Self-help Resources in Mental Health

Listed below are a number of self-help resources that have been demonstrated to be of benefit.  They are organized by specific topics.  The resources are taken from an excellent publication, Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health written by John C. Norcross, Ph.D., and others, and published by Guilford Press.

ABUSE:

The Courage to Heal (1992) by Bass and Davis   New York : Harper Perennial.
An excellent book for women who were abused as children.

The Battered Woman (1979) by Walker   New York : Harper & Row.
For women who have been abused by husbands.

Victims No Longer: Men Recovering from Incest and Other Sexual Child Abuse (1990) by Lew

New York : Harper & Row.

ADDICTION:

Alcoholics Anonymous (1976)  New York : Alcoholics Anonymous World Services

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (1995) New York : Alcoholics Anonymous

A Time to Heal: the Road to Recovery for Adult Children of Alcoholics (1988) by Cermak

Los Angeles : Jeremy P. Tarcher

ADULT DEVELOPMENT:

Necessary Losses (1998) by Viorst  New York : Fireside.
An excellent book on growth and change.

Seasons of a Man’s Life (1986) by Levinson  New York : Ballantine

Making Peace with your Parents (1983) by Bloomfield   New York : Random House

The Silent Passage (1998)) by Sheehy  New York : Random House.
An excellent book on menopause.

ANGER:

The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships (1997) by Lerner

New York : Harper Perennial

Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion (1989) by Tavris  New York : Touchstone Books

How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You (1997) by Ellis  Secaucus, NJ: Birch Lane Press

ANXIETY:

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook (1995) by Bourne  Oakland , CA: New Harbinger Books

Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic II (1994) by Barlow and Craske  Albany , NY : Graywind

Anxiety Disorders and Phobias (1985) by Beck and Emery  New York : Basic Books

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (1992) by Levenkron  New York : Warner

ASSERTION:

Your Perfect Right (1995) by Alberti and Emmons  San Luis Obispo , CA : Impact

Stand Up, Speak Out, Talk Back (1975) by Alberti and Emmons New York : Pocket Books

When I Say No, I Feel Guilty (1975) by Smith  New York : Bantam Books

ADHD:

Taking Charge of ADHD (1995) by Barkley  New York : Guilford Press

Driven to Distraction (1994) by Hallowell  New York : Simon and Schuster

Parenting a Child with ADHD (1996) by Boyles and Contadino Los Angeles : Lowell House

CAREERS:

What Color is Your Parachute? (1999) by  Bolles  Berkley , CA : Ten Speed Press

Staying the Course: The Emotional and Social Lives of Men Who Do Well at Work (1990) by Weiss
New York : Free Press

Shifting Gears (1990) by Hyatt  New York : Simon and Schuster.
A book on career changing.

Knock ‘Em Dead (1996) by Yate  Holbrook , MA : Bob Adams.
An excellent book on job interviewing.

CHILDREN AND PARENTING:

To Listen to a Child (1984) by Brazelton  Reading , MA : Addison-Wesley

Between Parent and Child (1965) by Ginott  New York : Avon
My favorite book on parenting.

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (1999) by Faber  New York : Avon

COMMUNICATE:

You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation (1990) by Tannen  New York : Ballantine

How to Communicate: The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Personal and Professional Relationships (1997)

by McKay New York : Fine

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In (1981) by Fisher and Ury  New York : Penguin

 

Shyness (1987) by Zimbardo  Reading , MA : Addison-Wesley

My favorite book on this topic.

DEATH AND GRIEVING:

How to Survive the Loss of a Love (1991) by Colgrove Los Angeles : Colgrove

How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies (1991) by Rando  New York : Bantam

When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1981) by Kushner New York : Schocken

Working It Through (l982) by Kubler-Ross   New York :McMillen

On Death and Dying (1969) by Kubler-Ross   New York :McMillen

DEMENTIA:

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementing

Illness and Memory Loss in Later Life (1999) by Mace and Rabins 
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press

DIVORCE:

The Boys and Girls Book About Divorce (1985) by Gardner New York : Bantam

Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families (1986) by Brown  Boston : Little, Brown

Growing Up With Divorce (1990) by Kalter  New York : Free Press

Crazy Time (1982): by Trafford  New York : Harper and Row

 

Creative Divorce (1973) by Krantzler  New York : Signet

EATING DISORDERS:

Dying to be Thin (1987) by Saker and Zimmer  New York :Warner

The Hunger Within (1998) by Migliore and Ross New York :

 

M ain Street .  For compulsive eaters.

