Recommended Reads: 8 Books About Mental Health & Wellbeing
Reading is one of my absolute favourite things. I take great pleasure in coming across new books, blogs and articles that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up, learning new things and gaining new insights and perspectives. Reading regularly is a vital part of my self-care routine, as well as my self-development. We never stop learning, and books and reading generally are a great way to gain new knowledge.
In this post, I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite books that cover mental health and wellbeing. They’re in no particular order and there’s a mixture of fiction and non-fiction covering a range of issues including death, dreams, therapy, loneliness, friendship, manic depression (bipolar disorder), and trauma.
Perhaps you’ll find your next read here, and if so, please let me know what you thought!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
A funny, quirky and touching novel with an unusual heroine, this book follows Eleanor as she has her routine turned upside down following a simple act of kindness. It explores how seemingly unlikely friendships emerge and evolve, and how the past can have a grip on the present. I found it to be one of those books that stayed with me long after I’d finished it, and it’s well worth a read.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse - Charlie Mackesy
An enchanting tale about the power of friendship, with some fabulous life lessons woven throughout. Charlie Mackesy’s illustrations bring the story to life in a way that’s accessible to people of all ages. I often recommend this book to clients and come back to it myself when I need a little emotional boost or positive perspective on the world.
An Unquiet Mind - Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamison is an American Clinical Psychologist whose work focuses on bipolar disorder (manic depression), which she herself has been diagnosed with. Whatever your stance on psychiatric diagnoses, her book offers a fascinating insight into what it’s like to live with the euphoric highs and crashing lows that often feature as part of this largely misunderstood illness. She emphasises that simply being present for someone struggling with their mental health (whether they have a diagnosis or not) is often the most powerful intervention, and highlights that mental health issues don’t have to be a barrier to success.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - Lori Gottlieb
Have you ever wondered what therapy is like and what a therapist is thinking in sessions? Well, Lori Gottlieb’s book goes some way to peeling back the curtain and presenting therapeutic clinical issues alongside a therapist’s daily life. Part memoir, part novel, Gottlieb manages to bridge the gap between genres in a way that keeps the story accessible and engaging. (I should note that Gottlieb is American, and some of the details regarding training and licence to practice aren’t relevant to the UK system, but the emphasis on the therapeutic relationship is pretty universal).
The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der Kolk
Books about trauma probably aren’t the sort of thing that many people would immediately decide to pick up and read! Yet we all experience traumas in our lives, some big, some small, some obvious and others less so. Bessel van der Kolk explains how the body “holds” the impact of trauma in our brains and overall physical being, and offers some useful tips and insights into how we can reconnect with our bodies and process the “held” trauma safely and effectively.
Love for Imperfect Things - Haemin Sunim
Haemin Sunim is a South Korean Buddhist monk whose short, poetic verses on life can bring you joy, tears, and a positive perspective. It’s split into sections that cover different aspects of life, and you can dip in and out and read it in any order. I felt incredibly uplifted after reading this, and seeing it on my bookshelf makes me smile.
Why We Dream - Alice Robb
As a concept, dreams absolutely fascinate me. This book explains why and how we dream, and how we can train our brains to not only help us to remember our dreams, but also to take control of the narrative while we dream (more commonly known as lucid dreaming). There’s an emphasis on the cultural and historical significance of dreams, as well as the enormous benefits dreaming has on our wellbeing, creativity and problem-solving.
Staring at the Sun - Irvin D. Yalom
The only guarantee in life is death, but curiously, it’s not a subject that we tend to talk about as part of our everyday conversations in the UK. In this book, Yalom addresses some of the common anxieties about death that his patients bring to sessions, as well as offering some of his own thoughts and experiences. He refers to various philosophies and ideas throughout, and encourages the reader to reflect upon their own ideas and anxieties.
All of these books were in print at the time of writing, and should be available from wherever you usually buy books. Do you have any recommended reads that cover mental health and wellbeing? If so, please let me know, as I’m always looking for new things to read!
If you’re struggling with your mental health and think that I might be the therapist for you, you can contact me using the form below, and you can also connect with me on Facebook and Instagram @emmapooleytherapy.