Resources

Soul of Shame

by: Curt Thompson

In this book, Curt Thompson takes a scalpel to one of the most insidious and often unexamined

human experiences - shame. Shame touches each of our lives, but we often mask it with other

words like embarrassment, duty, avoidance, etc. Yet, the innocently sounding phrase "I

should..." creates more havoc in our heart than we often care to admit. Curt explores how the

stories of shame from our past keep us from living in authenticity and intimacy while strapping

our bodies with anxiety and insecurity. This book helps describe how to begin shining light on

our stories that have kept us in the dark. A specialist in interpersonal neurobiology, Curt

encourages the reader to come out of hiding by telling our story to a trusted friend, therapist, or

partner. Through that process shame will begin to transform into connection. Curt blends his

medical and theological background in this book. Although this book comes from a biblical

perspective, the emotional and interpersonal truths can be applied no matter what your faith or

spiritual background is.

Matthew Dean, Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Forgiveness Is Really Strange

By Masi Noor & Marina Cantacuzino

Forgiveness Is Really Strange is one of many in the “Really Strange” series (more to come on the others); with a comic book flair it’s a pretty easy read generally speaking. The authors educate the reader about forgiveness by using real life examples and exploring health benefits of forgiveness, which are all science based. While providing psychoeducation on forgiveness the authors address the elephants in most rooms when it comes to this topic:

1. Do I need an apology to forgive?

2. If I forgive, does it mean that I agree with what happened?

3. Will it hurt more to forgive?

4. If I forgive, will I hurt less?

5. Why should I forgive?

6. Forgiveness seems like it’s for the other person; what’s in it for me?

7. How can I become motivated to forgive?

The answers to these questions and much more are in the short and straight forward book appropriate for readers ages 12 and up. If you are struggling to forgive and would like support while you navigate, definitely check this out and also feel free to reach out to our office to make an appointment with one of our skilled therapists.

Jami Smithson, LPC, CCTP

Lead Therapist

Tokens of Affection: Reclaiming Your Marriage After Postpartum Depression

By: Karen Kleiman with Amy Wenzel

 Tokens of Affection: Reclaiming Your Marriage After Postpartum Depression is a heartfelt and insightful guide written for couples navigating the challenging aftermath of postpartum depression (PPD). Authored by Karen Kleiman, international maternal mental-health expert, the book offers a compassionate approach to rebuilding marital intimacy and connection in the wake of PPD. The book acknowledges the profound impact that postpartum depression can have on both partners, emphasizing the importance of understanding and empathy during this difficult period. It explores how PPD can strain relationships, causing feelings of isolation, resentment, and confusion. Through personal anecdotes, case studies, and expert advice, Kleiman skillfully illustrates the emotional journey that couples face when PPD becomes a part of their story. One of the central themes of Tokens of Affection is the concept of rebuilding trust and intimacy after PPD. Kleiman offers practical strategies for couples to communicate effectively, validate each other's experiences, and reconnect emotionally and physically. The book encourages couples to create "tokens of affection" — small, meaningful gestures that symbolize love, support, and commitment — to rebuild and strengthen their bond.

Jenna Ham, LPC, PMH-C, CSAC

Therapist

Attached to God

By: Krispin Mayfield, LPC

This book is a great starting place to exploring how our attachment style impacts our spiritual experience. It guides us through spiritual attachment and ways in which our existential fears of abandonment can impact our sense of worth and deservingness for divine relationship and unconditional loving support. If you are in a place of interest and curiosity of both exploring attachment styles and faith, this book serves as a hand to hold when navigating this journey.

Sydney Villeneuve, LPC
Therapist
Quality Assurance Specialist

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

A heavy but necessary read, especially during difficult and scary times. Written by a survivor of the Holocaust, this book is full of existentialist ideals about the limits of the human condition (i.e. how every single human can expect suffering during their lifetime). Dr. Frankl details his experiences in concentration camps whilst exploring the true power of love and the resilience of the human spirit; and above all else, the deep wantingness to live that exists inside us, even in the darkest of times under uncertain and hellish circumstances. This book inspires hope in that despite enduring unimaginable loss and hardship, we as humans can and will fight for life.

