A safe place to talk openly about mental health & illness
The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism by Jennifer Kemp aims to boost self-compassion and improve psychological flexibility using acceptance and commitment therapy. The author is a therapist who has dealt with perfectionism herself, and she incorporates her own experiences to provide examples of the concepts being covered. She had tried cognitive behavioural therapy and didn't find… Continue reading Book Review: The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism
You Don't Look Sick: My Journey With an Invisible Illness by Kristen Dutkiewicz is a memoir recounting her experiences with multiple sclerosis. The book is written in a way that's likely to be useful for people who have MS, people wanting to support someone in their life with MS, and people who are curious to… Continue reading Book Review: You Don’t Look Sick
The Gratitude Explorer Workbook is by Kristi Nelson, the executive director of A Network for Grateful Living, a non-profit organization. I decided to get a copy of this book after seeing a review by Liz on Lemons But No Lemonade Recipe. This workbook has lots of journalling prompts and plenty of writing space. It's visually… Continue reading Book Review: The Gratitude Explorer Workbook
Manic Man: How to Live Successfully with a Severe Mental Illness by Jason Wegner, with a foreword by Dr. Kerry Barnes, is a memoir of a first episode of bipolar mania and subsequent recovery. The book's prologue opens with the author's parents having called paramedics to take him to hospital. It then shifts back in… Continue reading Book Review: Manic Man
The Better Boundaries Workbook by Sharon Martin uses a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach, incorporating mindfulness and self-compassion, to help readers establish boundaries to function better in relationships. The author is a psychotherapist, and if you're into mental health on Pinterest, you've probably come across some of her pins. The book begins with a look… Continue reading Book Review: The Better Boundaries Workbook
The ACT Workbook for Anger by Robyn D. Walser and Manuela O'Connell uses an acceptance and commitment therapy approach to support readers in better managing anger. Anger is framed as a mix of feelings, physiological sensations, thoughts, and actions, and the authors explain that experiencing it is normal; it's getting hooked on it that can… Continue reading Book Review: The ACT Workbook for Anger
Have You Heard the Sound of Your Own Voice is a memoir by Krithika Chandrasekar about her experiences with depression. The title refers to "the language of silence" that people with depression speak as they carry their burdens. The book covers the author's teenage years in India and her time as an undergrad at Purdue,… Continue reading Book Review: Have You Heard the Sound of Your Own Voice?
From Hardened to Healed by Debi Silber encourages readers to move beyond where they're stuck right now to a place of greater healing. I learned of this book from Joshua Shea, who you may know from his blog paddictrecovery.com; in the book, he shares his story of recovery from addiction and betrayal trauma. The author… Continue reading Book Review: From Hardened to Healed
The Night the Lights Went Out by Drew Magary tells the author's story of experiencing a traumatic brain injury and the gradual process of recovery. After hosting the 2018 Deadspin Awards, he collapsed, breaking his skull and his brain. In this book, he brings readers along as his life is turned upside down. Since the… Continue reading Book Review: The Night the Lights Went Out
The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD by Kimberley Quinlan looks at how to use self-compassion in conjunction with exposure and response prevention (ERP) to manage OCD. The foreword is written by Jon Hershfield, co-author of The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD, which I've previously reviewed. Like that book's use of mindfulness, this book uses self-compassion as a… Continue reading Book Review: The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD