Recommended Resources

• Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma - Pete Walker

  This book explores the lingering effects of childhood trauma and emotional neglect, offering practical strategies for healing, including inner child work, self-compassion, and managing emotional flashbacks. Pete Walker draws from personal experience and clinical insight to guide readers toward post-traumatic growth.

• Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma- Peter Levine

  Levine presents a somatic approach to trauma, asserting that trauma is stored in the body and can be released through natural, biological processes. Drawing on animal behavior, the book introduces Somatic Experiencing as a method to renegotiate and heal traumatic experiences.

• Healing the Shame that Binds You - John Bradshaw

  This book delves into the toxic shame rooted in dysfunctional families and its pervasive impact on self-worth, relationships, and behavior. Bradshaw offers tools for recognizing, confronting, and healing shame through inner work and self-acceptance.

• The Gifts of Imperfection:Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are - Brené Brown

  Brown encourages readers to embrace vulnerability, authenticity, and self-compassion as essential paths to wholehearted living. Through research and personal stories, she outlines 10 guideposts for letting go of perfectionism and cultivating a resilient, meaningful life.

• Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror - Judith Herman

  Herman traces the history and psychology of trauma, linking individual experiences of abuse to broader political and social contexts. The book outlines a three-stage model of trauma recovery: safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection.

• Codependent No More - How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself, Book Cover May Vary - Melody Beattie

  This self-help guide empowers individuals to break free from codependent behaviors by setting boundaries, letting go of control, and focusing on their own emotional well-being.

• Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents - Lindsay C. Gibson

  Gibson identifies four types of emotionally immature parents—emotional, driven, passive, and rejecting—and teaches adult children how to heal neglected emotional wounds, set healthy boundaries, reclaim their authentic selves, and cultivate emotionally mature relationships.

• No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model - Richard Schwartz, Ph.D

  This powerful guide introduces the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, showing that every “part” of our psyche—even those seen as problematic—has a protective role, and that true healing and internal harmony emerge when our core Self compassionately leads the integration and unburdening of these parts.

• The Origins of You: How Breaking Family Patterns Can Liberate the Way We Live and Love - Vienna Pharaon

  This empathetic self‑help book helps readers uncover how wounds and patterns from one’s family of origin shape adult behaviors and relationships—and provides introspective tools and exercises for healing, breaking those patterns, and embracing healthier ways of living and loving.

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself - Kristin Neff

  Neff defines self‑compassion as treating yourself with kindness, recognizing your shared humanity, and holding your painful experiences in mindful balance—an approach shown to foster emotional resilience and healing by easing self‑criticism and isolation.

• Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy - Francine Shapiro

  Shapiro introduces practical, self-help techniques based on EMDR therapy to help individuals process disturbing memories, reduce emotional distress, and regain control of their lives.

Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Resources

• The Pregnancy Workbook: Managing Anxiety and Worry with CBT and Mindfulness Techniques - Dr. Katayune Kaeni
  A practical, workbook-style guide combining CBT, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness strategies to help expectant parents identify and soothe anxiety and emotional challenges throughout pregnancy.

• Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers - Karen Kleiman
  An illustrated, compassionate guide that normalizes intrusive and frightening postpartum thoughts and offers validation and gentle strategies for managing anxiety and stigma.

• Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Postpartum Depression - Pec Indman & Shoshana S. Bennett
  A foundational guide that blends expert insight and medical support to help readers recognize and effectively treat postpartum depression.

• Tokens of Affection: Reclaiming Your Marriage After Postpartum Depression - Karen Kleiman & Amy Wenzel
  A relationship-centered resource offering strategies and encouragement for couples working to rebuild intimacy and connection in the aftermath of postpartum depression.

• Parental Mental Health: Factoring in Fathers - Jane I. Honikman & Daniel B. Singley

  This book explores the often-overlooked role of fathers in children's development and well-being, emphasizing the importance of father involvement in family systems, mental health, and relational dynamics.

• Birth Trauma: In the Eye of the Beholder by Cheryl Tatano Beck (PDF Article)

  Cheryl Tatano Beck's article explores the subjective nature of birth trauma, revealing that what constitutes a traumatic birth varies among individuals, with common themes including perceived neglect, lack of communication, feelings of powerlessness, and a sense of betrayal by healthcare providers.

• Postpartum Support International

  This website offers comprehensive, accessible support for perinatal mental health through 24/7 helplines, peer support, provider directories, educational resources, and community programs.

• Postpartum Support International Helpline
  1-800-944-4773
  Leave a message and a trained volunteer will return your call or text within a few hours.

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-TLC-MAMA)
  Free, confidential support for pregnant and postpartum individuals, available anytime.

