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19 Best Books of 2019
These top selling titles are highly purchased and praised by your colleagues and even some clients
PESI Team
2019 was a year of great growth in awareness and acceptance towards mental health. These 19 titles are popular and highly praised must-haves for professionals and lay-people. Find the resource that you didn’t know you needed in your life.
CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents
This best-selling resource consists of over 200 worksheets and exercises to help the children in your life handle their daily obstacles with ease. Written by clinicians and teachers with decades of experience working with kids, these unique and effective therapy tools are vital to teaching youth how to cope with and overcome their day-to-day struggles."I teach at an intermediate (alternative) school with students who are suspended or expelled from their home district. This book has DOZENS of worksheets that are applicable to the skills my students need to learn how to cope with their anger, communication needs, problem solving, coping skills, etc. The book only contains worksheets so you have to design the lesson plans but the worksheets lead you there very easily. This culmination of worksheets is the perfect starting point for teaching students social/emotional strategies!!!"
~ Teale, Amazon Customer
~ Teale, Amazon Customer
Coping Skills for Kids Workbook
Dealing with stress, anxiety and anger are important skills to learn, but not all kids learn those strategies naturally. The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook can help teach children to calm down, balance their energy and emotions and process challenging feelings."As a child therapist, I’m always searching for resources and ideas to teach calming coping skills to kids. Though a lot of the skills were familiar to me, there were many that I have not tried (or even thought of!) yet! I appreciate having them all in one place – there’s even a handy checklist – so I can introduce new skills to clients, and we can check off the ones they life, make notes about the ones that worked well, and add to the list in the future!
As a mom, this workbook is a great addiction to our home library. I set it out on the table and my 8 and 6 year old immediately began trying some of the activities (they loved the different breathing visuals). I’m thankful to have a resource that we can work through as a family, but is also simple enough that they can pick it up and use it on their own."
~ Nicole Schwartz, Amazon Customer
As a mom, this workbook is a great addiction to our home library. I set it out on the table and my 8 and 6 year old immediately began trying some of the activities (they loved the different breathing visuals). I’m thankful to have a resource that we can work through as a family, but is also simple enough that they can pick it up and use it on their own."
~ Nicole Schwartz, Amazon Customer
Somatic Psychotherapy Toolbox
Whether you’re new to somatic approaches or a seasoned practitioner, this toolbox will be a game-changer in your work. Highly-effective for clients dealing with trauma and stress disorders somatic psychotherapy is the future of healing the entire person-body and mind."As a dance/movement therapist, my training was heavily focused on integrating the physical, emotional, and mental experiences to help increase awareness and create change for my clients. I found this workbook to be a helpful refresher for similar interventions/techniques I already utilized, but also inspired me to continue to expand and be curious on how I can continue to bring the body and somatic experience into my work.
I also appreciated the way Mischke-Reeds explicitly breaks down how these interventions can be helpful in language that can be easily passed on to clients. I regularly work with clients who may be skeptical or scared to enter into their bodies, and this type of language can help create a foundation of openness and curiosity.
May not be "new" information for those who already work with the body - but I still highly recommend this as a resource for any clinician. "
~ Stephanie T., Amazon Customer
I also appreciated the way Mischke-Reeds explicitly breaks down how these interventions can be helpful in language that can be easily passed on to clients. I regularly work with clients who may be skeptical or scared to enter into their bodies, and this type of language can help create a foundation of openness and curiosity.
May not be "new" information for those who already work with the body - but I still highly recommend this as a resource for any clinician. "
~ Stephanie T., Amazon Customer
The DBT Deck
Filled with tips, ideas, calls to action, and brief exercises, these cards will be a daily go-to as you learn skills needed to enjoy the ups - and navigate the downs - of real-world life. And best yet, because skills take repeated practice, you cannot outgrow this deck, you can only grow with it!"I really like this excellently-produced deck of cards. I bought a second copy to give to my therapist to use in her practice, and she was delighted with them, too. I use the deck nearly everyday as a prompt to think differently about issues I’m dealing with."