Julia Wellons, Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Fair Play – A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)

by Eve Rodsky

Rodsky discusses her own frustrations with keeping her family’s lives and household running when she felt unsupported by her husband and overwhelmed by society's expectations for mothers. Rodsky explores larger society gender messages, such as the “shefault parent” and how unpaid invisible work has historically and disproportionally fallen on women to bear. She also explores why the default parent often believes they ‘should’ be ‘doing it all.’ Out of a desire for a more equitable division of the mental load and invisible labor within her home, Rodsky created the Fair Play “game” which she outlines in this book. This game was designed to help couples identify, share, and create standards for household tasks, child-rearing tasks, and invisible work tasks. Due to Rodsky having a specific audience in mind when writing this book (i.e., married mothers with children in the home who believe there is an imbalance in task division), it would be the most beneficial for this audience.

Jenna Ham, LPC, CSAC

Therapist

Women Who Run with the Wolves

Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

By Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD

This book is a classic, and loyal door to visit and return to when exploring and tuning our feminine psyche. It explores the ways in which the wild feminine is tamed through our societal systems and valued domestic roles. It guides us to the routes in reclaiming our grounded and wild innate selves that promises us women deep attunement to self. This book utilizes story telling and mindful consideration of what attunement to our wild feminine should feel like and how this is foundational to our self concept and self worth. This book starts a primal fire that ignites motivation to spend intentional time with our wild spirit and towards the work needed to not lose our spark as women.

Sydney Villeneuve, LPC
Therapist
Quality Assurance Specialist

Cribsheet

By Emily Oster

In a world where clickbait articles are commonplace, Oster breaks down what the research really says and how to deduce if a study is trustworthy. An economist by day, Oster covers the research on topics such as breastfeeding, daycare, sleep training, and language acquisition. This book is for all the parents/caregivers out there that enjoy having data to corroborate parenting decisions.

Jenna Ham, LPC, CSAC

Therapist

Good Morning, Monster

Five Heroic Journesy to Emotional Recovery

By Catherin Gildiner

Catherine Gildiner, a therapist, reflects on five memorable patients she has worked with over the course of her career in this insightful, powerful, and deeply inspiring book. The stories recounted in these chapters come from individuals Gildiner calls ‘psychological heroes’ due to their profound emotional bravery and courage in facing their trauma head on, and their willingness to dip a toe into their past in order to move towards a secure, safe, and fulfilling future. Not only does this book provide therapists and mental health clinicians with valuable insight into how to sit with a client's pain, it shows us readers the inherent resilience that all human beings have. The impact of childhood trauma is devastating and, at times, unbearable, but Good Morning, Monster reminds us that we are not alone in our fight for healing, and a compassionate, consistent, and curious therapist can bare witness to your pain and show you that trust in someone else is possible. While some of the subject matter is tough to read, the overall content in this book is just as informational as it is impactful. Readers can expect to be changed from reading this book and will walk away with newfound empathy and compassion for their fellow human beings - I cannot recommend it enough!

Ashton Barnes, NCC

Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Notes on Grief

By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

  “Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language. Why are my sides so sore and achy? It’s from crying, I’m told. I did not know that we cry with our muscles. The pain is not surprising, but its physicality is, my tongue unbearably bitter, as though I ate a loathed meal and forgot to clean my teeth, on my chest a heavy, awful weight, and inside my body a sensation of eternal dissolving. My heart—my actual physical heart, nothing figurative here—is running away from me, has become its own separate thing, beating too fast, its rhythms at odds with mine. This is an affliction not merely of the spirit but of the body. Flesh, muscles, organs are all compromised. No physical position is comfortable. For weeks, my stomach is in turmoil, tense and tight with foreboding, the ever-present certainty that somebody else will die, that more will be lost.”

  Notes on Grief recounts Adichie’s devastating experience with the loss of her beloved father during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over a video call from across the world, she learns her father has unexpectedly died. Adichie captures the raw reality of bereavement: physical pain, memories unearthed, the sometimes necessary task of turning from “pain to planning”. Her words offer us an opportunity for connection; if we’ve met Grief, the quoted text above will likely be familiar to us. This book tells a personal story as much as it offers an outline for mourning, reflection and wisdom that may guide a grieving heart to some relief. For anyone with fresh or lasting grief over the passing of a loved one, this beautifully written memoir may offer insight, or at the least, remind you that you are not alone in your experience.

Kellyn McRory, NCC, Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Jabari Jumps

By Gaia Cornwall

A great book to help kiddos ages K-2 overcome their fears. “I’m jumping off the diving board today,” Jabari tells his dad, filled with excitement and fear. Watching the other kids he tries to convince himself that it will be easy and he isn’t scared at all; after watching his son trying to muster up the courage dad suggests maybe he should take a rest all the while encouraging and offering reassurance that it’s ok to feel scared. Young readers are able to relate to Jabari, the exciting & scary new activity he is about to experience, and the emotions that come along with it all, parents will find guidance provided by the examples given on how to encourage their little ones, and both readers will love the realistic yet whimsical illustrations. ENJOY!