FAMILIES, STEPFAMILIES:

The Family Crucible (1978) by Napier and Whitaker  New York : Harper and Row.
Problem-solving for families.

Old Loyalties, New Ties: Therapeutic Strategies with Step- Families (1988) by Visher

New York : Brunner/Mazel

Step by Stepparenting: A Guide to Successful Living with a Blended Family (1993) by Eckler

White Hall , VA : Betterway Publications

LOVE AND INTIMACY:

Love is Never Enough (1988) by Beck  New York : Harper and Row. 
A useful guide for couples with problems.

The Art of Loving (1956) by Fromm  New York : Harper and Row.

A classic on relationships.

MARRIAGE:

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail (1994) by Gottman  New York :Simon and Schuster

Intimate Partners (1986) by Scarf  New York : Random House

Getting the Love You Want (1988) by Hendrix New York : Henry Holt

Divorce Busting (1992) by Weiner-Davis   New York : Summit

MEN’S ISSUES:

Real Boys (1988) by Pollack  New York: Henry Holt

Seasons of a Man’s Life (1978) by Levinson  New York : Ballantine

Man Enough: Fathers, Sons, and the Search for Masculinity (1993) By Pittman  New York : Putnam

MOOD DISORDERS:

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (1999) by Burns New York : Avon

Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders (1976) by Beck  New York : International Universities Press

When Living Hurts: Directives for Treating Depression (1994) by Yapko  New York : Brunner/Mazel

Mind Over Mood (1995) by Greenberger and Padesky  New York : Guilford Press

SCHIZOPHRENIA: 

Surviving Schizophrenia (1995) by Torrey  New York : Harper Perennial

How to Cope with Mental Illness in the Family (1998) by Marsh New York : Putnam

SELF-MANAGEMENT:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) by Covey  New York : Simon and Schuster

Learned Optimism (1990) by Seligman  New York : Pocket Books

What You Can Change and What You Can’t (1993) by Seligman New York : Knopf

Changing for Good (1995) by Prochaska  New York : Avon

A New Guide to Rational Living (1975) by Ellis  Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Spontaneous Healing (1995) by Weil  New York : Knopf

Overcoming Procrastination (1977) by Ellis  New York : Institute For Rational Living

SEXUALITY:

For Each Other: Sharing Sexual Intimacy (1982) by Barbach Garden City, NY: Anchor.

A useful guide for women.

Illustrated Manual of Sexual Therapy (1987) by Kaplan  New York : Brunner/Mazel.

A wonderful guide to solving sexual difficulties.

The New Joy of Sex (1991) by Comfort  New York : Crown

An update of a classic guide.

SPIRITUAL AND EXISTENTIAL CONCERNS:

Man’s Search for Meaning (1998) by Frankl  New York : Pocket Books.
A classic work on the experience of living.

Finding Flow (1997) by Csikszentmihalyi  New York : Basic Books

Interesting volume on the concept of “flow” and deep enjoyment of life’s activities.

When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough (1986) by Kushner New York : Summit

Peace, Love and Healing (1989) by Siegel  New York : Harper And Row

The Road Less Traveled (1978) by Peck  New York : Simon and Schuster

STRESS:

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (1995) by Davis Oakland , CA : New Harbinger

Wherever You Go, There You Are (1994) by Kabat-Zinn  New York : Hyperion.
A nice guide to meditation.

The Relaxation Response (1975) by Benson  New York : Morrow

The Wellness Book (1992) by Benson  New York : Fireside

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (1994) by Sapolsky  New York : Freeman

TEENAGERS AND  PARENTING:

Between Parent and Teenager (1969) by Ginott  New York : Avon

My favorite book on the topic.

All Grown Up and Noplace to Go (1997) by Elkind  Reading , MA : Addison-Wesley

You and Your Adolescent (1997) by Steinberg and Levine New York : Harper Collins

WEIGHT  MANAGEMENT:

Eight Weeks to Optimum Health (1997) by Weil  New York : Knopf

Fat is a Feminist Issue (1997) by Orbach  New York : Galahad

WOMEN’S  ISSUES:

The New Our Bodies, Ourselves (1996) by Boston Women’s Health Collective  New York : Touchstone

The Second Shift (1989) by Hochschild  New York : Viking

The Seasons of a Woman’s Life (1996) by Levinson  New York : Knopf

For people working with me in therapy, please feel free to ask about additional self-help resources and materials.