~ M.J. Lavin, Amazon Customer
~ M.J. Lavin, Amazon Customer
Trauma Treatment Toolbox
The latest research from neuroscience and psychotherapy has shown we can rewire the brain to facilitate trauma recovery.Trauma Treatment Toolbox teaches clinicians how to take that brain-based approach to trauma therapy, showing how to effectively heal clients’ brains with straightforward, easy-to-implement treatment techniques. Each tool includes a short list of post trauma symptoms, relevant research, application, and clinician tips on how to complete the exercise.
"THIS book is helping me help myself. It is very simple. You can help yourself with this book. If you prefer a therapist, hand him/her this book, and tell them this is what you need. THIS IS THE BOOK FELLOW SUFFERERS. This is the book that will teach you what to do to physiologically change your brain, and achieve better brain activity, and personal empowerment. Dr. Sweeton makes it so simple, a teen could do it. Everyone can do this.
Thank you to Dr. Jennifer Sweeton for writing this book. I have read way too many books on how to heal from trauma. They had information. My therapists wanted me to relive it every second of the day beyond what I already do. She is the first person I have found to put together information from all of the top experts, and teach me how to change my damaged brain back to a healthy way of being.
When I began using this workbook, I became my own healer. This book could just save your life. Peace to all of you. WE are the only ones who know what this nightmare called PTSD is to live. You can fix your brain. Let this book teach you how "
~ FightForWhatsRight, Amazon Customer
Thank you to Dr. Jennifer Sweeton for writing this book. I have read way too many books on how to heal from trauma. They had information. My therapists wanted me to relive it every second of the day beyond what I already do. She is the first person I have found to put together information from all of the top experts, and teach me how to change my damaged brain back to a healthy way of being.
When I began using this workbook, I became my own healer. This book could just save your life. Peace to all of you. WE are the only ones who know what this nightmare called PTSD is to live. You can fix your brain. Let this book teach you how "
~ FightForWhatsRight, Amazon Customer
Beyond Behaviors
In Beyond Behaviors, internationally known pediatric psychologist, Dr. Mona Delahooke describes behaviors as the tip of the iceberg, important signals that we should address by seeking to understand a child’s individual differences in the context of relational safety. Featuring impactful worksheets and charts, this accessible book offers professionals, educators and parents tools and techniques to reduce behavioral challenges and promote psychological resilience and satisfying, secure relationships."Are you are a parent, teacher, or mental health professional working with kids who have persistent difficulties at home or school? Do you know and love a child with trauma and anxiety, who is neurodiverse or autistic, or who has received any diagnosis traditionally related to challenging behaviors (RAD, ODD, DMDD, PTSD, DTD, IED, ADHD, etc.)?
If so, GO BUY THIS BOOK NOW... then give an extra copy to every professional working with the child!
Dr. Mona Delahooke has put into words so clearly and brilliantly what many of us have known for years about the most challenging kids in our homes and classrooms. In a compelling, compassionate, and easy-to-read format, she has addressed many of the false assumptions underlying out-dated behavior management systems and proposes a refreshingly compassionate and brain-based approach.
Instead of following the traditional path of using rewards and consequences as a way to motivate children to behave, she focuses on the importance of building an environment of safety, respecting individual diversity, and understanding children’s sensory and nervous systems. With plenty of scholarly research, along with specific examples and helpful diagrams, her book clearly and beautifully demonstrates the importance of figuring out what is driving the behavior as the key to finding compassionate solutions that work!"
~ Sandi Lerman, Amazon Customer
If so, GO BUY THIS BOOK NOW... then give an extra copy to every professional working with the child!
Dr. Mona Delahooke has put into words so clearly and brilliantly what many of us have known for years about the most challenging kids in our homes and classrooms. In a compelling, compassionate, and easy-to-read format, she has addressed many of the false assumptions underlying out-dated behavior management systems and proposes a refreshingly compassionate and brain-based approach.
Instead of following the traditional path of using rewards and consequences as a way to motivate children to behave, she focuses on the importance of building an environment of safety, respecting individual diversity, and understanding children’s sensory and nervous systems. With plenty of scholarly research, along with specific examples and helpful diagrams, her book clearly and beautifully demonstrates the importance of figuring out what is driving the behavior as the key to finding compassionate solutions that work!"
