Recommended
Reading List
for Personal Growth

The following annotated bibliography is in no particular order. It comprises books that are very useful for the therapeutic journey. We hope that you enjoy them.

Peck, Scott. (1978). The Road Less Traveled. New York: Simon and Schuster.

This book opens with one of the greatest lines ever written: "Life is difficult." Peck describes the necessity of taking responsibility for yourself as the basis for making inner progress and resolving your difficulties. This is a very wise book.

Burns, D. (1980). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.

This book is a basic and accessible primer on cognitive behavior therapy. It was written for the consumer and give you great tools for resolving many kinds of depression. This book, along with a skilled therapist, can help you pull yourself out of whatever pit you have fallen into.

Burns, D. (1990). The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Plume.

This is the workbook that was added to Burn's original book.

Dossey, Larry. (1994). Healing Words. Harper San Francisco.

Dossey describes an amazing variety of empirical studies that have shown the efficacy of prayer in promoting healing. This book is remarkable. It is all the more remarkable that prayer and the spiritual life are so ignored by most psychotherapists.

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper & Row.

Despite the impossible-to-pronounce last name, this author describes what is necessary to achieve happiness, joy, and total involvement with the world around you. Most psychological books address pathology; this one looks and the other side and has remarkable conclusions. A seminal work that should be on everyone's "must-read" list.

Dreikurs, Rudolf. (1964). Children: The Challenge. New York: Hawthorne Books.

This is arguably the best, most coherent book on how to raise adults that has been written to date. Dreikurs states that most American are in the business of raising 'children'. As a result, when our children reach legal age, they are not prepared for the real responsibilities of adulthood. This is a book that both moms and dads can appreciate and agree upon.

G. Bodenhamer. (1983) Back in Control: How to Get Your Children to Behave. New York: Simon & Schuster.

When you are unable to control your kids, this book can be a valuable resource in regaining control. The techniques described in this book really work. Try them and see.

Jung, C. G. (1974) Man and His Symbols. New York: Bantam Books.

This primer for Jungian psychology was written by some of Jung's closest disciples. The book outlines, in easy to understand language, some of the basic concepts of this 'depth' psychology. It provides a way of understanding some of the events of the world inside of each of us.

Stevens, A. (1983) Archetypes. New York: Quill Books.

This is another explanation of Jungian psychology, this one takes a different perspective and shows some of the empirical evidence supporting this unique psychological system.

Moore, R. & Gillette, S. (1990) King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Harper San Francisco.

This book is written from a Jungian perspective, and describes the different aspects of masculinity. Robert Moore is another of the 'wise old men' that are around, and he writes about men in a way that is accessible and immediately useable.

Estes, Clarissa P. (1992). Women Who Run with the Wolves. New York: Ballantine.

Another Jungian book that talks about the 'wild woman' within every woman, and how to reclaim this valuable part of a woman's life. Told through a series of tales, this is a wonderful book.

Johnson, Robert. (1974). He: Understanding Masculine Psychology. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Johnson, Robert. (1976). She: Understanding Feminine Psychology. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Johnson, Robert. (1983). We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Another Jungian take on gender, Johnson uses familiar myths to take you on a journey of understanding. While old, these books are unlikely to ever be out of date.

Fisher, Bruce. (1981). Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends. Available from Impact Publishers, PO Box 1094, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.

There are countless books out there in the self-help market that are useful for figuring out what to do when you are in the process of a divorce. This book, while older, is very clear and direct and of inestimable value for those in this predicament. Usually you have to order it directly from the publisher.

Tannen, Deborah. (1990). You Just Don't Understand: Women & Men in Conversation. New York: Ballantine.

This linguistics expert offers valuable insights into the different 'cultures' that men and women have been socialized into. She identifies the different conversational styles of our two genders, offering bridges between them.

Hendrix, Harville. (1990). Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples. Harper Perennial.

A great book for couples that explains why people are attracted to each other, and how we live out our early struggles in getting love from our parents with our spouse.

Bradshaw, John. (1988). Healing the Shame that Binds You. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.

An important book on shame, Bradshaw takes some of the clinical literature on this not-talked about subject and translates it into easy-to-understand terminology.

Diamond, Jed. (1997). Male Menopause. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

Diamond has written an interesting introduction to the dreaded male mid-life crisis. While some of his stuff is specious and not substantiated, this is the only serious book on the subject at this time.

E. M. Hallowell. (1997) Worry: Controlling It & Using It Wisely. New York: Pantheon Books.

This book shows those who worry excessively how to get control of this process. It is useful for everyone who worries.

E. M. Hallowell. (1994) Driven To Distraction. New York: Touchstone Books.

This is one of the basic primers on Attention Deficit Disorder. If you have ADD, or you think your partner does, this book will help you understand just what is going on. Very useful in terms of 'normalizing' the behaviors associated with ADD.

D. Goleman. (1995) Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Most of us think too much, and we think that our thinking is the most important part about us. Goleman describes emotional intelligence and shows how this process is far more important to success and happiness than intellectual intelligence. This is a 'must read' for every 'thinking' American!

E. Coles. (1998) Just Checking. New York: Pocket Books.

This book gives you an inside glimpse into the world of an obsessive compulsive. If you have a partner or a family member who has OCD, you frequently misunderstand what your loved one is going through. This book will help you understand the agony of this disorder. And it is a great 'read' besides!

W. Styron. (1990) Darkness Visible. New York: Vintage Books.

This book gives you an inside glimpse of the world of someone suffering from depression. Written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, this book will open you up to the reality of deep depression like no other.