A Therapist’s Top Marriage & Parenting Book Recommendations
Therapy is a big investment of time, energy, and financial resources. And while I whole heartedly believe that therapy can be a profoundly healing experience that equips people with tools to live healthier, more fulfilling lives, it really is what you put into it. Merely attending a 50 minute session each week isn’t going to magically change your life. The winning combination is a willingness to show up and do the work in session, and implement those changes throughout your week.
One of my favorite recommendations for my counseling clients is to supplement our work with some intentional reading. By adding some adjunctive therapeutic reading (psychobabble term: bibliotherapy) on certain topics you want to change, then working to make those incremental changes can really help your healing process.
My clients often laugh when I say (regularly) “Okay I have a book I want you to check out”. I make lots of book recommendations, and often. Seriously, this blog was originally 4 pages! I had to break it up by topic.
So here are my most recommended therapy books about marriage & parenting:
Top Recommended Books on Marriage & Parenting:
A great, user friendly book translating neuroscience research into practical parenting strategies that help you connect with your child and teach emotional soothing. Worth having on every parent’s bookshelf!
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Becky Kennedy
A compassion-forward book about how tough parenting can be, and a guide to practical parenting strategies that work. It’s a beautiful integration of attachment work and IFS parts work that moves beyond mere behavioral modification strategies and helps parents understand and work with their kids to teach emotional regulation skills to be a healthy person. Love that she includes how parents can heal their own wounds through parenting as well.
Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman
The Gottmans are the gold standard in all things couples, marriage & relationship health. Eight dates guides couples through 8 common areas of conflict, offering a short chapter with research followed by questions crafted for an intentional date to discuss each of those arenas. It’s informative, thoughtful, gentle and connecting. A great resource for couples to tune-up their relationship in a self-guided way.
If you want to know more about working together and starting therapy, reach out today to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call for therapy for relationship issues in Dublin, CA.