My life has not been an easy one. I did not have the emotional support that I needed to prosper, or the finances to seek out mental health supports for myself. When I did receive support, it was not enough to have a lasting effect; it was only a band-aid. I had to figure out a less expensive alternative to healing myself, so, I started listening to any audio-book that I could find on the app Libby and Audible. This is where my journey of healing really began. I started to understand the biological, physiological and emotional processes that I was experiencing and I noticed all of the information I was absorbing, was making a difference. The end result - I am a very resilient person with a heart of gold.
I incorporated audio-books into my daily life. Instead of listening to music while I puttered around the house, I would have an audio-book on the go. If I was driving - audio-book, couldn't sleep - audio-book, lounging in the sun - audio-book. While I write this, I am listening to one!
Below is a the list of audio-books that I have listened to and why I will always have a book recommendation or two for my clients. The list will be continuously growing and I will update it periodically.
1. Unwinding Anxiety – Judson Brewer
2. Mindset - Carol S, Dweck, Bernadette Dunne
3. The Mindful Path to Self Compassion – Christopher K Germer, PhD
4. Under Pressure – Lisa Damour, PhD
5. The Disordered Mind – Eric R. Kandel
6. Rage Becomes Her – Soraya Chemaly
7. Atomic Habits – James Clear
8.12 Rules for Life – Jordan B. Peterson
9. Resilient – Rick Hanson
10. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful – Sarah Wilson
11.The Power of Moments -Chip Heath
12. Rest – Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
13. The Four Tendencies – Gretchen Rubin
14. Why Buddhism is True – Robert Wright
15. The Rules Do Not Apply – Ariel Levy
16. No One Care About Crazy People – Ron Powers
17. The Brain Warrior’s Way – Daniel G. Amen, MD
18. Before Happiness – Shawn Achor
19. A Mind of Your Own – Kelly Brogan MD
20. Fuck Feelings – Micheal Bennet, MD
21. How to Have a Good Day – Caroline Webb
22. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life – Daniel G Amen, MD
23. Super Better – Jane McGonigal
24. The Brain’s Way of Healing – Norman Doidge
25. The Psychopath Test – Jon Ronson
26. Hardwiring Happiness – Rick Hanson
27. The Art of Thinking Clearly – Rolf Dobelli
28. My Age of Anxiety – Scott Stossel
29. Confessions of a Sociopath – M.E. Thomas
30. Blink – Malcom Gladwell
31. The Examined Life – Stephen Grosz
32. Drunk Tank Pink – Adam Alter
33. Sticks and Stones – Emily Bazelon
34. Happier at Home – Gretchen Rubin
35. Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
36. Annoying – Flora Lichtman
37. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie
38. Get Your Shit Together – Sarah Knight
39. Fuck No – Sarah Knight
40. Calm the Fuck Down – Sarah Knight
41. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck – Mark Mason
42. Everything is Fucked – Mark Manson
43. You Are a Badass – Jen Sincero
44. Unplug – Suze Yalof Schwartz
45. Girl, Stop Apologizing – Rachel Hollis
46. Girl, Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis
47. Un-Fuck Yourself – Gary John Bishop
48. Unchain Your Brain – Daniel G. Amen
49. The Nature Fix – Florence Williams
50. Spark Joy – Marie Kondo
51. 13 Thing Mentally Strong People Don’t Do – Amy Morin
52. 10% Happier – Dan Harris
53. The Art of Living – Thich Nhat Hanh
54. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body Healing of Trauma – Bessel A. van der Kolk
55. Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving – Pete Walker
56. But It’s Your Family...: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath – Dr. Sherrie Campbell
57. Narcissistic Mothers: How to Handle a Narcissistic Parent and Recover from CPTSD: Adult Children of Narcissists Recovery, Book 1 – Caroline Foster
58. Whole Again: Healing Your Heart and Rediscovering Your True Self After Toxic Relationships and Emotional Abuse – Jackson MacKenzie
59. My Mother Is a Narcissist: Understand Your Mother on a Deeper Emotional Level, Heal from Her Narcissistic Abuse, and Make a Revolutionary Recovery– Geoffrey Loren
60. Healing Childhood Trauma: Transforming Pain into Purpose with Post-Traumatic Growth – Robin Marvel
61. The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connection, and Courage – Brene Brown
62. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know – Adam Grant
63. No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing out-of-Control Behavior – Jed Baker
64. Self Regulation and Mindfulness for Sensory Processing Disorders – Vareisha Gibb
65. It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand – Megan Devine
66. I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping, and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One – Brook Noel, Pamela D. Blair PhD
67. A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death – Dr. BJ Miller
68. Caring for the Dying: The Doula Approach to a Meaningful Death – Henry Fersko – Weiss LCSW
69. Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying – Sallie Tisdale
70. When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress – Gabor Mate
71. The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity – Melanie Greenberg PhD
72. Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry - Catherine M. Pittman PhD , Elizabeth M. Karle MLIS
73. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed – Lori Gottlieb
74. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – Emily Nagoski
75. Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN – Tara Brach
76. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself – Kristin Neff
77. Connecting Paradigms: A Trauma Informed & Neurobiological Framework for Motivational Interviewing Implementation – Matthew S. Bennett
78. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain – Jason M. Satterfield
79. The Wisdom of Anxiety: How Worry and Intrusive Thoughts Are Gifts to Help You Heal – Sheryl Paul
80. The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It – Kelly McGonigal
81. The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science - Culadasa John Yates PhD , Matthew Immergut PhD , Jeremy Graves
82. The Spectrum of Hope: An Optimistic and New Approach to Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias – Gayatri Devi MD
83. Emotional Intelligence: 3 Books in 1: How to Analyze People with Psychology, How to Improve Your Social Skills, Depression and Anxiety Therapy – Emotional Pathway
84. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple: 10 Strategies for Managing Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Panic, and Worry – Seth J. Gilihan PhD
85. The Self Care Prescription - Robyn L. Gobin PhD
86. Keep Pain in the Past - Dr. Chris Cortman, Dr, Joseph Walden
87. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment - Pat Ogden , Janina Fisher
88. Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death - Joan Halifax , Ira Byock MD - foreword
89. The Myth of Normal - Gabor Maté , Daniel Maté
90. Healing Trauma: Restoring the Wisdom of the Body - Peter A Levine
100. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma - Peter A Levine
Anatomy of the Spirit - Caroline Myss
Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive - Kristin Neff
Coping Skills: Tools & Techniques for Every Stressful Situation - Faith G. Harper PhD LPC-S ACS ACN , Cassandra de Cuir
Keep Pain in the Past: Getting Over Trauma, Grief, and the Worst That's Ever Happened to You - Dr. Chris Cortman , Dr. Joseph Walden
The Self Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Well-Being - Robyn L. Gobin PhD
Mindfulness for Stress Management: 50 Easy, Mindful Practices to Help You Stop Stressing and Start Living - Dr. Robert Schacter
Unf*ck Your Boundaries: Build Better Relationships Through Consent, Communication, and Expressing Your Needs: The 5-minute Therapy Series - Faith G. Harper PhD LPC-S ACS ACN
Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World- Pema Chödrön
In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness - Gabor Maté - foreword M.D. , Peter A. Levine
The Tao of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness out of Blame - Pete Walker
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book - Dan Harris , Carlye Adler , Jeffrey Warren
Webinars, Conferences and Training Programs:
Wisdom of Trauma - All Access Pass
Rewire Therapy Institute
Trauma Super Conference (still in the works!)
Polyvagal Institute
NICABM - How to Work with Shame
NICABM - Practical Strategies for Working with Deep-Seated Resentment
NICABM - Advanced Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma
Grief Literacy Series
Palliative Care: In the Know
Fundamentals of Palliative Care
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario trainig
Pallium Canada