Book Recommendations

The book recommendations in each section are thoughtfully arranged to progress from introductory to more advanced levels of understanding.

Mental Health: Trauma-Focused

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker

Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Walker offers a compassionate and accessible guide for individuals recovering from complex trauma—typically caused by prolonged abuse or neglect during childhood. The book introduces key concepts such as emotional flashbacks, the inner critic, and the fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses, offering tools to help readers recognize and manage their symptoms. Walker emphasizes self-compassion, boundary-setting, and reparenting practices, empowering survivors to reclaim their sense of identity, safety, and emotional freedom.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk

This is a foundational text in trauma studies that bridges neuroscience, psychology, and somatic therapies to explain how trauma reshapes the body and brain. Through decades of clinical research and case studies, van der Kolk shows how traumatic experiences can lead to lasting changes in memory, emotional regulation, and physical health. He explores a wide range of healing modalities—from EMDR and yoga to neurofeedback and theater—highlighting the importance of reconnecting with the body as a central part of trauma recovery. The book has become a cornerstone for both clinicians and survivors seeking a deeper understanding of trauma’s impact and pathways to healing.

Mental Health: Depression Management

Depression: Treating Body, Mind, and Soul by Katherine T. Kelly
 

Kelly redefines the path to healing depression by framing it as a multidimensional experience that impacts, and is impacted by, the body, mind, and soul. By integrating traditional clinical approaches with soul-based wisdom, there is an emphasis on how true recovery often involves reconnecting with one’s inner truth, purpose, and spiritual well-being. Through a blend of scientific understanding, therapeutic guidance, and reflective practices, the book equips readers with tools to both alleviate symptoms and engage in deeper personal transformation. Kelly’s holistic model invites a more compassionate and empowering way to view and heal depression, especially for those seeking more than surface-level solutions.

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns
 

A classic in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns provides readers with evidence-based techniques to combat depression, anxiety, and negative thought patterns. At its core, the book teaches how distorted thinking—such as catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, and overgeneralization—can lead to low mood and emotional suffering. Through practical exercises and step-by-step methods, Dr. Burns helps readers identify and challenge these patterns, ultimately shifting their internal dialogue toward more balanced and realistic thinking. It remains a cornerstone text for those seeking a clear, structured, and clinically effective approach to improving mental health without medication.

The Chemistry of Joy by Henry Emmons

Emmons extends his integrative model to address depression, focusing on how lifestyle, emotional patterns, and spiritual disconnection can influence mood. Blending Western neuroscience with Ayurvedic principles, he introduces three core personality types or “mood types” and offers individualized strategies for each. This book encourages readers to cultivate joy not through quick fixes, but through steady nourishment of body, mind, and soul. With a strong emphasis on self-care, compassion, and holistic wellness, The Chemistry of Joy is a valuable resource for those seeking deeper, lasting recovery from depression and a path back to vitality.

Mental Health: Anxiety Management

Anxiety: Treating Body, Mind, and Soul by Katherine T. Kelly
 

Kelly offers a holistic and integrative approach to understanding and healing anxiety by addressing its roots on all levels of human experience. Rather than viewing anxiety as merely a psychological or physical condition, Kelly explores how it can also signal deeper soul-level imbalances or unmet inner needs. She provides practical tools that blend conventional therapeutic strategies with spiritual and energetic insights, empowering readers to manage symptoms while also exploring the underlying causes. The book serves as a compassionate and comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to move beyond temporary relief toward lasting inner peace and soul alignment.

The Chemistry of Calm by Henry Emmons

In this book, Emmons offers a holistic and integrative approach to managing anxiety by combining insights from neuroscience, nutrition, mindfulness, and Eastern medicine. Emmons explores how imbalances in brain chemistry—particularly in serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters—contribute to chronic anxiety. Rather than relying solely on medication, he presents a natural path to healing that includes dietary changes, supplements, exercise, meditation, and thought-reframing techniques. His gentle, empowering tone encourages readers to see anxiety not as a personal flaw, but as a signal that mind, body, and spirit are out of alignment—and offers practical tools to restore inner peace.

Mental Health: Holistic & Soul-Health Integration

The 9 Principles of Positivity by Crystal Wolfe

Motivational and spiritually grounded, this book encourages a more uplifting, purposeful, and empowered life. Drawing from personal experiences, universal spiritual teachings, and practical insights, Wolfe outlines nine foundational principles that support emotional resilience and inner peace. Each principle is explored with real-life examples and reflective questions, encouraging readers to apply the teachings to their own challenges and growth journeys. Wolfe’s tone is encouraging and accessible, making the book a useful companion for anyone seeking to shift out of negativity, self-doubt, or disconnection and into a mindset rooted in hope and empowerment. While spiritual in nature, the book emphasizes practical action and inner transformation, offering readers a framework to align with their highest self and create positive change in their lives and communities.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown explores the transformative power of vulnerability as the foundation for meaningful connection, creativity, and courage. Drawing from her research on shame, empathy, and wholehearted living, Brown challenges the cultural belief that vulnerability is weakness and instead reveals it as a vital path to authenticity and personal strength. The book offers powerful insights into how vulnerability shows up in our relationships, work, parenting, and leadership, while providing practical tools for embracing imperfection and living more bravely. Inspired by Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “Man in the Arena” speech, Daring Greatly is a bold invitation to show up fully and risk being seen, flaws and all.

