So while I Instagram the books that sit on my shelves, and occasionally blog about books that grab me, I thought I’d go rogue and offer up a simple list. So, some recommendations for:

Books that peep into the mind of a therapist:

The Gossamer Thread  John Marzillier

Couch Fiction Philippa Perry

Books exploring where psychotherapy meets neuroscience (and compassion):

Hardwiring Happiness Rick Hanson

The Body Knows the Score Bessel Van Der Kolk

Mindsight Daniel J. Siegel

Mindful Compassion Paul Gilbert & Chodon

Books that prise open the client/therapist encounter:

The Examined Life  Stephen Grosz

What’s Really Going On Here?, In Therapy, The Impossibility of Sex Susie Orbach

The Gift of Therapy, Love’s Executioner, Creatures of a Day Irvin Yalom

Books about mindfulness:

Full Catastrophe Living, Mindfulness for Beginners Jon Kabat Zinn

Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world Mark Williams & Danny Penman

Books about compassion:

The Compassionate Mind Paul Gilbert

Triumph of the Heart Megan Feldman Bettencourt

Rising Strong Brene Brown

Self-Compassion Kristin Neff

Memoirs of anxious minds:

The Man Who Could Not Stop David Adam

The Monkey Mind Daniel Smith

My Age of Anxiety Scott Stossel

Memoirs of recovery:

The Noonday Demon  Andrew Solomon

Shoot the Damn Dog Sally Brampton

The Outrun Amy Liptrot

Memoirs of disrupted childhoods:

Why be Happy When You Can Be Normal? Jeanette Winterson

An Abbreviated Life Ariel S. Leve

Feeling you are different:

The Highly Sensitive Person Elaine Aron

Quiet Susan Cain