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The Deepest Place by Curt Thompson is the second book I have read by this author. He is a Christian Psychiatrist who explores how suffering can lead to hope. He identifies feeling seen, soothed, safe and secure through sharing vulnerable experiences, as well as improving our attachment to others. Thompson uses the Apostle Paul's experience of love and secure attachment as a guide in this really thought provoking book. If you want more from this author, check out the Being Known Podcast.

What My Bones Know: Healing from complex trauma by Stephanie Foo is the February book of the month. This book is Stephanie's story of childhood trauma and then healing. She identifies her experience as a child raised by immigrants and then spent her young adult years exploring the trauma of other Asian immigrants around her. She also explores healing from CPTSD through many different forms of treatment. Her story of abuse could be very triggering but her path to healing is very uplifting.

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is a book that has been coming up a lot on my social media, & it has a lot of really great points. In many ways it reminds me of the concept of external and internal locus of control, which is a belief about how much control one has over their life. This book boasts a lot of self improvement in two weeks time, but I really feel a lot of these changes take time. It gives great suggestions for creating social and emotional boundaries in relationships.

Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner is the story of emotional resilience and recovery through the story of five clients in therapy. This is a beautiful book, where Gildiner, a psychologist tells the story of her experience working with each of these clients from the start of therapy, to completion. This book exemplifies what is so amazing about working in this field. Watching a person grow and heal is so rewarding. This book does have some emotional content so take care of yourself.

Every Memory Deserves Respect by Michael Baldwin and Deborah L. Korn, PsyD. This book was fantastic! If you have ever considered therapy, this book is written from the perspective of a client and a therapist who specializes in EMDR, so very user friendly. I have been EMDR trained, now certified, since 2019, and I cannot believe I have just read this book. Michael explains his past trauma and then the healing and relief brought through the healing power of EMDR therapy.

The End of Overeating by David Kessler was a good, in-depth look at the American diet. The author discussed conditioned hyper eating, which is created through the consumption of hyper palatable food (sugar, fat and salt layering). There were similarities in this book to The Power of Habit, in which he discusses the cue, urge, reward habit cycle. This book was interesting and he offered behavioral changes at the end of the book.

Unchain Your Brain is written by Daniel Amen, MD and David Smith, MD. This is such a helpful book in understanding the impact addiction has on your brain. Through this book, the authors explain brain images and how the brain changes with different addictions (drugs, alcohol, food, gambling and more). This book includes 10 steps to change bad habits and opmitize your brain. The authors explain the six different types of addiction based on brain types; foods to eat, relapse prevention and more.

Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disordered by Gabor Mate, MD. This book was such a good overview of ADHD. It explains how social and emotional environments in early childhood play a key role in the cause and cure for this disorder. The author discussed his own experience with ADHD and offers suggestions for managing the diagnosis for both children and adults. This is a must read!

This book is a must read! If you are a parent, teacher or work with children in any capacity, you need to read this book. In this book, Jonathan Haidt talks about the sharp decline in mental health in children as childhood has moved from play-based to phone-based. Social media use significantly impacts young girls, while boys are more likely to withdraw into the virtual world. This is a multi-part book, offering suggestions for change and a call to action for all of us.