Resources
Below is a selection of resources to supplement your learning. This list is limited to content members of our team have personally read, watched or listened to, and is by no means exhaustive.
If you have questions about any of the sources or would like more personalized recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask your therapist.
“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going.”’
~Noam Shpancer
Read
As a psychiatrist who spent time in a concentration camp during the holocaust, Frankl is able to provide a deep and thought provoking analysis of where we derive meaning from in our lives. I personally believe everyone should pick up this short read at some point in their lives, but I especially recommend it to anyone with existential questions about purpose and meaning.
Maté is an MD who lived and worked in Vancouver, BC for the majority of his career. He has written extensively about the subjects of addiction, trauma, ADD, and stress. This book explores the relationship between addiction and trauma, and the role early attachment disturbances can play in the development of maladaptive emotional coping strategies (like substance use) later in life.
This book provides a clear and accurate yet approachable introduction to the topic of developmental trauma and its lasting effects throughout the lifespan. It is written as a conversation between Dr. Perry, who is a leading expert on the topic of trauma, and Oprah, who has dedicated much of her career to hearing and understanding the stories of survivors of traumatic experiences.
In recent years there has been a shift in the field of mental health away from the medical model of diagnosis and medication, towards a more holistic understanding of what leads to suffering. Solomon brilliantly intertwines his own lived experience with a deep dive into various cultural, scientific, anthropological, historical, and spiritual views of depression and related experiences.
Whether you are brand new to the topics of mindfulness and meditation, or you have previous experience, this book offers guidance for cultivating a personal practice and gaining deeper insights into the wide ranging benefits of meditation.
Increasing mindfulness and the ability to sit with one’s thoughts and emotions is an important part of psychotherapy, and this book offers short, digestible chapters as a place to start.
This book is considered by many to be the most influential writing on the causes, experience, and treatment of trauma currently available. Van der Kolk blends scientific discovery with his own clinical experience and wisdom. The style of this book is somewhat academic, and there are many other fantastic sources I can recommend if this is not what you are looking for.
Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist, New York Times bestselling author, TED Speaker, and co-host of the popular "Dear Therapists" podcast.
This book explores issues of crisis, love, mortality, guilt, fear, and hope from both sides of the therapist’s couch, as she flips between her life as a therapist and her life as a client. It is a truly authentic exploration of the experience of therapy.
Maté’s most recent book, the Myth of Normal, is a tour de force of the topics discussed in his previous books, and then some.
There are too many topics covered to list here, but in general you can expect a detailed investigation into the personal and societal impacts of psychological trauma, and a refreshing reconsideration of the myths about the causes of illness.
In No Bad Parts, Schwartz describes his approach to psychotherapy called Internal Family Systems, which centres on how we have different parts within ourselves that take on different roles in response to trauma we may have suffered early in life.
Included are various case examples, as well as descriptions of exercises you can practice at home to aid in deepening your self reflective capacity and personal growth.
Listen
Therapist Uncensored
(Sue Marriott & Ann Kelly)
The hosts of this show are highly knowledgable and skilled therapists who have dedicated their time to making the interpersonal sciences more accessible and understandable for the public. They frequently interview some of the biggest names in the field of mental health research and have a way of making complex topics fun and relatable.
Topics include: modern attachment, interpersonal neuroscience, and trauma.
Unlocking Us
(Brené Brown)
Brené Brown is a #1 New York Times best selling author, speaker, lecturer, and researcher. She is known and loved for her calming and relatable nature. Her ability to weave together scientific research with some of the most fundamentally human qualities and experiences make these episodes both informational and soothing.
Topics include: courage, vulnerability, empathy, and dealing with shame.
Daily Meditation
(Mary Meckley)
Meditation has been shown to be helpful in many ways, including improving sleep quality, reducing stress and anxiety, and increasing self awareness. These bite-sized episodes are a great introduction to a variety of approaches for slowing down and learning new ways to relate with your thoughts and feelings.
Topics include: various guided, brief meditation techniques
