Top 5 Therapeutic Books for Self Care, Managing Emotions & Self Improvement

After a long day, there’s something grounding about enjoying a good book. Self care includes spending your free time away from the screen, and books are the age-old answer for a means of self care and self-reflection. The age of self-improvement is here, and that starts at the core by managing our emotions. With so many therapeutic books available, it can be hard to choose the right book that will be able to ignite your specific interest or need.

The following are the top 5 therapeutic books that will help you learn how to manage and control your emotions, even when life gets complicated. These books give you powerful tools to improve your sense of self in all aspects of your life.

1. Cognitive Hypnotherapy: An Integrated Approach to the Treatment of Emotional Disorders by Dr. Assen Alladin
   • This therapeutic book integrates both cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with hypnotherapy to help treat a wide range of emotional issues such as:
     • Anxiety
     • Depression
     • Eating disorders
     • PTSD
     • Insomnia
   • An easy to follow, step-by-step approach is given to the combining of these two highly influential forms of therapy.
   • CBT is based on the conscious part of the mind with thinking, feeling, and behavior being interrelated.
   • Hypnotherapy is based on the subconscious part of the mind and utilizes a hypnotic state to relate directly with the subconscious.
2. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
   • One of the best books for managing emotions for anyone who has endured any trauma, including physical, emotional, or mental.
   • The scars that form from traumatic experiences remain in our minds and are reflected in our emotions.
   • This five-star therapeutic book explains how traumatic events can rearrange the brain’s wiring affecting areas dedicated to pleasure, control, engagement, and trust.
   • By utilizing innovative treatments such as neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, yoga, and other activities, you can reclaim your life and heal debilitating scars.
3. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown
   • A genuinely transformative book that explains how being vulnerable in life is not a weakness but rather a real sign of courage.
   • Vulnerability is the core of our deepest emotions such as fear, grief, and on the other spectrum, joy, and empathy.
   • Open up new avenues to explore relationships, creativity, and even how you handle stressful situations that may arise.
   • A New York Times bestselling therapeutic book that can transform all aspects of daily living.
4. Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, by Anodea Judith
   • Each chapter focuses on the seven chakras from Eastern philosophy and how they align with Western psychological analysis and science.
   • Starting with a description of characteristics, it then branches out to explain particular childhood developmental patterns.
   • Traumas and abuse are also discussed as well as how to heal and maintain balance within.
   • This eye-opening therapeutic book flawlessly merges both Eastern and Western science and philosophy with psychology and spirituality.
5. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown
   • Leadership is not about arrogance or having a higher status than another person. It is about taking responsibility for recognizing true potential and having the courage to develop them in people.
   • A true leader must overcome fear and uncertainty, which further strengthens a person’s core belief in themselves.
   • This empowering therapeutic book teaches that learning and unlearning requires brave work, tough conversations, and presenting yourself with a whole heart while doing it all.
   • If anything in life is holding you back from achieving a dream or goal, then this is a must-read book.

Reading therapeutic books can help you understand and think about things from a different perspective, but sometimes the best self-care books might not be enough. Consider help from an outside source such as a therapist who can offer more insight to help with self-esteem, and self-confidence when books aren’t enough.

At Miami Hypnosis & Therapy, we offer an integrative approach to treatment, including CBT, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and hypnotherapy. Our treatment plans are unique for each patient because each individual has different needs. By incorporating various forms of therapy together, treatment time is shortened, and the benefits are more significant.

Changing your life for the better starts when you say it does, so isn’t it time to start feeling better about yourself and your life? Take that first step to a positive transformation, and contact us today!