begin to prepare for the real cold weather. As always, we have some great picks for you in this months What Your Therapists Are Reading, even a workbook I will be picking up soon!
True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart by Thich Naht Hanh
True Love – by Thich Naht Hanh It’s a simple read from the Buddhist perspective, that reminds us how to get back to the basics of how to truly love another person. It’s gentle, it’s direct and it’s full of unavoidable awesomeness. It should be a a wedding gift to every couple getting married (along with John Gottman’s: Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work – which I am always re-reading). You can connect with Robyn D’Angelo, LMFT-The Happy Couple Expert at www.CounselingLagunaHills.com or Robyn@CounselingLagunaHills.com
The Last Lecture Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
They say attitude is everything; that we can choose how to respond to the situations life throws at us. But what does that actually look like? Randy Pausch is dying of cancer and there isn’t anything he can do about it. An expansion of the wildly popular “Last Lecture” delivered by Randy Pausch to an enthralled audience at Carnegie Mellon, this book is the ultimate reframe of attitude in the face of great challenge. You can connect with E.J. Smith, M.S., NCC, LPC Intern at http://www.facebook.com/simplyej
My interest in storytelling spans the personal, professional, and political. Annette Simmons does a beautiful job of breaking down the different types of stories, articulating the power of story, instructing how to tell a story to gain influence, and offers resources to support those who are interested in developing the skill. Whether you are interested in telling stories for entertainment and inspiration or are interested in telling stories to change your world, this is an excellent place to begin. You can connect with Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC at http://www.allthingsprivatepractice.com/
I’m always on the lookout for workbooks. I’m enjoying using this workbook that helps families navigate the questions that come up around adoption. It’s an empowering message, helping kiddos understand that they have options on how they respond, based on the circumstance and their personal preferences. You can connect with Debbie McJimsey, LMFT at Debbiemcjimseycounseling.com
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Who knew a middle-aged man could so acutely tune-in to the inner experience of a young girl battling emotional demons? The reader neither pitties nor villianizes the complex protagonist – we just learn a little bit about the fragility and resilience of humanity. You can connect with Dr. Angelica Shiels, licensed clinical psychologist at facebook.com/ontheyellowcouch or you can contact her for in-person therapy (Maryland)/phone consultation.
Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions
to Get the Life You Really Want
Excellent book on how to transform yourself by becoming more aware of your emotions and how they can work for you in a positive way. Learning how to open up to your emotions, use them in better communication, and to understand your true needs and desires can open you up to a new level of experiencing and deepen your life. Love this book! You can connect with Rachel Eddins, M.Ed., LPC-S, CGP at http://eddinscounseling.com
Uncovering Happiness by Elisha Goldstein
Understanding depression and providing mindfulness tools that speak to healthy management and self-love and healing without dependency on psychiatric medication. You can connect with Kristine Tye LMFT at www.kristinetherapyla.com
I love this book because it talks about the one of the most important relationships we’ll ever have – the relationship between parents and their children. The book focuses on common parenting issues like discipline, positive parenting, and how to handle sensitive subjects! But, what I love is that it also talks about the power of words and how self-defeating patterns get in the way of how we raise children. This is a must read for anyone working with families and anyone who is raising a child themselves. You can connect with Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, Parent Coach at http://theparentingskill.com
Thank you for taking the time to read What Your Therapists Are Reading. I hope you are enjoying our monthly reading list. I am confident we have something for everyone!
As always, we are doing this monthly and if you just joined you can find the other posts and please check them out. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August.
If you are a therapist and would like to submit, feel free to email me at jlfcounselingservices (at)gmail (dot)com
Happy Reading,
Jessica Fowler, LCSW
Please note that this information is for educational and informational purposes only.