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

Brown’s powerful exploration of what it means to recover from failure, disappointment, or emotional struggle with integrity and courage. Building on her earlier work on vulnerability and shame, Brown introduces a three-part process - The Reckoning, The Rumble and The Revolution - that guides individuals through the messy emotional terrain of falling down and getting back up. Through storytelling, research, and deeply personal reflection, she encourages readers to examine their narratives, own their emotions, and transform setbacks into sources of wisdom and growth. Rising Strong is a call to resilience, authenticity, and wholehearted living in the face of life’s inevitable struggles.

True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart by Tara Brach
 

In this book, psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach explores how mindfulness and self-compassion can help us find inner sanctuary amidst life’s challenges. Drawing on personal stories, Buddhist teachings, and guided practices, Brach invites readers to reconnect with the “true refuge” within—the still, awake presence that is not dependent on external circumstances. Whether facing grief, illness, or fear, Brach’s message is that we can return to ourselves through radical acceptance and loving awareness. Her warm, lyrical writing style and deeply human stories offer not only comfort but also profound spiritual insight into healing and belonging.

Soul Health: Aligning with Spirit for Radiant Living by Katherine T. Kelly

In Soul Health, Dr. Katherine T. Kelly introduces her pioneering “Soul Health Model,” which blends psychological insight with spiritual development to help readers create a life of deep fulfillment and holistic well-being. The model outlines ten key branches of health—ranging from physical and relational to occupational and environmental—that all contribute to the overall vitality of the soul. Through self-assessments, practical tools, and reflective exercises, Kelly guides readers in identifying imbalances and fostering alignment between their human experience and soul-level growth. The book serves as both a roadmap and companion for those seeking lasting healing and a more radiant, soul-connected life.

For Empaths, Intuitives & HSP's: Cultivating Empowerment

Self-Care for the Self-Aware: A Guide for Highly Sensitive People, Empaths, Intuitives and Healers by Dave Markowitz

Offering a practical and compassionate guide tailored to the needs of empaths, intuitives, and highly sensitive people—those who often absorb the emotional or energetic states of others. Recognizing that traditional self-care methods may fall short for these individuals, Markowitz introduces tools designed to protect, cleanse, and strengthen the energy body. With a focus on energetic boundaries, emotional authenticity, and spiritual alignment, the book helps readers identify what is theirs versus what they may be carrying for others, offering techniques such as guided release processes and grounded visualization practices.

Markowitz approaches healing not by encouraging avoidance of others’ energy, but through deep presence, discernment, and self-responsibility. His work invites readers to shift from a mindset of over-responsibility or overwhelm into one of empowered empathy, where sensitivity becomes a source of strength rather than depletion. The book serves as both a manual for energetic hygiene and an invitation to deeper self-awareness for those walking the path of healing and service.

Soul’s Homecoming, an Empath’s Journey to Inner Wisdom by Katharine Donovan Kane

Both a personal memoir and a supportive guide for anyone seeking to reconnect with their inner self and find their way back to their soul’s true home. This is a heartfelt and candid reflection on Kane’s personal journey through darkness toward inner peace and fulfillment. Written especially for highly sensitive and empathic individuals, the book explores how periods of discomfort and loneliness can serve as powerful catalysts for self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Kane invites readers to slow down and engage with their inner world through her calming narrative, while also providing practical tools—such as meditation, dreamwork, and creative practices—to help empaths connect more deeply with their soul’s wisdom. Through her story, Kane encourages readers to embrace their sensitivity, find sacred spaces within and around them, and cultivate a sense of belonging, confidence, and spiritual strength.

The Path to a Soulful Life: Ten Soul Health Essentials for Reconnecting with Your Human Needs and Spirit by Debra Reble
 

Rable offers a spiritually grounded and emotionally rich guide to living in alignment with your soul’s purpose, by highlighting ten heart-centerd priciples that support both human and spiritual flourishing. Designed as a practical yet deeply reflective guide, the book helps readers recognize unmet emotional and soul-level needs, offering insights and strategies to reconnect with their inner wisdom and core truth. With a blend of psychological theory, spiritual insight, and everyday applications, Reble empowers readers to cultivate more meaning, peace, and purpose in their lives. This book is ideal for anyone seeking to live with greater authenticity, balance, and connection to the soul’s guidance.