Postpartum & New Parenthood Resources:

• Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood - Lucy Jones

  Explores the profound physical, psychological, and social transformation of becoming a mother—what the author likens to another human metamorphosis akin to adolescence—blending memoir, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and social critique to affirm and illuminate the enduring, often unspoken journey of motherhood.

• The Birth of a Mother-  Daniel N. Stern & Nadia Bruschweiler-Stern

  Explores the profound psychological transformation that occurs in women during pregnancy and early motherhood, presenting it as a developmental process akin to adolescence, supported by clinical insights and personal narratives.

• The Parental Leave Playbook: 10 Touchpoints to Transition Smoothly, Strengthen Your Family, and Continue Building Your Career - Amy Beacom & Sue Campbell
  A guide offering structured insights for navigating parental leave thoughtfully—supporting both family well-being and career progression.

• Baby Bomb: A Relationship Survival Guide for New Parents - Kara Hoppe & Stan Tatkin
  A lighthearted—and often humorous—guide offering realistic, down-to-earth advice for navigating relationship stress and maintaining connection during the chaotic early months of parenting.

• Happy With Baby: Essential Relationship Advice When Partners Become Parents - Catherine O'Brien
  A practical relationship guide aimed at helping partners preserve intimacy, communication, and emotional support when adjusting to life with a new baby.

• And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives - John M. Gottman & Julie Schwartz Gottman
  A structured six-step program offering tips and exercises to help couples nurture intimacy and romance while adapting to life as new parents.

• What About Us?: A New Parents’ Guide to Safeguarding Your Over-Anxious, Over-Extended, Sleep-Deprived Relationship - Karen Kleiman
  A compassionate yet practical guide aimed at helping couples navigate anxiety, exhaustion, and emotional distance during the early stages of parenthood.

• How to Keep House While Drowning - K.C. Davis

  Reframes household chores—not as moral obligations, but as acts of self-kindness—empowering readers with compassionate, practical tactics to manage overwhelm and build a more functional, forgiving relationship with their space.

• Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood - Minna Dubin

  This book delves into the often-overlooked phenomenon of maternal anger, examining how societal expectations, lack of support, and systemic inequalities contribute to feelings of rage among mothers, while offering insights and strategies for addressing these challenges.

• Good Inside – Becky Kennedy

  This compassionate guide helps parents navigate challenges with empathy and connection, based on the belief that both kids and parents are inherently "good inside."

• Raising Good Humans – Hunter Clarke-Fields

  Blends mindfulness and neuroscience to help parents break reactive patterns and raise emotionally healthy, kind, and confident children.

• The Power of Showing Up – Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
  Explains how consistent emotional presence and attunement from caregivers can profoundly shape a child’s brain development, sense of safety, and well-being.

• Brain-Body Parenting – Mona Delahooke

  Shifts the parenting focus from managing behavior to understanding and supporting children's nervous systems for deeper connection and long-term resilience.

• No-Drama Discipline – Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

  Offers brain-based strategies for disciplining with empathy and connection, turning challenging moments into opportunities for learning and growth.

• The Crucial Years: The Essential Guide to Mental Health and Modern Puberty in Middle Childhood (Ages 6-12) - Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler

  This comprehensive guide focuses on supporting children's mental health and emotional development during the often-overlooked ages of 6–12, with an emphasis on navigating modern puberty, identity, and early behavioral shifts.

• Raising Your Spirited Child – Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

  A supportive manual for understanding and nurturing children who are more intense, sensitive, and energetic, offering tools for calmer, more effective parenting.

• Siblings Without Rivalry – Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish

  A practical and relatable guide to reducing conflict and fostering cooperation between siblings through empathy, respectful communication, and problem-solving.

• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness -Jonathon Haidt

  Haidt examines how the rise of smartphones and the decline of independent play have fundamentally reshaped childhood, contributing to a sharp increase in anxiety, depression and mental health challenges in today’s youth. 

• Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture – Virginia Sole-Smith

  Helps parents counteract harmful diet culture messages and raise body-confident kids through open, supportive conversations about food and body image.

• You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For – Richard Schwartz

  This book explores how our internal emotional parts shape romantic relationships, offering insights from Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help individuals heal past wounds and build healthier, more connected partnerships.

• Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values – Marshall Rosenberg

  Presents a compassionate communication model that helps individuals and couples express needs and resolve conflict with empathy, clarity, and mutual respect.

• Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love – Amir Levine & Rachel Heller

  Introduces attachment theory as a framework for understanding romantic behavior, helping readers identify their attachment style and develop healthier, more secure relationships.

• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work – John Gottman

  Grounded in decades of research, this practical guide outlines key principles for building and maintaining a strong, lasting marriage through improved communication, conflict resolution, and emotional connection.

• Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love - Sue Johnson

  This book offers couples a science-based approach to building secure, lasting bonds through seven guided conversations that foster emotional connection, based on Emotionally Focused Therapy.