Jami Smithson, LPC, CCTP

Lead Therapist

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger

By: Soraya Chemaly

  Anger----the focus of this publication and the specific emotion I felt whilst reading it. The dual author and activist Soraya Chemaly discusses the obvious and subtle ways in which sexism and misogyny "drip" into every fabric of our society. She explores intersectionality surrounding this particular emotion--(i.e. how gender + sex, race + ethnicity, and cultural norms all impact the expression (or lack thereof!) of anger.) Then, she takes us through the devastating ways in which suppressing healthy anger takes a toll on us, both mentally and physically, and the impacts that has on us in society and as a society.

  Angry yet? I hope so! So now what? The author posits that we channel this anger into action. We use it to demand equity and justice and utilize it as a catalyst for change. Our anger, after all, is the solution. Our anger is our power.

Julia Wellons, Resident in Counseling

Therapist

The Bait of Satan

By: John Bevere

In "The Bait of Satan," John Bevere delves into the often-overlooked issue of offense and its destructive impact on relationships and spiritual growth. As a Christian therapist, I find Bevere's insights profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to cultivate a healthy, faith-driven life. Bevere effectively identifies how taking offense can become a subtle snare, leading to bitterness, resentment, and ultimately spiritual stagnation. His scriptural references and personal anecdotes create a compelling narrative that encourages readers to confront and release offenses, fostering an atmosphere of forgiveness and reconciliation. 

This book is an invaluable resource for clients struggling with unresolved hurts and the toxic effects of harboring offense.

Bevere's practical advice aligns well with therapeutic principles of emotional and relational health, making it a useful tool in therapy sessions. The emphasis on forgiveness, humility, and the sovereignty of God provides a framework for clients to understand and overcome the pain of offense. By diving into and developing an understanding of Bevere's teachings, individuals can work to begin replacing negative patterns with biblical truths, leading to deeper healing and personal growth. "The Bait of Satan" offers a profound exploration of a common spiritual pitfall and presents actionable steps to live a life free from the bondage of offense, making it an essential read for both personal and professional enrichment.

Jami Smithson, LPC, CCTP

Lead Therapist

Intuition and the Mystical Life

By Caroline Myss and Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The audiobook “Intuition and the Mystical Life” by Caroline Myss and Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a soul-stirring exploration of the unseen forces that guide us. Through profound wisdom and captivating storytelling, these two spiritual teachers illuminate how intuition can serve as a sacred compass in our daily lives. The audiobook feels like an intimate conversation, offering listeners a blend of ancient wisdom, psychological insight, and mystical truth. Myss and Estés encourage us to trust our inner voice and embrace life’s mysteries with courage and reverence. Their unique perspectives inspire deep reflection, making this audiobook a powerful guide for those seeking a more intuitive and spiritually connected life. A must-listen for anyone yearning to explore the magic of their inner world.

Sydney Villeneuve, LPC
Therapist
Quality Assurance Specialist

There Might Be Lobsters

by Carolyn Crimi

A book that is surely to help the littles, ages K-2 identify both fear and courage. To Sukie, a little black and white dog, everything at the beach seemed so big. Naturally, when her toy Chunka Munka was washed out to sea with the tide, Sukie was scared but it was time for her to be brave so she jumped in and brought her beloved pal back to safety. This reassuring story illustrates how fear can hold us back if we allow it to but love and empathy can save the day. Parents and little ones alike will enjoy this story about facing fears and the good feelings that ensue in overcoming them. Enjoy!

Jami Smithson, LPC, CCTP

Lead Therapist

How to Relax

by Thich Nhat Hanh

"An simple and essential mindfulness guide" are the first words that come to mind in describing this book. If you're like me, there's constant chatter inside your head and you may struggle with quieting your mind. It can feel impossible. This is why I personally love this book, and think you will too. It's short, easy to understand, and small so you can keep it with you in your bag and refer to it when you need it. It's filled with snippets of wisdom, delightful quotes, and super simple exercises to help you just be present in this moment. Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Buddhist monk, poet, teacher, and peace activist who offers us all a unique gift through his writing---how to achieve peace. He writes in a way that can help us all (novices  included!) understand the purpose and benefits of relaxation + mindfulness, and how it can literally change your brain and your life.