~ Sandi Lerman, Amazon Customer
Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) provides a revolutionary treatment plan for PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders and more. Using a non-pathologizing, accelerated approach -- rooted in neuroscience -- IFS applies inner resources and self-compassion for healing emotional wounding at its core. This new manual offers straight-forward explanations and illustrates a wide variety of applications. Easy to read and highly practical."In reading and going over this manual, I am impressed and grateful for the level of thoroughness and depth the writers have put into this manual. Whether you are an experienced IFS therapist, a novice, an interested individual without any IFS training, this manual will greatly broaden and deepen your understanding of the model and, in my opinion, of therapy in general. It is well worth having this manual at your fingertips."
~ A. Prokopis, Amazon Customer
~ A. Prokopis, Amazon Customer
Attachment
Improve your client’s relationships by teaching them strategies to feel more connected, reestablish trust, and restore positive emotions. Dr. Christina Reese, a recognized attachment and trauma professional, has created a comprehensive guide that explains attachment over a lifetime, and offers trauma-informed approaches to treat attachment at any age."This is a great book. Tons of good information and straight forward interventions. There's refresher stuff from grad school but also new information. I am SUPER glad I bought this book."
~ K. Berg, Amazon Customer
~ K. Berg, Amazon Customer
The Expanded Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Manual, 2nd Edition
This second edition is the most comprehensive and readable DBT manual available with more skills than any other DBT book on the market. Designed for DBT therapists, eclectic and integrative therapists, and as a self-help guide for people interested in learning DBT skills, the straightforward explanations and useful worksheets contained within make DBT skills learning and practice accessible and practical for both skills groups and individual users."This is a great manual for therapists who are looking to start or expand their work with client's using DBT. It has practical and realistic suggestions and materials. Clients and clinicians alike get excited to use new materials and I love all of the new worksheets. The spiral bound book makes it easy to use and make copies. This version of the manual contains a lot of new material and will be one of my new "go-to" books. I highly recommend this book!"
~ Sheryl C., Amazon Customerr
~ Sheryl C., Amazon Customerr
250 Brief, Creative & Practical Art Therapy Techniques
These unique 250 art exercises increase self-esteem, self-awareness and a feeling of success in artistic expression and communication, allowing clients to engage in therapeutic exercises without judgment. Using simple materials like paper, pencils and markers, these techniques can be immediately implemented in your practice."I love this book! It's easy to execute the activities and the prompts included with them are a great jumping off point for discussion. I use this with groups of adults in dual diagnosis treatment and they enjoy it (even though they sometimes pretend they don't lol). Some exercises need slight modification for different environments/populations but for the most part it's all there! I have to do at least 3 groups a day with ~5-12 clients each and sometimes I don't have time between that and the billing to sit down and really plan the next group. This helps a lot as so much of it is ready to go and all I have to do is collect materials and bring my skills as a counselor. My clients (after they're done pretending they don't want to do it) often take over and constructively run this group halfway themselves. I've seen them use these activities as a way to socialize with each other and gain peer support... even the most anxious and shy clients often seem to light up and talk during the exercises.
It also is helpful because it doesn't make classist or treatment budget assumptions meaning like many books do meaning it can be used in public mental health services that include no/low-income clients without anyone feeling ailienated which is an issue I sometimes run into with other books on providing therapeutic interventions.
I really recommend this book and I intend to use it for years to come."
~ AJ, Amazon Customer
It also is helpful because it doesn't make classist or treatment budget assumptions meaning like many books do meaning it can be used in public mental health services that include no/low-income clients without anyone feeling ailienated which is an issue I sometimes run into with other books on providing therapeutic interventions.
I really recommend this book and I intend to use it for years to come."
~ AJ, Amazon Customer
The Anxiety, Worry & Depression Workbook
That’s why anxiety expert Jennifer Abel, PhD, has compiled an interactive workbook that will help you tame anxiety, worry and depression. Backed with science and over 25 years of clinical experience, this easy-to-use guide is full of practical, proven worksheets, self-monitoring forms, exercises and scripts for you to start changing your habits, and start changing your life."I work on a psych unit in a hospital. I lent it to a patient who was avoidant of groups due to her high level of anxiety. She said "I've read many books on depression/anxiety and this one is by far the best. I've read many written by doctors and they were difficult for me to understand. Maybe if I was a doctor, I would". I personally like a lot of the exercises and worksheets. So many people suffer from depression and anxiety. This book has become my work Bible!"
