Welcome to our Mental Health Bookshelf—your space to discover books that guide, inspire, and support your mental well-being. Each book has been thoughtfully selected to help you understand emotions, explore personal growth, and navigate life’s challenges.
Maybe You should talk to Someone – Lori Gottlieb
Warm, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is a great choice for anyone curious about therapy or human resilience. It’s a gentle, encouraging read for those considering counselling—offering reassurance that we’re all works in progress, even the people who help others for a living. Gottlieb offers a candid, humorous, and insightful look into the human psyche by weaving together her own therapeutic journey with the stories of her patients. For someone considering counselling, the book offers valuable insights into the therapeutic process and can help demystify therapy for those who are hesitant or unsure about taking that step.
Potential drawback: Some stories wrap up neatly, which may feel a bit idealized compared to real-life therapy.
And How Does That Make You Feel – Joshua Fletcher
Author Joshua Fletcher, is a psychotherapist who once suffered severely from anxiety and panic disorder himself. In this book, he provides a candid, insightful look behind the scenes of psychotherapy, blending therapist self-reflection, client vignettes, and psychoeducation in a way that is accessible, warm, and often humorous.
The book is written in a conversational, down-to-earth style — more like sitting with a friend than reading a textbook, making it both relatable and educational. Fletcher explains candidly what therapy is (and isn’t) like, breaking down common myths (such as the idea that therapy is just about “talking endlessly about your feelings”). The book also offers psychoeducation on anxiety, explaining its origins and what effective therapy can look like, while championing the courage it takes to show up for help.
Great for people curious about therapy, therapists themselves, or those seeking reassurance in the healing process of mental health work.
Potential drawback: some readers note the stories are occasionally heavy and may benefit from clearer trigger warnings about the book’s content.
Attached: The New Science of Attachment and How It Can Help You Find And Keep – Love – Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
“Attached” is a solid introductory book for anyone interested in exploring relationship patterns and improving communication. The book introduces attachment theory, and argues that understanding your attachment style can transform the way you approach love.
The practical focus on recognizing attachment styles and adapting behaviors makes it a valuable resource for self-discovery and relationship growth. The authors explain how each style develops, how different styles interact (for example, the “anxious–avoidant trap”), and how knowing your style can help you. They provide quizzes to identify your style, real-life examples, and practical strategies for building healthier connections.
Potential drawback: Oversimplification – Real-life attachment is more nuanced than three categories, and the book sometimes makes it sound black-and-white
It’s not the final word on attachment, but it’s an excellent starting point for understanding why we connect—or clash—the way we do, and how to make love feel more secure and satisfying.
Why Had Nobody Told Me This Before – Julie Smith
A practical and compassionate guide to managing life’s emotional ups and downs, this book provide readers with a comprehensive toolkit for navigating life’s challenges, in bite-sized, easy-to-digest entries. Covering topics like anxiety, low mood, self-doubt, motivation, and resilience, Dr. Smith offers actionable strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being you can apply right away.
This book has been praised for; its clear and actionable advice, empathetic and compassionate writing style, and offer of practical exercises and techniques. Great for anyone starting their mental health self-help journey, looking for additional support between therapy sessions, or simply looking for everyday mental health tips.
Potential drawback: Written for a broad audience, so it may not fully address complex or unique situations. The content may be repetitive for those already familiar with mental health self-help literature.
Love’s Executioner – Irvin Yalom
Love’s Executioner can be a fascinating way to see what therapy might feel like from both sides of the room. It’s part memoir, part philosophy, part therapy tales — it can be inspiring, reassuring, and even motivating.
The book presents a diverse range of patients, each grappling with fundamental human anxieties such as isolation, fear of death, freedom, and the search for meaning in life.
Yalom’s writing shows us; a real sense of how deep and personal therapy can go, and offers an honest look at a therapist’s thought process (including their doubts and human flaws). These stories show how messy, complicated, and rewarding the work can be.
Potential drawback: some of the stories involve very sensitive topics and Yalom can be blunt, which could feel intense if you’re already feeling emotionally raw If you are after a softer, more supportive “first taste” of therapy, you might start with something aimed more directly at new clients.
“Love’s Executioner” remains a highly recommended read for those interested in psychotherapy, existentialism, or simply seeking a greater understanding of the human experience
The Body Keeps The Score – Bessel Van Der Kolk
This book has become a modern classic in trauma psychology because it bridges science and human experience so well, showing how trauma changes both the brain and the body. The central message: trauma isn’t just “in your head”—it lives in your body, influencing how you think, feel, and physically react.
The Body Keeps the Score is considered valuable reading for understanding the complex, intertwined effects of trauma and the spectrum of methods available for healing. It’s especially valuable for survivors, therapists, and anyone in the helping professions. It is personal, scientific, and practical—offering guidance, hope, and validation for trauma survivors and those who support them.
For someone exploring counselling, it can provide hope—showing that recovery is possible—but it’s best approached when you feel ready for in-depth and sometimes heavy material. An essential read if you want to understand how trauma works and why healing often requires more than talking about the past.
Potential drawback: some may find the book dense and emotionally intense, which may be challenging for those sensitive to trauma content
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem – Nathanial Branden
This book takes a more psychological and structured approach than many modern self-help titles. It presents self-esteem as an active practice rather than a feeling, and breaks it down into six core habits (pillars) and is considered a classic in the self-esteem literature.
The book outlines six core practices—the “pillars”—that contribute to a strong sense of self-worth:
Living Consciously — being present and self-aware.
Self-Acceptance — acknowledging one’s strengths and flaws without denial and rejection.
Self-Responsibility — recognising our role in shaping life outcomes.
Self-Assertiveness — standing up for our needs and values.
Living Purposefully — setting intentional, meaningful goals.
Personal Integrity — aligning actions with inner values.
Book is Excellent for those who like frameworks and psychological depth, and enjoy thought-provoking material rather than quick tips.
Potential Drawback: can feel dense for those seeking warmth or lighter emotional storytelling. and the emphasis on responsibility—while empowering—might feel heavy for individuals still in early recovery from trauma or self-criticism.
