Resources

The following books and websites are trusted educational supports.

They are not a replacement for therapy, but many clients find them helpful between sessions or while deciding whether counselling may be right for them.

Relationship and Marriage Resources

Books

  • Johnson, S. (2016). Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. Little, Brown.
    (Emotionally Focused Therapy approach helping couples strengthen emotional bonds and repair attachment injuries).
  • Gottman, J. M. & Silver, N. (2016). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (Revised Edition). Harmony.
    (Research-based relationship skills drawn from decades of observational studies on stable and distressed couples).
  • Gottman, J. & Gottman, J. S. (2017). The Man’s Guide to Women. Rodale.
    (Accessible explanation of emotional attunement, communication, and trust-building in intimate relationships).
  • Tatkin, S. (2016). Wired for Dating. New Harbinger.
    (Attachment and neuroscience-informed guidance for choosing and maintaining secure romantic relationships).

Websites

  • Here to Help BC — https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca
    (BC-based mental health resource centre; relationship communication, attachment, and conflict information).
  • The Gottman Institute Relationship Advice — https://www.gottman.com/blog/
    (Research-based relationship education drawn from longitudinal studies).

Anxiety and Depression Resources

Books

  • Greenberger, D. & Padesky, C. (2016). Mind Over Mood (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
    (Structured Cognitive Behavioural Therapy worksheets teaching practical skills for managing thoughts, mood, and behaviour).
  • Burns, D. D. (2020). Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety. PESI.
    (CBT-based techniques for identifying cognitive distortions and improving mood regulation).
  • Clark, D. A. & Beck, A. T. (2020). The Anxiety and Worry Workbook. Guilford Press.
    (Step-by-step CBT program for generalized anxiety, worry, and avoidance behaviours).
  • Leahy, R. L. (2017). The Worry Cure (2nd ed.). Harmony.
    (Practical coping strategies addressing rumination, intolerance of uncertainty, and chronic worry).

Websites

Trauma and PTSD Resources

Books

  • van der Kolk, B. (2019 ed.). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Random House.
    (Explains how trauma affects the brain and body and reviews evidence-based treatment approaches).
  • Cloitre, M., Koenen, K., Cohen, L., & Han, H. (2020). Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse (2nd ed.). Guilford.
    (Phase-based treatment model for complex trauma emphasizing stabilization, processing, and integration).
  • Resick, P., Monson, C., & Chard, K. (2017). Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: A Comprehensive Manual.Guilford.
    (Manualized, research-supported therapy targeting trauma-related beliefs and stuck points).
  • Rothschild, B. (2017). The Body Remembers Volume 2. W. W. Norton.
    (Somatic-informed understanding of trauma symptoms and emotional regulation skills).

Websites

  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) — https://www.camh.ca
    (Canadian hospital-based research and treatment information on trauma and PTSD).
  • PTSD Association — https://www.ptsdassociation.com
    (Educational information about PTSD symptoms, recovery, and treatment options).

Grief and Loss Resources

Books

  • Wolfelt, A. (2016). Understanding Your Grief (10th Anniversary Edition). Companion Press.
    (Companion-style reflections and exercises supporting mourning and meaning-making after loss).
  • Neimeyer, R. (2019). Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment and Intervention. Routledge.
    (Evidence-based approaches focused on rebuilding meaning and identity following bereavement).
  • Devine, M. (2017). It’s OK That You’re Not OK. Sounds True.
    (Normalizes grief reactions and emphasizes compassionate coping rather than “fixing” grief).
  • Friedman, R. & James, J. (2021). The Grief Recovery Handbook (20th Anniversary Edition). HarperCollins.
    (Structured exercises designed to process unresolved grief experiences and emotional pain).

Websites

Substance and Behavioural Addictions Resources

Books

  • Miller, W. R. & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (4th ed.). Guilford.
    (Foundational evidence-based method for strengthening motivation and readiness for change).
  • Daley, D. & Marlatt, G. (2019). Relapse Prevention Workbook (2nd ed.). Guilford.
    (Coping strategies for identifying triggers, managing cravings, and maintaining recovery).
  • Carnes, P. (2019). Out of the Shadows (30th Anniversary Edition). Hazelden.
    (Recovery framework for behavioural and compulsive sexual addiction patterns).
  • Szalavitz, M. (2016). Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction. St. Martin’s Press.
    (Neuroscience-informed perspective describing addiction as a learning and adaptation process).

Websites

  • CAMH Addiction Resources —https://www.camh.ca
    (Canadian evidence-based substance use education and harm-reduction information).
  • Government of Canada Substance Use Health —https://www.canada.ca/substance-use
    (Public-health guidance, screening, and recovery resources).