The Language of Archetypes by Caroline Myss

This is Myss’s guide to understanding archetypes as symbolic patterns that influence our identity, behavior, and spiritual journey in audiobook form. Myss presents archetypes not just as psychological tools, but as powerful energies that shape how we navigate life’s challenges, relationships, and personal growth. Through exploring a wide range of archetypal patterns - from the Caregiver to the Warrior to the Visionary - she helps readers identify their own dominant archetypes and use them as a map for self-discovery and transformation. This book is especially valuable for those interested in soul-based healing, intuitive development, and understanding the deeper narratives at play in their lives.

Intuition and Chakras: How to Increase Your Psychic Development Through Energy by Lesley Phillips
 

Phillips offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to developing psychic abilities by working with the body's energy system, particularly the chakras. The book explores how each chakra is linked to specific intuitive gifts—such as clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition—and provides step-by-step exercises to activate and strengthen these abilities. Grounded in both metaphysical insight and practical guidance, Phillips helps readers identify their dominant intuitive channels and remove energetic blocks that may be limiting their spiritual growth. Ideal for beginners and advanced practitioners alike, this book serves as a supportive roadmap for anyone seeking to deepen their self-awareness, enhance their intuitive perception, and align more fully with their energetic potential.

Understanding Subtle Energy: Cultivating Awareness

The Book of Chakras: Discover the Hidden Forces Within You by Ambika Wauters

This book serves as a clear and approachable introduction to the chakra system, ideal for those just beginning to explore the concept of energy centers within the body. The book explains how each of the seven main chakras corresponds to specific emotional, psychological, and spiritual qualities, and how imbalances in these areas can affect overall well-being. What makes this book especially user-friendly are the reflective journal prompts and exercises included for each chakra, encouraging readers to engage in self-inquiry and personal growth. With its simple explanations and visually inviting layout, it’s a valuable guide for anyone interested in working with the chakra system to foster inner balance, healing, and awareness.

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss
 

In this book, Myss weaves together the wisdom of three spiritual traditions—Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism—to present a groundbreaking model of energy anatomy. She links the seven chakras with the Christian sacraments and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, illustrating how spiritual and emotional patterns influence physical health. Through years of work as a medical intuitive, Myss shows how illness often reflects unresolved inner conflicts or spiritual disconnection, and she offers guidance on how to heal by aligning body, mind, and spirit. Deeply insightful and empowering, Anatomy of the Spirit is a foundational text for those seeking to understand the energetic roots of well-being and personal transformation.

Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body’s Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality by Donna Eden
 

Eden introduces readers to a practical, hands-on approach to working with the body’s energetic systems. Drawing from both ancient traditions and her own decades of experience, Eden outlines nine key energy systems—including the meridians, chakras, aura, and the lesser-known "radiant circuits"—and explains how they influence physical, emotional, and spiritual health. The book is filled with accessible techniques and illustrated exercises that empower readers to balance and restore their own energies, whether addressing chronic health issues, emotional stress, or fatigue. Eden’s warm and encouraging tone makes complex concepts easy to understand, making this an essential resource for anyone seeking to support their vitality through energy-based self-care practices.

The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy by Cyndi Dale
 

This is a comprehensive and scholarly reference book for those who are deeply interested in the science, spirituality, and cross-cultural perspectives of energetic anatomy. Organized like an encyclopedia, this richly detailed volume covers a wide array of subtle energy systems—from chakras and meridians to less commonly known traditions such as Tibetan, Kabbalistic, and Native American energy models. With hundreds of illustrations, in-depth descriptions, and practical insights, Dale presents both ancient wisdom and modern science to illuminate how energy flows through and around the human body. This book is ideal for advanced practitioners, healers, and readers who want to explore the deeper mechanisms and global interpretations of the energetic body in a structured and informative format.

Children's Books: Cultivating Mental Wellness

Mad Monster Sad Monster: A Book About Feelings by Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda

Mad Monster Sad Monster is a playful and engaging children’s book that introduces young readers to a range of emotions through the voices of colorful, friendly monsters. Each monster represents a different feeling—such as anger, sadness, fear, and happiness—and describes what that emotion feels like and when it might show up. With simple, rhythmic text and bold, expressive illustrations, the book helps children identify and talk about their own feelings in a fun and approachable way. It’s an excellent tool for emotional literacy, encouraging kids to recognize that all feelings are normal and okay to express.

Different by Crystal Wolfe

This book is a compassionate and uplifting children’s book that celebrates diversity and the beauty of being unique. Told through the eyes of a young narrator, the story introduces a group of classmates who come from a variety of backgrounds and face different life experiences—including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, homelessness, and bullying. Despite their differences in appearance, abilities, and circumstances, the children form strong friendships built on kindness, understanding, and mutual respect. Through its heartfelt message and relatable characters, Different encourages young readers to embrace empathy and see the value in everyone’s story.