Julia Wellons, NCC, CCTSI

Therapist

Jancee Dunn is vulnerable, honest, and hilarious in this part self-help part memoir. Dunn is candid about her own struggles with her marriage after having her daughter and details her and her husband’s journey to improving their relationship. This book includes realistic, real-world advice from respected therapists and even an FBI hostage negotiator. The advice and techniques are applicable for couples struggling to find the correct balance of household duties, parenting duties, and time for themselves.

Jenna Ham, LPC, CSAC

Therapist

The Highly Sensitive Person

By: Elaine N Aron

Aron really does a great job honoring our sensitivity from a strength-based perspective! This book allows you to have a hopeful understanding of why you feel things more deeply, and why you might respond to others and your environment more reactively, yet intuitively! This book serves as an impactful “Aha!” moment and also as a toolbox for how to navigate life as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I recommended this book for anyone battling negative beliefs of themselves and their sensitivity to this world—it’s time you reframe the way you see yourself in how you stay attuned and intuitively connected to this world!

Sydney Villeneuve, LPC

Therapist

The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief 

By: Francis Weller

In the opening chapter of this book, Francis says, “Grief is not a problem to be solved, not a condition to be medicated, but a deep encounter with an essential experience of being human”. This book is all about engaging with our humanity in a raw and beautiful way. He goes on to point out that in our western world, we are obsessed with finding ways to numb ourselves. Yet, grief demands to be felt. In this profoundly deep and kind book, Fracis provides a lens on grief that is ultimately extremely hopeful. Not because he tells you ways to dodge your pain, rather he invites you to consider what moving through your pain may look like. When our eyes are open, grief, or unattended sorrows, can be seen all around us. Pulling from eastern traditions that fit within our current context, Francis gives us an imagination for rituals and practices that will heal our bodies and gives us a sense of connectedness with our community and world - all by engaging with rather than escaping grief. I recommend reading this book with a soft blanket and a cup of tea!

Matthew Dean

Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents 

by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

The first book in a series of 3 (woo we love a collection moment!). Having a parent(s) who may be physically present but not emotionally available can be extremely confusing and painful. Clinical psychologist + author Dr. Gibson draws a distinct connection: between feelings of anger, abandonment, anxiety, emptiness, + loneliness in adulthood to the experience of having unmet needs in childhood. She focuses on unmet needs in terms of parents who were either emotionally unavailable, emotionally immature, or a combo of the two. She discusses how these early life experiences leave invisible wounds that continue causing emotional pain and destruction within relationships. What can we do? Dr. Gibson describes tangible, meaningful ways in which you can free yourself from the pain, confusion, and disappointment that comes from these types of relationships.

Julia Wellons, Resident in Counseling

Therapist

Notes from Your Therapist

By Allyson Dinneen

This book is so enjoyable and useful in a variety of ways. In its most simplest form it’s aesthetically pleasing and a great ‘coffee table book’, but it really is so much more than that! This book is a conversations starter with a hook for depth and vulnerable conversations. I enjoy using this book in my therapeutic work with clients when they come to session feeling unsure what they want to discuss that day. This book is relatable across all human conditions and is filled of prompts that lead clients into exploring their own personal experiences in life. It is also a book that clients have then later bought after sessions to utilize for meditative self-reflection, and even for journal prompting. Dinneen created something truly insightful, inspirational, valuable, and relatable that I would recommend to all walks of life.

Sydney Villeneuve, LPC

Therapist

Sometimes Therapy is Awkward

By Nicole Arzt

This is a book I recommend for those early on in their career of being a therapist whether they are in the beginning of stepping into the mental health field, in graduate school, or completing their residency for licensure. I believe it could also be a great way to begin to explore the unknown of the therapy room for those who are curious to know what it is like as a first-time “client”. It reminds us that, well, therapy is awkward. It’s a read written from a stance of somewhere between humility and mastery of the craft. It’s a necessary reminder of what not to expect, what to hope for, and what will likely occur from both chairs in the therapy room.

Sydney Horton, LPC

Therapist

Neurobiologically Informed Trauma Therapy with Children and Adolescents: Understanding Mechanisms of Change

By Linda Chapman

This is a book I would recommend for anyone curious about the intersections of neurobiological development and the impacts of trauma. This book provides an in-depth understanding of the way in which our brains are hardwired while simultaneously providing tangible routes of change. Its evidence based information sparks hope for all in a space of healing—parents, loved ones, clinicians, and those resiliently coping through life since childhood.

