A sampling of my favorite books, apps, and podcasts!

Where to Start

• Becoming Safely Embodied by Dierdra Fay

• Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana

• The Therapy in a Nutshell Youtube Channel and Being Well Podcast both cover a wide variety of mental health topics

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Dr. Kristin Neff

• Calm is a popular subscription-based app for relaxation, meditation, and sleep. I particularly enjoy their body scan meditations and scenic sleep soundtracks.

• Insight Timer is a free meditation app featuring an extensive library of (130,000+) guided meditations.

• Hack Your Nervous System Card Deck by Brianna Green features 60 interventions grounded in mindfulness and polyvagal theory

Anxiety and Rumination

• This video series by Dr. Reid Wilson goes over foundational concepts in the treatment of anxiety and OCD

• I recommend The Calm-Down Method video by Therapy in a Nutshell for alleviating panic attacks

• Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer takes a mindfulness approach to reducing anxiety

• Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine Pittman delves into the neurobiology of anxiety and exposure-based treatments

• How to Release Obsessive Thoughts (podcast episode) describes the function of rumination and how to respond when you notice your thoughts turning into anxiety spirals

• Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally Winston and Martin Seif is an excellent book for anyone struggling with unwanted intrusive thoughts

Managing ADHD and Improving Focus

• Dr. David Nowell is my favorite resource on ADHD, here is a video lecture that provides an overview of his treatment approach

• The How to ADHD youtube channel and book by Jessica McCabe

• Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke

• Read Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell Barkley if you are looking for focus on the practical ADHD interventions

• ADHD After Dark by Ari Tuckman

• Use the Jomo app to block distracting apps for allocated periods of time (and suggest alternative things to do)

• Find a daily planner that works for you. Hourly planners are my go to

• Or you can gamify your to-do list with the Finch Care app!

• Fidgets can be an effective way of expelling extra energy and regulating the nervous system for better focus. SPEKS and NeeDoh are my favorite

Healing from Trauma and Emotional Wounds 

• What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry is a great place to start

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

• My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

• Dissociation Made Simple: A Stigma-Free Guide to Embracing Your Dissociative Mind and Navigating Daily Life by Jamie Marich 

• Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine

• I don’t want to Talk About It by Terrence Real

Improving Relationships

• Secure Relating by Sue Marriott and Ann Kelley (I love this book!)

• Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson is a great book for couples

• Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship by Terrence Real

• The following podcast episodes give a great overview of attachment theory: How Attachment Theory Works, Preoccupation in Relationships (on anxious attachment), Dismissing/Avoidant Styles of Relating in Adulthood, The World of the Pursuer, The World of the Withdrawer

• Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

• The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity by Tammy Nelson

• Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving A Relationship with a Narcissist by Dr. Ramani Durvasula 

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

Improving Sleep

Getting enough sleep is essential to health, mood, memory formation and cognition. The effectiveness of other mental health interventions will be undermined if our bodies sleep needs are not met.

• Sleep Hygiene: Train Your Brain to Fall Asleep and Sleep Better (video) by Therapy in a Nutshell 

• The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It by Chris Winter

• Somnology (sleep) (podcast episode) by Ologies 

• Circadian Rhythms Inflammation and Mood (video) by Doc Snipes

• How to Get to Sleep When You Have ADHD (video) by How to ADHD

• Wear Green Light Blocking Glasses for 45 minutes preceding desired bedtime and activate night shift setting on your phone and computer. 

• Listen to sleep stories on the Calm app or the wonderfully boring Nothing Much Happens podcast