Mental Health: Recommended Reading
Books that discuss mental health can be a useful way to process our experiences, learn about psychology, and often find techniques and tools to help us in our daily life. They can aid our mental health toolkit by providing different techniques, scientific research, and stories of others who have faced the same hurdles. In this list we’ve rounded up books that cover the subjects of grief, anxiety, mindfulness, friendship, boundaries, human connection and human-animal bond.
During January-February 2023, the Libraries is featuring a selection of these books about in a special display in the Hill Library's Learning Commons. The William Rand Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine also features a Wellbeing Book Collection on display year round.
Published January 2023
It's OK That You're Not OK : meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn't understand
Author: Megan Devine
Summary: Having experienced grief both as therapist and as a witness to the accidental drowning of her partner, Devine writes about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She offers insight to helping others experiencing grief, and debunks common myths.
Unwinding Anxiety : new science shows how to break the cycles of worry and fear to heal your mind
Author: Judson Brewer, MD PhD.
Summary: Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone.
Beyond White Mindfulness : critical perspectives on racism, well-being, and liberation
Editors: Crystal M. Fleming, Veronica Y. Womack, and Jeffrey Proulx
Summary: This book brings together interdisciplinary perspectives on mind-body interventions, group-based identities, and social justice. Marshaling both empirical data and theoretical approaches, the book examines a broad range of questions related to mindfulness, meditation, and diverse communities.
The Art of Showing Up : how to be there for yourself and your people
Author: Rachel Wilkerson Miller
Summary: Summary: If you're having trouble connecting with those around you, know that you're not the only one. Adult friendships are tricky!!! Part manifesto, part guide, The Art of Showing Up is soul medicine for our modern, tech-mediated age.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace : a guide to reclaiming yourself
Author: Nedra Glover Tawwab
Summary: Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram, Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today's world. In a relatable and inclusive tone, Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life.
Time Is a Mother
Author: Ocean Vuong
Summary: In this deeply intimate poetry collection, Ocean Vuong searches for life among the aftershocks of his mother's death, embodying the paradox of sitting within grief while being determined to survive beyond it.
What Happened To You? : conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing
Author: Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph. D. and Oprah Winfrey
Summary: Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking shift from asking "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?"
Together : loneliness, health and what happens when we find connection
Author: Vivek H. Murthy, MD.
Summary: Isolation and loneliness are at epidemic levels, despite being in a world that seems increasingly more and more ubiquitously “connected.” Former Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy explores this growing health crisis to understand human connection as a medical necessity.
The Gifts We Receive from Animals
Editor: Lori R. Kogan
Summary: Through short, true-life stories written by professionals engaged in therapy work, The Gifts We Receive from Animals relates the core essence of the human animal bond and the reason behind the growing phenomenon of animal assisted interventions.
Building a Life Worth Living : a memoir
Author: Marsha M. Linehan
Summary: Using her own struggle to develop life skills for others, Marsha Linehan shares her journey from suicidal teenager to world-renowned developer of the life-saving Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). "Are you one of us?" a patient once asked. "Because if you were, it would give all of us so much hope."