~ Barbara H., Amazon Customer
~ Barbara H., Amazon Customer
Some Days I Flip My Lid
Some Days I Flip My Lid follows third-grader Max as he develops self-awareness of his emotions by learning Mindfulness techniques called MINDFUL BREATHING and BREATHING ON PURPOSE. At school, on the playground and at home, Max develops skills not to flip his lid when he is scared, worried, sad or upset. A colorful and delightful story for the classroom, at bedtime or whenever your child needs a mindful reminder to be a calm, cool kid."I am a teacher. My classroom is an elementary self contained behavior classroom. We have been doing Mindful learning for a few years now. I was very excited to get this book and read it to my class the day it arrived. They related right away. Then this amazing thing happened! One of my students was having a "lid flipping" moment. Another student ran to the book shelf, picked up the book and brought it over to him saying, "I think you need this right now". The student stopped took the book and came over to the rug and together they incorporated it into another story we were reading. It was a wonderful moment! Teachers, parents, grandparents, buy the book!"
~ Karen, Amazon Customer
~ Karen, Amazon Customer
The Anxiety and Stress Solution Deck
Relieve stress and calm anxiety with 55 quick and effective tips & tools. Each card features a short Tip, followed by a Tool, or short activity to put that Tip into practice.- Clarify Your Feelings
- Challenge Your Thoughts
- Change Your Behaviors
- Calming Strategies
"I highly recommend these cards, they are a great blend of CBT and Mindfulness tips! Even as a young professional in the field, they are a great reminder tool of different techniques to teach clients. I work in an in-patient setting, so it's hard for me to tell how these would work in other settings, but I could only imagine how great it would be. I may try to create a game using these cards for group therapy. I could see using these in sessions on a weekly basis by having clients pick one of each color/category (Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviors, Calming Strategies) and discussing it together. Great tool to have for your social work "toolbox.""
~ Paige, Amazon Customer
~ Paige, Amazon Customer
The CBT Deck
Reduce stress in your life with practical, action-orientated, and mindfulness tools to quickly build positive emotions in your life. The 101 practices inside The CBT Deck will help you:- Calm and redirect your thoughts
- Overcome self-limiting beliefs
- Choose actions that build the life you want
- Be more connected and engaged in the present moment
"I bought a lot of self-help cards but these CBT are by far the best for my needs!
I like that this set is based upon helping me learn to build positive emotions by re-directing my thoughts. It also adds an extra element by giving me an exercise to practice (build skills) each day! I just randomly pull one out and work on it that day or look for a specific card when I am feeling emotionally triggered and need to redirect/reinterpret (reframe) my thoughts."
~ Ms. Sanchez, Amazon Customer
I like that this set is based upon helping me learn to build positive emotions by re-directing my thoughts. It also adds an extra element by giving me an exercise to practice (build skills) each day! I just randomly pull one out and work on it that day or look for a specific card when I am feeling emotionally triggered and need to redirect/reinterpret (reframe) my thoughts."
~ Ms. Sanchez, Amazon Customer
Thank You Body, Thank You Heart
“I’m grateful for a mind that knows, I’m special from my head to toes. And that all of me deserves to rest, so all of me can do my best.”Invite your child to explore the many reasons to be grateful for their own body in this engaging bedtime practice. Make this colorful and charming body-scan book a regular part of the nighttime routine, and help the children in your life establish greater self-awareness and self-compassion.
"Thank You Body, Thank You Heart is a wonderful book that resonated with all 3 of my children ages 10, 8, & 6. They all felt connected to their body’s in different ways. My oldest was really able to feel the gratitude for his wonderful body parts and how hard it works, while my middle guy really enjoyed the illustrations and became very involved with the story. He began to look at each body part and feel a sense of appreciation, while my littlest followed along with the story moving and touching each body part as we read and she also loved the illustrations. This book was easy to read to all of my kids and they really enjoyed it. A great bedtime story to help kids find the gratitude for their little body and all it does for them each day."
