Books can be incredible resources on the therapy journey. They can deepen our understanding of what we may be exploring internally, broaden our perspectives, give us useful tools, and inspire us.
Here are some reviews of books for children, teenagers or adults. Enjoy!
For adults
Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process by Cathy Malchiodi
This book describes powerful ways to tap into deeply felt bodily and sensory experiences as a foundation for safely exploring emotions, memories, and personal narratives. It emphasises how expressive arts therapy approaches are aligned with current neuroscience, and can engage the brain, body, and imagination in trauma recovery.
Women Who Run with The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Integrating myth, folklore and psychoanalytic thinking, this book is a journey through the sacred and wild power of the feminine. It encourages a reclaiming of inner strength and creativity and a deeper connection to authenticity.
Drama Therapy and Destructiveness edited by Ditty Dokter, Pete Holloway and Henri Seebohm
How are creativity and destructiveness in conversation with each other? Why are the arts therapies, particularly drama therapy, often well-suited to contain and explore the aggressive and destructive aspects of self? This book explores these questions through case studies, theory and personal reflection by the authors.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman
This seminal book explores the psychological impact of trauma, emphasising its long-term effects on survivors, and the process of recovery. The book integrates clinical insights with a focus on the social and political dimensions of trauma. It is human-focussed, sensitive and rigorous, and can give a thorough theoretical grounding.
Courting the Wild Twin by Martin Shaw
This book explores the transformative power of the relationship between the conscious self and the undomesticated aspects of the psyche. Through myth, storytelling, and personal reflection, Shaw invites an engagement with our sources of growth, creativity, and deeper connection to life.
For teens
Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel
This is a book that can be useful to both parents of teens, and teenagers themselves. It outlines the brain development that occurs in adolescence and shares some ideas of harnessing its power and purpose. It is both theoretical and practical, and written in an accessible way.
It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley
From puberty to gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual development, health, feelings and consent – this book covers it all. It is one of the books about these topics that is more aligned with current, affirming knowledge and understanding. It can be useful to understand this phase of development in an empowered way.
For children
A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth
With both beautiful words and illustrations, this book offers the image of building a shelter for the character of Sadness so that it can be taken care of – instead of being ignored or locked away. It asks the question: how can we befriend our sadness?
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
This book is about love, and how it exists like an invisible string between family despite distance, separation and challenging situations. It is accessible and wonderfully illustrated.
Luna and the Curious Cricket by Garth Newman and Yumna Sadan
Written and illustrated by two South African authors, this book is the story of how curiosity can open our experience to the world, and encourage us to understand and move through difficult feelings.
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