Favorite Books

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The following are a list of books I have collected throughout the years. Most I have read personally; others have been recommendations of colleagues, friends, or clients that shared they were helpful in their journeys. Not all of the books on this list will resonate with you; and not everything within each book with resonate either. I invite you to keep what fits, and to let go of what doesn’t.*

Body Image, Eating, & Relationship to Food:

  • The Fuck it Diet by Caroline Dooner: Eating Should Be Easy

  • Health At Every Size by Dr. Lindo Bacon

  • Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch

  • Intuitive Eating for Every Day by Evelyn Tribole: 365 Daily Practices & Inspirations to Rediscover the Pleasures of Eating

  • Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison

  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Taylor

  • Body Neutrality by Ayla Ghibaudy: The Liberating Practice of Accepting Your Body Exactly as It Is

  • Things No One Tells Fat Girls by Jen Baker: A Handbook for Unapologetic Living

  • This Is Your Brain On Food by Uma Naidoo: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods That Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More

Breakup & Divorce:

  • Spiritual Divorce by Debbie Ford

  • Its Called A Breakup Because its Broken by Greg Behrendt

  • Conscious Uncoupling by Katherine Woodward Thomas

  • Putting Children First by Joanne Pedro-Carroll: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce

  • When Mom and Dad Separate by Marge Heegaard: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief from Divorce Paperback

Division of Labor Partnerships
& Equitable caregiving

  • Fairplay Life by Eve Rodsky: A game changing solution for when you have too much to do (and more life to live)

  • How to Keep House while Drowning by KC Davis - 31 days of compassionate help

Decolonization

Learning about the rich & diverse history and traditions of Native people, and the challenges they face today. I support the land back movement which aims to reallocate resources to and return sovereignty to Native people and land

  • 1491 by Charles Mann: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

  • An Indigenous Peoples History of the US by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

  • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-Kimmerer: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

  • Notable Native People by Adrienne Keene 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present

  • The 13 Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams: Your Sacred Path to Discovering the Gifts, Talents, and Abilities of the Feminine Through the Ancient Teachings of the Sisterhood

Family Advocacy & well being

  • Don’t Leave Your Friends Behind by Victoria Law and China Martens: Concrete Ways to Support Families in Social Justice Movements and Communities

  • How to Keep House while Drowning by KC Davis - 31 days of compassionate help

  • How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

Feminism

growth & Healing for self

  • Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection (and every book) by Brené Brown, Ph.D.

  • Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett

  • The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron

  • Special Topics in Being Human by S. Bear Begman:  A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned the Hard Way about Caring for People, Including Myself

  • Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection by Deb Dana: 50 Client-Centered Practices

Grief

  • The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief

  • Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore : Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief

  • Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah Davis: Surviving the Death of Your Baby

  • It's Ok That You're Not Ok by Megan Devine: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand

Infidelity Recovery:

  • After the Affair and How Can I Forgive You? by Janis A. Spring

  • The State of Affairs by Esther Perel: Rethinking Infidelity

LGBTQ+ | queer

Moms & Motherhood

  • Transformed by Birth by Britta Bushnell: Cultivating Openness, Resilience, and Strength for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood

  • Postpartum Depression Workbook by Abby Burd, LCSW

  • What No One Tells You by Alexandra Sacks, MD., and Catherine Birndorf, MD.: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood

  • The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett: Coping with Mothering Stress, Depression, and Burnout (2nd edition)

  • The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook by Kevin L. Gyoerkoe: Practical Skills to Help You Overcome Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks, Obsessions, and Compulsions

  • Women's Moods by Jeanne W. Driscoll and Deborah Sichelery: What Every Woman Must Know About Hormones, the Brain, and Emotional Health

non-monogamy:

  • Polysecure by Jessica Fern: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy

  • Opening Up by Tristan Taormino: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships

  • The Jealousy Workbook by Kathy Labriola: Exercises and Insights for Managing Open Relationships

Parenting

  • Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans 

  • No Drama Discipline by Dan Siegel, MD

  • Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Dan Siegel, MD

  • Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman, Ph.D.

  • How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims - Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

  • Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue by How to Raise Your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes

  • The Every Body Book by Rachel Simone: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families

Romantic Relationships:

  • Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson, Ph.D.

  • Attached by Amir Levine, MD, and Rachel Heller, M.A.

  • Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

  • Wired for Love by Stan Tatkin How Understanding Your Partner's Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and Build a Secure Relationship

  • Wired for Dating by Stan Tatkin: How Understanding Neurobiology and Attachment Style Can Help You Find Your Ideal Mate

  • Any of the books by the Gottman’s. They’re all based on comprehensive couples research.

Sexual empowerment, intimacy & Wellness:

COUPLE FOCUSED:

  • Discovering Your Couple Sexual Style by Emily and Barry McCarthy: Sharing Desire, Pleasure, and Satisfaction

  • Enduring Desire by Michael E. Metz and Barry W. McCarthy: Your Guide to Lifelong Intimacy

  • The Return of Desire by Gina Ogden: A Guide to Rediscovering Your Sexual Passion

  • Transforming Sexual Narratives by Suzanne Iasenza: A Relational Approach to Sex Therapy

  • Sexual Awareness by Barry McCarthy: Your Guide to Healthy Couple Sexuality

VULVA FOCUSED:

  • Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D.: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life 

  • Women's Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure

  • When Sex Hurts by Goldstein: A Woman's Guide to Banishing Sexual Pain

PENIS FOCUSED:

  • Coping with Premature Ejaculation by Barry McCarthy, Ph. D.

  • Coping with Erectile Disfunction by Barry McCarthy, Ph. D.

Trauma:

  • Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.

  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D.

  • The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe

Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder:

  • I Hate You — Don’t Leave Me by Hal Straus Jerold J. Kreisman, M

  • Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul T. T. Mason MS, Randi Kreger

Women*+:

  • Burnout by Emily Nagoski: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

  • Better Sex Through Mindfulness by Lori Brotto: How Women Cultivate Desire

  • Hormonal by Martie Haselton: The Hidden Intelligence of Hormones - How They Drive Desire, Shape Relationships, Influence Our Choices, and Make Us Wiser

  • Women's Moods by Jeanne W. Driscoll and Deborah Sichelery: What Every Woman Must Know About Hormones, the Brain, and Emotional Health

Wholistic, Zen, & Spiritual:

  • The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

  • Warrior Goddess Training by HeatherAsh Amara

  • Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

*Disclaimer: I make no income off of promoting any of the activities, books, and other resources that I share through my site. i simply love curating resources to make them more accessible.

I believe nurturing our relationships is one of the most important things we do.