Therapists’ Favorite Therapy Books

A still-growing list from Where the Client Is collects therapy books recommended by therapists in two categories–for therapists and for everyone. Here are both:

For Therapists

  • Shouldn’t I Be Feeling Better Now? Yvonne Bates
  • Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond, Judith Beck
  • A CBT Practitioners Guide to ACT, Joseph Ciarrochi & Ann Bailey
  • Resolving Sexual Abuse, Yvonne Dolan
  • Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy, Albert Ellis
  • The Transforming Power of Affect, Diana Fosha
  • Consuming Psychotherapy, Ann France
  • Reality Therapy, William Glasser
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change, Hayes, Strosahl, and Wilson
  • Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erikson, MD, Jay Haley
  • Direct Social Work Practice, Hepworth…
  • Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence, Judith Herman
  • Play Therapy – The Art of the Relationship, Garry Landreth
  • Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, Marsha Linehan
  • Where to Start, What to Ask, Susan Lucas
  • Psychoanalytic Case Formulation, Nancy McWilliams
  • Motivational Interviewing,  William Miller and Stephen Rollnick
  • Listening with the Third Ear, Theodor Reik
  • Don’t Lose Your Patients, Herbert Strean
  • The Gift of Therapy, Irvin Yalom
  • Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, Irvin Yalom

For Everyone

  • The Good Divorce, Constance Ahrons
  • Dibs in Search of Self, Virginia Axline
  • Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
  • Feeling Good, David Burns
  • The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Davis, Eshelman, McKay, and Fanning
  • The Complete Single Mother, Andrea Engber & Leah Klungness
  • The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety, John Forsyth and Georg Eifert
  • Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
  • Trapped in the Mirror, Elan Golomb
  • The Seven Principles of Making a Marriage Work, John Gottman
  • Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life, Hayes
  • Getting the Love You Want, Harville Hendrix
  • Hold Me Tight, Sue Johnson
  • Wherever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • If You Meet Buddha on the Road, Kill Him, Sheldon Kopp
  • The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck
  • On Death and Dying, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
  • The Dance of Anger, Harriet Lerner
  • Today I Will Do One Thing, Tim Mc
  • The Drama of the Gifted Child, Alice Miller
  • For Your Own Good, Alice Miller
  • The Divided Mind, John Sarno
  • Passionate Marriage, David Schnarch
  • Parenting from the Inside Out, Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
  • The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression, Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson
  • The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
  • After the Honeymoon, Daniel Wile
  • Love’s Executioner, Irvin Yalom

The original list is here. My much shorter recommended books lists is here.

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