Therapeutic Reflections
A weekly book review of clinical (and some non-clinical) book from the lens of a therapist.
In the world of self-help and/or clinical development, there are just TOO many books out there to read! How do you decide which ones are going to be worth your time? Which ones will resonate with your personal experiences? Which ones might support your healing? Which ones will help you to hone your professional specialties? Or maybe you need to expand your awareness into a new topic?
Let me help you with that!
I have a library card and am an avid reader (aka audiobook listener). I like to read the books my clients are reading and apply them as tools in our work together; I also like to recommend books to my clients to supplement our work together. I've spent the better part of my adult life reading books for coursework and to support research. And, let's face it, I'm passionate about my work as a therapist and I'm just plain curious about new, old, or emerging topics.
While I specialize in trauma, addiction, and dance/movement therapy, I find that my practice can benefit from expanding my awareness on a diversity of topics.
Need to catch up on past reviews?
“After a long hiatus, I have returned to read with you all once again! ”
Review to be released on 03/06/26
The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine
Dr. Joseph Tafur shares how his experience studying Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine (TAPM) and ayahusaca shamanism helped continued his research on mind-body medicine and helped to broaden his understanding of health and disease beyond the allopathic model, especially the exploration of spiritual healing — an element he feels is missing in the Western approach to healing.
How can we, as therapists, work to integrate the mind, body, and spirit into healing practices with our clients?
Review to be released 03/13/26
Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life
Dr. Emily Nagoski, a sex educator, aims to normalize the diversity of women’s sexual wellbeing through frank discussion and presentation of clinical research encompassing bio-psycho-social-spiritual factors that impact women’s experience of sexuality. She brings it back to the facts, highlights misinformation/debunks destructive myths, and illuminates the impact of historical and social constructs.
How can we, as therapists, help to support the health and healing of our clients so they feel whole and normal in a world that’s broken?
Review to be released on 03/20/26
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
Williams, Teasdale, Segal & Kabat-Zinn walk us through application of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) techniques to mitigate the experience of depression by providing tools and techniques that can re-wire neural structures to create more balance and sustainability of chemicals, increased awareness, and empowered styles of thinking and behaving.
How can we, as therapists, support the healing of our clients’ symptoms of depression through mindfulness-based tools and techniques?
No new review to be released on 03/27/26
Spring Break