Helpful resources for the person looking for at home study.
I often have people ask me….. “ What book should I read to help me out.” I also have people say, “ I have all the self help books and I just can’t seem to figure it out.” Self helps books can be a great resource when they are written in the context of understanding and accepting our body functions within their purpose. However, some self help resources are written more from a “fix it” mentality. This can be very shaming when the simple “fix” does not work because the body is reacting in a certain way. Below you will find some resources I really enjoy for those that like to do work on their own. Many of these books can be found at your local library or used book stores. The links are meant only as an easy way to access more information about them. This is based on my opinion so if you read one of these books and it doesn’t work for you, don’t use the skills. Just because it is written in a book does not mean it is written for you.
Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski: The cure for burnout (hint: it isn't self-care) | TED Talk
I like this book because she talks about understanding your body as it feels its emotions and how to live through stress when your body is reacting to the emotions. She concentrates more on the understanding and respect of the way the body responds instead of a way to fix it. When we understand our emotions we can use them for what they are communicating to us instead of as “ bad guys. Emily also writes “ Come as you are” which has similar concepts, but specifically concentrates on Women and sexuality.
I love this book because it is very counter culture to our diet culture. It utilizes ACT skills ( Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to allow for a greater understanding of hunger and how you eat. Again this is more about understanding so you can use natural processes instead of fixing something that is inherently part of us as humans.
Amazon.com : the body keeps the score
This is a book around understanding how your body responds to trauma. If you are a trauma survivor and can’t understand why you have PTSD, why your body responds with anxiety when your mind knows your safe, and how certain things are actually linked to your trauma that you never knew were linked. It is an educational book written both for the survivor and clinician.
The polyvagal theory is a theory by Steven Porges that talks about how are body responds to stressful events. Deb Dana uses this theory to write about several different ways you can get into the ventral vagal part of your nervous system. This is the part that is able to feel emotions and connect and function effectively all at the same time. If you want to know more about the Polyvagal Theory and the different parts of your nervous system here is another great read: The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology): 9780393712377: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com