~ Kerri Shultz, Amazon Customer
~ Kerri Shultz, Amazon Customer
The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Written for mental health professionals, students, trainers, supervisors, teachers, and clinicians of all levels, this workbook is filled with practical, easy-to-understand tools to help you put theory into practice. Filled with worksheets, coping cards, step-by-step plans and activities, this accessible guide will help you teach clients effective coping skills, which builds their confidence, and eliminates self-doubt—the most crucial part of treatment."I have been a practicing CBT therapist since the 1970s and endeavor to continuously improve my day-to-day practice of this evidence-based and effective therapy modality. This book, undoubtedly, belongs in the category of practice optimization. CBT, despite its apparent simplicity, has many moving pieces and involves a variety of therapist competencies (for example: collaboration and guided discovery) , as well as some very specific techniques. Some therapists, myself included, may find this a bit overwhelming at times. This book, modeling good CBT practice, breaks down the components of CBT into very concrete and specific therapist behaviors and skills. Practical and yet sophisticated in presenting CBT in non-formulaic and client-customized manner, this comprehensive workbook will be of tremendous benefit to both novice CBT therapists and, also, to more seasoned and experienced practitioners who will gain "new ways of looking at old issues". Over the years I have become familiar with many CBT books in this ever-expanding field, but ,if asked by colleagues, trainees, or supervisees to recommend books to guide actual CBT practice, I would unreservedly recommend Judith Beck's Cognitive behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (2011) and this excellent resource, expertly written in a flowing and accessible style by Leslie Sokol and Marci Fox."
~ John L, Amazon Customer
~ John L, Amazon Customer
The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook
Within these pages, you will find an invitation to see yourself as the hero or heroine of your own life journey. A hero’s journey involves walking into the darkness on a quest for wholeness. This interactive format calls for journaling and self-reflection, with practices that guide you beyond the pain of your past and help you discover a sense of meaning and purpose in your life. Successful navigation of a hero’s journey provides opportunities to discover that you are more powerful than you had previously realized.Dr. Arielle Schwartz, is a licensed clinical psychologist, Certified Complex Trauma Professional (CCTP-II) and EMDR consultant with a private practice in Boulder, Colorado. She is the co-author of EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology: Interventions to Enhance Embodiment in Trauma Treatment (Schwartz & Malberger, 2018, W.W. Norton) and the author of The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole (Schwartz 2016, Althea Press). Dr. Schwartz is an international presenter on EMDR therapy, somatic psychology, complex PTSD, attachment trauma, and the psychological treatment of chronic pain. She is a certified Kripalu yoga instructor offering therapeutic yoga for trauma recovery.
Mindful Living Card Deck
At home and at work, science has shown that developing certain simple strengths can significantly improve your mood, relationships, resiliency and quality of life. Why not give it a try?Here are 56 cards that offer simple and easy-to-do daily practices. Integrate them into your life and you can have powerful results and uncover sustainable happiness. Plus-six bonus mindful living meditations to help you relax, focus, grow joy and boost your brain power!
"The Mindful Living Card Deck is a great tool for bringing mindfulness into your daily life. The deck consists of 56 high-quality cards that help build habits that lead to increased joy, relaxation, focus, and more. Each card is unique and provides a very doable action step. These cards are great for individuals, coaches, therapists, and organizations. They would also make a great gift for anyone who would like to feel happier and more present. I guess I think they would be great for everyone! I highly recommend the Mindful Living Card Deck."
~ Susan Beckman Reagan, Amazon Customer
~ Susan Beckman Reagan, Amazon Customer
Trauma Treatment Toolbox for Teens
Drawing from evidence-based interventions and the most effective treatment approaches, the Trauma Treatment Toolbox for Teens is a practical workbook for clinicians working with teenagers who have experienced trauma, PTSD, and stress. Inside you’ll find 144 unique trauma-informed worksheets and exercises to connect, relate and engage with teens—and help them understand how trauma impacts the mind and body, to promote growth and healing.Dr. Kristina Hallett, is a licensed board-certified clinical psychologist, speaker, and professor. Dr. Hallett’s clinical experiences have spanned a broad range of settings, including child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric hospitals, community mental health clinics, medium and maximum-security correctional institutions and her current work at Bay Path University. She has a passion for assisting others in living their best life and has provided numerous trainings and workshops on the integration of positive psychology techniques and interventions into everyday life.
Leave a comment below and tell us which book you plan to read and why. Be sure to come back after finishing the book to share a question or comment! Happy reading!
Topic: Book Club
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