Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS
Why You Should Read Certain Book While Engaging in Therapy
Reading and therapy really go hand in hand as books provide great supplemental support while attending therapy. Here are a few books that you should consider reading if you are currently in therapy. Most therapists have read these books, which will provide you the opportunity to discuss your thoughts and questions about what you have read during your sessions. Lastly, reading mental health related books while in therapy is a great way to enhance the process and dive deeper into your therapeutic goals.
The Four Agreements: This is by far my most recommended book for clients. The Four Agreements explores four general rules for life and can truly be applied to any situation. This book has over 83,000 reviews on Amazon and is truly life changing as well as thought provoking. Reading this book in therapy is beneficial because the rules can be discussed with your therapist, processed, and utilized as tools moving forward.
Attached: Having an awareness of your attachment style while in therapy isn’t a requirement but will highly benefit your experience. This book explores anxious, avoidant, anxious-avoidant, and secure attachment styles. Our attachment styles as adults impact us professionally, personally, and emotionally. So having awareness about where you fall can lead to a calmer, more confident life. Processing attachment styles in therapy is so helpful and having a book as a resource makes awareness even more clear.
The Miracle Morning: This book isn’t necessarily about therapy, but more to get routine and structure into your life. Lots of folks struggle to create and maintain routines; and the ideas in this book really kickstart the process. There is also something to be said about accomplishing tasks first thing in the morning, which can lead to more stability in one’s day, which then connects to more positive mental health.
Codependent No More: Originally, codependency was recognized as being in a relationship with someone who is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. Today, we know codependency may show up without the presence of substances, but this book provides the best baseline information on the topic. Understanding and exploring healthy components of relationships is so important and this book really helps build reflection on our own relationships and how they impact us.
Lost Connections: Depression is not only hard to navigate but challenging to understand. This book breaks down nine different categories from what impacts depression and how to best support yourself in getting better. Through different interviews, research, and the author’s own personal experience, the reader is taken through a journey of variables some may have never considered as factors in impacting depression.