Book Recommendations
Being a Marriage and Family Counselor, I often read really good books to help support clients in their current life circumstances. Here are a few of my favorite books. If you are interested in saving yourself some time and money, you can purchase any book by clicking on it. An order form will appear. You can view the book first before making a purchase. This way Amazon.com will offer you a discounted price. The books are usually delivered in 1 day. Any book can be purchased here even the ones not on my list. Enjoy!
- Addictions
- Affairs
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Cancer
- Child Abuse
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- EMDR Therapy
- Humor, Healing & Grief
- Singles & Love
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Self Improvement
- Sexual Abuse
- Spiritual
Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery - By Beverly Conyers
Price: $9.98 
Drinking: A love story - By Caroline Knapp
This is one of the best books I have read to help someone understand an addiction problem from the addicts perspective. Caroline fearlessly examines her life as a functional addict. She bravely reveals how she secretly used alcohol every day as a "liquid armor" to try to numb herself from painful emotions. I am very impressed with her writing style. This book is an excellent read and offers hope and inspiration Click on the title to order.
Price: $9.98
Step by step guide to quitting Alcohol or Drugs, By Patrick Fanning. This book offers an excellent guide to becoming clean and sober. Click on the title to order.
Price: $14.36
Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction, By Harry Schaumburg. This book makes some great points on what drives someone to become a sex addict, needs for true intimacy are examined. Many fill their relationship voids with false connections. This book offers solutions.
Price: $13.00
Contray to Love; Helping The Sex Addict - By Patrick Carnes
Dr. Carnes is a national leader on the problem of sexual addiction. His book is a resouce for understanding and helping the sex addict.
Price: $14.00
After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful (Paperback) - By Janis Spring
Once you find out that your partner is having an affair or has had an affair, this book might be able to help you open up communication. And take a serious look as to why this has happened, from both your perspectives. The examples in the book won't apply to everyone, but there will be enough similarities to help you process and think through with your partner whether or not you want to save your marriage. This is one of the best books I have read on this topic.
Price:$10.50
Love Must be Tough - By Dr. James Dobson
People who have found out that their spouse has had an affair will find comfort in this book. Dr. Dobson gives wonderful advice for the victim of an affair.
Price:$5.59 (available in Spanish too!)
Back from Betrayal - Recovering from His affairs - By Dr. Jennifer Scneider
She reveals how husbands use affairs complusively ( like an alcoholic) without a wife knowing. She offers solutions to break this pattern.
Price:$ 4.79
Torn Asunder - By Dave Carder
Infidelity is on the rise. Dave Carder offers advice on how to restore a marriage. He helps couples take a look at what happened and how to bring about healing.
Price: $ 11.99
Taking Charge of ADHD - By Russell Barkely, Ph.D.
Learn positive strategies for meeting the challenges of raising children with ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Price: $ 14.36
Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD - By Russell Barkely, Ph.D.
Using breakthrough diagnostic techniques, Dr. Daniel Amen has discovered that there are six distinct types of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), each requiring a different treatment..
Price: $ 10.85
The Cancer Battle Plan - By Anne Frahm
This is an excellent book for inspiring hope for the cancer patient. Learn from Anne Fram how she battled cancer by having it in her breast, hip, and brain. She is now cancer free. This book inspires hope in the best way.
Price; $10.36
Outgrowing the Pain - By Eliana Gil, Ph.D.
This book helps comfort those who have experienced child abuse.
Price: $7.96
Mind over mood - By Dennis Greenberger
This practical book will help you change the way you feel. Specific skills are taught to help you conquer depression, panic,and anger management problems, etc. A great workbook for those who suffer.
Price: $16.80
The Golden Cage - By Hilde Bruch
A moving book about causes, effects, and treatment of eating disorders. Click on the title to order.
Price: $ 24.95 ~ paperback $7.20
Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy - by Francine Shapiro PhD
As a therapist who has been trained in EMDR and who regularly uses the EMDR therapy techniques, I find this is the most useful book for my clients to read prior to coming in for therapy or while in therapy if they want to seek more information about this style of therapy.
The protocol for EMDR therapy is very thorough in helping clients overcome many issues that might be plaguing their life.
Often times when I work with couples, I find if we do a few EMDR sessions prior to the couples counseling, we can resolve their interactive issues much quicker.
For instance if someone has an anger management issue, the anger contaminates the conversation making the needed conversations not productive.