Sydney Horton, LPC

Therapist

Atomic Habits

By James Clear

This one is an easily digestible book for all who come across it. This book can invoke a multitude of feelings if you are someone who wants sustainable change in your life. This book contains straight forward information, step by step examples, and loads of research to help the reader understand and make goals for lasting change. This book helps readers understand and come to know the 4 laws for change, (1) Make it Obvious, (2) Make it Attractive, (3) Make it Easy, and (4) Make it Satisfying.

Cassidy Van De Graaf, LPC

Therapist

Wherever You Go, There You Are

By Jon Kabat-Zinn

This one forces you to sit with yourself and reflect on the present moment. This one holds a lot of valuable information and if you’re ready to dive deeper into “being” instead of “doing,” this one is a great place to start. It is an easy read with many examples and challenges that will make you want to practice the art of mindfulness more in your daily life.

Cassidy Van De Graaf, LPC

Therapist

What Am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression 

By Karen Kleiman

Karen Kleiman, MSW, has written multiple pronounced books focusing on perinatal mood disorders. In What Am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression Karen highlights the specific fears women who have lived through perinatal mood disorders may experience when thinking about having another child. This book combines real world stories from women and workbook style reflections to assist the reader in creating a hands-on plan to prepare for pregnancy and having another child.

Jenna Ham, LPC, CSAC

Therapist

I'm Glad My Mom Died

By Jeannette McCurdy

This one is for all the young adults who grew up knowing and loving the nickelodeon show icarly. Jennette McCurdy (aka Sam on icarly) reveals so much of herself in this read including mental illness, complicated familial relationships, eating disorders, and much more. This book can be greatly appreciated for its raw honesty and openness on topics that may sometimes still appear as “taboo” to talk about.

Cassidy Van De Graaf, LPC

Therapist

The Wounded Woman

By Linda Schierse Leonard

This is an honorable mention for all women, survivors of generational trauma, that have been wounded within the relationships that are most innately yearned for deep within the bones of the feminine psyche. In this book you’ll be taken to explore the inner wounds of women who have been impacted by the wavering, conditional, dismissive, absent presence of men and the masculine roles in your waking lives.

Sydney Horton, LPC

Therapist

Whole Brain Child 

By Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.

A must read for any parent or caregiver looking to understand the brain structure and development of their young child. The authors provide reader-friendly, real world examples to help manage a multitude of challenging parenting situations from toddler tantrums to grade school fears. Twelve key strategies are outlined with easy to understand resources to review with children to help teach them impactful skills such as self-regulation, engagement, and mindfulness.

Jenna Ham, LPC, CSAC

Therapist

Say What You Mean

By Oren Jay Sofer

This one discusses at length the importance of Non-Violent Communication. This book is so user-friendly (and client / therapist friendly) with its rich examples that you may find a multitude of answers on how to handle certain communication difficulties in your life. This book will leave you wondering and preparing for your next effective interpersonal encounter.

Cassidy Van De Graaf, LPC

Therapist

Set Boundaries, Find Peace

By Nedra Glover Tawwab

This one is an all-time favorite, because who doesn’t need boundaries in their life? This book breaks down boundaries in the most simplistic way and helps guide you through what this may look like in your own life and relationships. With a topic this important, it is vital to take this book slowly as you consider how to apply each of the tips/tricks/advice/information given.

Cassidy Van De Graaf, LPC

Therapist

The Body Keeps the Score

By Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

She’s dense with rich new information ready to turn “ah-ha” moments

into lasting insight. If you’re looking to learn more about not just the psychological impacts of trauma but the way in which it impacts your body down to a cellular level, this is the book for you. A book filled with information supported by interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative research that will bring you back to your body with a deeper understanding of how resilient you really are.

Sydney Horton, LPC

Therapist

101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think

Brianna Wiest

I highly recommend "101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think" by Brianna Wiest. 101 sounds like a big number, but each essay is short and sweet. I firmly believe that this book encourages self-exploration and is filled with words that people need to hear who are struggling with where they are at in life. A lot of people my age talk a lot about feeling lost in life and confused. Brianna Wiest is a clever writer, and there have been many moments when I read this book and felt shocked at the new perspectives I had developed. 10/10 would highly recommend!!

Cloey Bibbs, B.S.

Clinical Mental Health Intern