Recommended books & articles

Maor Bernshtein MSW, RSW Psychotherapist

This collection of books and articles has been curated to offer valuable insights and information on mental health. Each piece has been selected for its educational merit and potential to support your personal journey. As you explore these resources, please be mindful of your emotional state. Some content may bring up challenging thoughts or feelings, so it’s important to take care of yourself. If you need to pause or revisit this page later, know that it’s completely okay to do so. Your well-being is always the priority.

Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl

This book offers powerful insights into finding purpose and meaning even in the face of profound suffering. It’s recommended to help people explore survivance (resilience) and personal growth in the midst of suffering.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of how trauma affects both the mind and body. It provides a comprehensive explanation of trauma’s impact and introduces innovative, body-oriented therapies that can lead to deep and lasting healing.

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life - Thich Nhat Hanh

This book provides practical guidance on how to cultivate mindfulness in everyday moments, transforming routine activities into opportunities for peace and awareness. It offers simple yet profound exercises that help deepen presence, enhance joy, and foster inner and outer harmony.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times - Pema Chödrön

This book offers profound insights into how to navigate life's most challenging moments by embracing rather than avoiding them. Pema Chödrön draws on Buddhist wisdom to show that facing our fears and discomforts can lead to deep personal transformation, opening the heart to greater compassion and joy. It provides practical guidance for turning suffering into a path of growth and emotional resilience.

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model - Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.

This book explores the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, which helps individuals understand their mind as a collection of distinct parts rather than a single entity. By engaging with these parts, you can address internal conflicts and heal from trauma and other challenges, leading to a more integrated and compassionate sense of self.

Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness Using IFS, A Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy, 3rd Edition - Jay Earley

This book offers a detailed guide to Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), making it accessible for personal use. It provides practical steps for understanding and addressing various emotional issues such as self-esteem, procrastination, and depression. Through its clear explanations and exercises, you can explore and integrate different aspects of your psyche, leading to greater self-awareness and emotional healing.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life - Mark Manson

This book delivers straightforward and brutally honest insights into how focusing on what truly matters can lead to a more fulfilling life. By challenging the conventional wisdom of positivity, it encourages readers to confront their fears and limitations, leading to personal growth and a grounded sense of contentment.

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents - Lindsay C. Gibson

This book offers insights into the impact of growing up with emotionally immature parents and how this experience can shape your adult life. By understanding the patterns and behaviors of emotionally distant or self-involved parents, it becomes possible to identify lingering emotional wounds and explore ways to heal. The book also provides strategies to create healthier relationships, helping you regain a sense of control and build a more fulfilling life.

Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive - Daniel J. Siegel, Mary Hartzell

This book explores how your childhood experiences shape the way you parent, supported by neurobiology and attachment research. By gaining deeper insight into your own life story, you can cultivate more compassionate and resilient relationships with your children. It offers a thoughtful approach to understanding the impact of past experiences on present parenting, helping to foster a healthier family dynamic.

It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle - Mark Wolynn

This book explores how trauma can be passed down through generations, affecting everything from mental health to physical well-being. It provides tools for understanding and addressing the hidden influences of generational trauma, offering insights into how our ancestors' experiences shape our own. This resource can deepen your understanding of familial patterns and help you gain new perspectives on longstanding challenges.

Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy - Francine Shapiro

This book introduces EMDR, a scientifically proven therapy, and provides easy-to-follow techniques to help you understand and work through memories and experiences that might be holding you back. It offers practical exercises and insights into the brain’s processing of past events, allowing for a deeper understanding of how these memories impact your present life.

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom - Rick Hanson, PhD

This book explores how changing your brain can transform your life by combining the latest neuroscience with mindfulness practices. It offers practical tools to cultivate positive brain states, such as calm, joy, and compassion, which can enhance your relationships, spiritual life, and overall sense of self-worth. It provides insights and exercises to help you foster psychological growth and improve daily well-being.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

This classic book provides practical advice on enhancing interpersonal skills and building effective relationships. Carnegie’s principles can help you improve your ability to connect with others and navigate social and professional situations more effectively, offering insights into successful communication and influence.

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

This book offers a fresh perspective on vulnerability, presenting it as a source of strength rather than weakness. Dr. Brené Brown’s research shows how embracing vulnerability can lead to deeper connections and more meaningful engagement in various aspects of life. It provides insights into how openness and courage can transform personal and professional relationships.

Boys Don't Cry: Why I Hid My Depression and Why Men Need to Talk About Their Mental Health - Tim Grayburn

This book offers a raw and honest account of one man’s struggle with depression and the stigma surrounding mental health in men. Through his personal journey, the author sheds light on the importance of opening up and breaking the silence around mental health issues. It provides insight into overcoming feelings of isolation and finding strength in vulnerability, which can contribute to a deeper understanding of one's own experiences and emotions.

Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity - Justin Baldoni

This book offers a courageous exploration of masculinity, revealing how traditional definitions impact personal identity and relationships. By sharing his own journey and confronting societal norms, Baldoni invites readers to challenge these constructs and embrace a more nuanced understanding of manhood. Engaging with this book can deepen one's awareness of personal values and societal expectations, fostering growth and self-reflection.