Best Books for Self Help

Self-Help books that are treasures. Consider this list of best books as curated over time. Self-help books to improve relationships, loneliness, recovery, anxiety, eating,managing emotions,depression etc.

Workbook Help With Loneliness

Leaving Loneliness: A Workbook: Building Relationships with Yourself and Others by David Narang Ph.D.

Help With Anxiety:

Embracing Uncertaintyby Susan Jeffers

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook 6th Editionby Edmund Bourne PhD

Help With Depression:

The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depressionby Mary Ellen Copeland

I Don’t Want to Talk About it: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depressionby Terrence Real

Help to Manage Emotions

Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life by Scott E. Spradlin

Help With Eating

Feeding the hungry heart by Geneen Roth

Mindless Eating:Why We Eat More than We Thinkby Brian Wansink Ph.D

Best Books for Relationship Help

Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

The New Rules of Marriageby Terrence Real

Intimacy and Desire:Awaken the Passion in Your Relationshipby David Schnarch

We Love Each Other, but… Simple Secrets to Strengthen Your Relationship and Make Love Lastby Dr. Ellen F. Wachtel

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples, 20th Anniversary Editionby Harville Hendrix
Helps husbands and wives understand what strengths and weaknesses they bring to their marriage from childhood. Includes a great vision exercise to help couples learn to think down the road.

Two Books by Lonnie Barbach to improve your sex life:

For Yourself : The Fulfillment of Female Sexuality

For Each Other

Help with Affairs/Infidelity

NOT “Just Friends”: Rebuilding Trust and Recovering Your Sanity After Infidelity by Shirley Glass

After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful, 2nd Edition by Janis A. Spring

Help With Anger

Beyond Anger: A Guide for Men: How to Free Yourself from the Grip of Anger and Get More Out of Life by Thomas J. Harbin, Ph. D.

The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationshipsby Harriet Lerner
This book is the one most often positively mentioned by women who begin it in my waiting room and then go out to purchase it. Really very useful!

Help With Boundaries

Where to Draw the Line: How to Set Healthy Boundaries Every Dayby Anne Katherine
A small easy-to-read book. If you are feeling intruded upon by people who love you and aren’t sure how to push back, this is the book for you.

Offers REAL Help with Parenting

Parenting From the Inside Outby Daniel Siegal MD & Mary Hartzell
Terrific book by a neuro-psychiatrist and a day care director.

Healing From Trauma

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence–from Domestic Abuse to Political Terrorby Judith Herman M.D.
This was a groundbreaking book in 1992 & it is crucial to understanding trauma. Trauma leaves a number of survival conclusions that were self protective in the past & may interfere with trust & connection in the present.

Books on Recovery from Drinking

Any Bookby Dr. Abraham Twerski
He is my favorite author on Addictions!

Drinking: A Love Storyby Caroline Knapp
Terrific writing on the damage of alcohol.

A Drinking Life: A Memoirby Pete Hammill
A truthful personal history.

Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems — Advice from Those Who Have Succeededby Anne Fletcher
Based on interviews with 222 people.

First Year Sobriety: When All That Changes Is Everythingby Guy Kettlehack
A survival guide.

Best Books for Self-Esteem

Why Can’t I Ever Be Good Enough? Escaping the Limits of Your Childhood Roles by Joan Rubin-Deutsch
I just bought it used for 1 penny & shipping

The Power of One: A Novelby Bryce Courtenay
A tale of South Africa, boxing, being bullied and the triumph of the human spirit.

A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Womanby Joan Anderson
This is the perfect book for those who are trapped in being Too Little. The subtitle says it all: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman.

Overcoming Low Self-Esteem: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniquesby Melanie Fennel Ph.D.

Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Outby Phil McGraw

Book to Help with Narcissistic Parents

Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up’s Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parentsby Nina Brown

Best Books on Solitude & Loneliness

Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Womanby Nuala O’Faolain

Falling Slowlyby Anita Brookner
Anita Brookner “brilliantly evokes the origins, nature and consequences of human isolation and regret over chances not taken.

Solitude: A Return to the Selfby Anthony Storr

The Stations of Solitudeby Alice Koller

Lonely: A Memoirby Emily White