Whereas if we do a few EMDR sessions to resolve the source of the anger, the anger then becomes neutralized and the angry person can then
discuss their concerns with a much calmer perspective.
Doing a few sessions with a trained therapists can resolve many issues, and EMDR can help people with fears, anxieties, phobias, trauma to name a few.
A person might have a quirky hang-up and discover through EMDR therapy it's related to a traumatic childhood experience.
I enjoy seeing my clients overcome their difficulties and enjoy using the EMDR therapy techniques to help them to be on their
way to emotional & psychological freedom.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... And It's All Small Stuff - By Eliana Gil, Ph.D.
Simple ways to keep the little things from taking over your life. By Richard Carlson, Ph.D. Dr Carlson has a wonderful way of getting to the point and making one think about how to be a better person. Read a page a day and see if his wisdom starts to influence your life for the better.
Price: $9.16
Death: The Final Stages Of Growth - By Elizabeth Kubler Ross
Grief can often find no comfort; however, this book outlines stages of grief and offers comfort.
Price: $8.80
The Loss of a Pet - By Wallace Sife
This book is written by veterinarian Dr. Sife. He gives you permission to grieve the loss of your pet. Written with sensitivity.
Price $10.36
Finding Love, Books For Singles Looking For A Partner:
Women Who Love Too Much - By Robin Norwood
This book helps a woman, ( it will help men too) examine how she gets herself addicted to bad relationships. Advice is given on how to get out of a bad relationship and into a good one.
Price: $13.56 ~ paperback $5.59
Are You the One for Me - By Barbara DeAngelis, Ph.D.
This book has practical advice for singles that are serious about finding a life partner and making a good choice.
Price: $9.98
Finding the Love of Your Life - By Neil Clark Warren
Another book with excellent practical advice for finding a life long partner.
Price: $11.99
Love Is Letting Go of Fear - By Gerald Jampolsky, M.D.
This book helps one explore what might be getting in the way of the love you want.
Price: $7.16
Facing Love Addiction - By Pia Mellody
Sometimes people get into relationships for the wrong reasons and find that they can't get out. This book is for just such a person and gives advice as to how to get healthy.
Price $12.00
Help! I.m in Love with a Narcissist - by Steven Carter & Julia Sokol
If you don't understand why after a few months of a great relationship, you are now being constantly criticized or under appreciated for all you do, you might be in love with a Narcissist. This is a personality disorder that is very difficult to cure. A partner who is a narcissist, believes rules for behavior only apply to other people, not them. There is a lot of self-centeredness and selfishness. History will be re-written in the narcissist mind so that they are the victim in circumstances, where in actuality they have used other people. They do not have a good track record for long term friendships, and there is a good reason for that. A narcissist needs a lot of attention, and they will give you good attention only in the beginning of a relationship. You will be left wondering, where is that sweet person I once knew? This book is excellent to help you determine whether or not you are involved with a Narcissist and how to get out of the relationship if you need to. Keep in mind this person is very charming when you first get to know them.
Price: $14.93
The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
Do you ever feel like you and your partner are speaking a different language?This book will help you understand each other. Also this book will help you understand how to love each other in ways that have more meaning in terms of love. If you understand each others love language you can learn to give it more effectively.
Price: $10.39
His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage [Hardcover] By Willard Harley
According to Harley, when an individual meets one or more of the partner's greatest felt needs, deposits are made into the partner's love bank. When one or more needs are not met, withdrawals are made from the partner's love bank. An affair occurs when a spouse finds fulfillment for a strongly felt need elsewhere because it is not being met satisfactorily within the marriage.
Harley's love bank concept is the centerpiece of his best-selling work. While his list of felt needs may not apply precisely to every man and woman, he does present a very accurate picture for most men and women in our society today. He concludes his book with giving tips on surviving an affair, and offering hope to couples struggling with a sense of incompatibility. Price: $11.29
This author does an excellent job in helping couples understand some basic differences in how men and women operate. A must read for anyone who wants to understand, and have a better relationship with their spouse. Also, a best seller. Click on the title and view it.
Price:$17.50
Love is Letting Go of Fear - By Gerald Jampolsky, M.D.
This book encourages one to examine, what may be getting in the way of getting the love you want. Click on the title to order.
Price: $7.16
The enlightened guide for discovering total passion and true intimacy, By Barbara DeAngelis, Ph.D. This book is written very well, and will inspire good marriages to become even better.
