Resources for the Journey

Healing doesn’t only happen in therapy sessions.
These are books, practices, and resources I often recommend for reflection, understanding, and support.

Healing rarely happens in isolation.

The resources below are books, teachers, and practices that can help put language to experiences many of us were never taught to name.

These resources are shared for educational purposes and are not a substitute for therapy or medical care.

Looking for more immediate or low-cost support?

Explore accessible support options

Books I Often Recommend

Books for Understanding Ourselves

Trauma & Somatic Healing

  • The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk
    A foundational book on trauma and how it lives in the body.

  • Waking the Tiger— Peter Levine
    A foundational book introducing Somatic Experiencing and the role of the body in processing and healing trauma.

Understanding Our Inner World

  • No Bad Parts— Richard Schwartz
    Internal Family Systems and the idea that our inner world is made up of parts that are trying to protect us.

  • Feeling Good & Feeling Great — David Burns
    Classic books introducing cognitive behavioral therapy and practical tools for understanding and shifting unhelpful thought patterns.

Working with Resistance & Change

  • The Tools— Phil Stutz & Barry Michels (book + film on Netflix)
    A practical and experiential approach to working with resistance, fear, and forward movement.
    The film offers a more personal look into the therapeutic process and the relationship between therapist and client.

Attachment & Relationships

  • Attached — Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
    An introduction to attachment theory and how our relational patterns develop.

  • All About Love & The Will To Change— bell hooks
    Explorations of love as an ethical and relational practice and how cultural expectations shape intimacy and masculinity.

Sexuality & Embodiment

  • Come As You Are & Come Together — Emily Nagoski
    Compassionate, science-based explorations of sexuality.

  • The Body Is Not an Apology — Sonya Renee Taylor
    An invitation into radical self-love and embodied dignity in a world that often teaches us to distrust or reject our bodies.

Creativity & Meaning

  • The Creative Act — Rick Rubin
    A beautiful reflection on creativity, intuition, and making meaning.

  • Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer
    A beautiful weaving of Indigenous wisdom, ecology, and the practice of living in reciprocal relationship with the earth.

Whenever possible, I encourage supporting local bookstores and community libraries.

Frameworks

The Wheel of Consent by Dr. Betty Martin.

Much of what happens between us isn’t always named—giving, receiving, taking, allowing.
This map offers a way to see those movements more clearly, and to notice where something feels aligned… or where it doesn’t.

You may find yourself in more than one place at different times—and that’s part of being human.

Nervous System & Somatic Practices

These practices can support the nervous system in moving from states of survival toward regulation and connection.

  • Gentle movement (walking, stretching, yoga)

  • Breath practices

  • Body scanning and somatic awareness

  • Creative expression such as singing, dancing, or writing

  • Time in nature

  • Time with pets

You could also recommend specific teachers:

These practices are not a substitute for therapy or medical care, but many people find them supportive alongside their healing work.

Relationships & Intimacy

Podcasts & Teachers

Crisis & Immediate Support

If you need immediate support

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to one of the following resources:

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
    Call or text 988 (United States)

  • Crisis Text Line
    Text HOME to 741741

  • Local emergency services if you are in immediate danger.

Creative Practices for Reflection

  • Journaling

  • Storytelling

  • Singing

  • Art

  • Time in nature