Price: $7.16
Fighting for your Marriage, Positive steps for Preventing Divorce
Most married people will see themselves in this book. It is one of the better books that describe in detail common pitfalls couples fall into. This book teaches couples to resolve marital squabbles and communicate safely and clearly.
Price: $12.00
Men: Some Assembly Required/A Womens Guide To Understanding A Man - By Chuck Snyder
This book is for the women who likes to laugh while learning about men's most misunderstood behaviors.
Price: $8.79
The 10 Second Kiss - By Dr. Ellen Kreidman
This book is the Ultimate marriage builder. Dr. Kreidman gives you 9 easy rules to remember to bring passion back into your marriage. This book offers many practical suggestions for rekindling romance in a marriage.
Price: $16.07
Raising a thinking child - By Myrna Shure, Ph. D.
This is an excellent book on how to help your child resolve typical conflicts within a family and get along with others. Very practical and easy to read advice. A great book for parents with a strong-willed child.
Price: $10.40
Ten Common Mistakes Parents Make And How To Avoid Them - By Kevin Steede, Ph.D.
If you want to raise loving children this book is a must read. It provides insight into how to parent with wisdom.
Price: $9.60
Emotional Intelligence - By Daniel Coleman.
This book is one of my favorites. It was on the best sellers list for a few years. It is very well written. Daniel Coleman has done excellent research into what causes people to be unable to manage their anger, and to have good relationships and how to overcome these limitations, among other things. A must read for anyone who has endured emotional trauma.
Price: $11.16
I Hate You Don't Leave Me; Understanding The Borderline Personality Disorder ( BPD) - By Jerold Kreisman and Hal Straus.
This book is directed toward those who have violent outbursts, are oversensitive to rejection, and may abuse drugs. The book also helps those who interact with this type of personality, how to better understand and cope with the frequent angry outbursts. Excellent and easy to read.
Price: $ 4.79
Who You Are (When No One's Looking) - By Bill Hybels.
When you feel like you need to re-evaluate how you are operating in your life, let Bill Hybels encourage you with chapters like, preserving endangered qualities, and looking beyond the obvious. This is one of my favorite books.
Price: $3.99
How could you do that? - By Dr Laura Schelessinger.
This author does an excellent job in encouraging people to examine their values and maturity especially in regards to how one behaves. She makes some excellent points. For example; Values vaccinate against future pain, doing good becomes it's own reward, history is not destiny. A very good read.
Price:$10.40
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy - By Sarah Ban Breathnach
This book is to be read at a page a day. Sarah Breathnach encourages the reader to evaluate what is really important in life. She focuses on the internal rather than the external. It has been a very popular book. Well written.
Price:$ 19.20
Boundaries - by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
This book is written from a Biblical perspective on personal boundaries. It is really for everyone who has trouble establishing personal boundaries and lets people take advantage of them. The book talks about how to establish healthy boundaries and maintain them. Practical advice is given for those who need to learn to say no among other things.
Price: $13.99
Betrayal of Innocence - By Dr. Susan Forward
This book is about many different kinds of child sexual abuse, causes and treatments are examined.
Price $10.36
Vunerable Populations: Evaluation and Treament of Sexually Abused Children and Adult Survivors
This book is clinically written and gives very good examples in how to help the sexual abuse survivor recover. By Susan Sgroi leading writer in the area of child sexual abuse.
Price: $27.95
The Courage to Heal: A book for adult women that are sexual abuse survivors
The authors are commited to helping the survivor recover from her early childhood wounds of betrayal. This book also has a workbook. Very good for those on the road to recovery.
Price: $18.00
Joshua - By Joseph Girzone
The story is fictional. The book is moving and inspirational. Who is this extraordinary, loving man? All who come into contact with him are transformed. It is a message of love. Inspiring story.
Price: $ 8.00
Dreams: God's forgotten language - By John Sanford
Have you ever wondered if God may be speaking to you in dreams? This book explores that possibility.
Price: $11.20
He Still Moves Stones - By Max Lucado
Max Lucado is often on the list of number one books. This book is entertaining and easy to read with fresh perspectives on scripture. A scripture study book of sorts.
Price:$13.99
Left Behind - By Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins
Both are authors who are frequently on the best-sellers list. It is a fictional thriller that has realistic portrayals of people, and their inner spiritual battles. It is a difficult book to put down once opened.
Price:$ 8.39
Note: Prices are subject to change due to the discretion of Amazon.com