Clinical books I have come to find essential for recovery

John Lee, writer and counselor, asked me for any books I would recommend that I have read of late, it got me thinking, and here are some. The re are many more, but I had to start somewhere....

Complex PTSD. From Surviving to Thriving. Pete Walker.

This book is my go to book for Developmental Trauma. Its conversational representation on Co-dependent recovery with modern easy to apply Trauma regulation techniques makes it a therapist and recovering person’s best friend. 13 tips to deal with your Emotional Flashbacks, how to tame your Inner Critic, What trauma type are you? all break it down and make it simple to understand and give clear achievable direction.

The Polyvagal Theory. Stephen Porges.

Stephen had me from the first lecture. His Masterless gave me faith in the term, and this book brings it all together in a nice take home package, for clinicians, and recovering people. When you have lived through trauma, and are left with the confusion about your own reality, and bewilderment when you are activated and then have your trauma reaction happen to you, then there is real relief in knowing not only what’s happening inside your nervous system, but also what was the specific damage and ongoing impact from your child hood trauma. Information (insight) is power, and this book is a powerful resource.

The Science and Art of Psychotherapy. Allan N. Schore

Sex Addiction specialist Alexandra Katehakis once described attending a master class by Allan as “I don’t know what I just heard but I know I am on fire!” It put into words my experience of Allan Schore. His lifetimes work has been tracking the impact of trauma on the developing Brain and how this effects a client s ongoing life development, as well as informing clinical practice on effective and efficient clinical interventions.

Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology. Daniel J. Siegel

I could put all of Dan’s books on this list. All are amazing resources. The Mindful Therapist - direct guidance to create right brain to right brain connection in therapy, leading to a dynamic therapeutic alliance. Parenting from the Inside Out - guiding parents to interrupt the ongoing generational trauma. This book however is a wonderful guide to understanding the terms, concepts and phrases that have arrived from the school of the Interpersonal Neurobiological reign, in what seems overnight. Dan along with the likes of Schore, Porges, Levine, Kolk, Ogden, Hughes and Tronick to name a few have accelerated the way we understand and treat trauma. This book therefore is a must have in any therapist library.

Breaking Free- Pia Mellody.

This workbook, written in 1989, to accompany her ground breaking text Facing Codependence, was light years ahead of its time, and is still my go to developmental trauma information gathering text. I still run groups based on it and use it in one on one sessions to as Dan Siegel says “Get your History straight!” It looks at what happened to you, how that then sabotages your life and relationships, and finished with skill building exercises to counteract the damage. Brilliant.

Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians. Arlene Montgomery.

This book, forwarded by Shore, is a helpful, case studied approach to guide therapist to take the new brain based information and bring in into the therapy sessions. I poured through it, and loved how it weaved an easy to understand and follow pathway to help me really be a trauma informed therapist.

In an Unspoken Voice. Peter A Levine.

Like Siegel and Schore, anything by Levine is an asset to a therapist bookshelf. His Somatic Experiencing model, and the way it tracks trauma in the nervous system and the body, allowing therapists to work from the bottom of the brain up, as well as the top of the brain down was so useful to me. I also love How to Trauma Proof your Kids as well, but as I said, any book by Peter is gold in a therapists hands.

Facing Addiction. Patrick Carnes

Patrick Carnes is simply one of the best addiction writers of our times and the workbook resources he has created for therapists to use with clients are second to none. Facing Addiction is simple to follow, deep in its approach, Denial Busting and solid recovery plan creating in its content that any Clinician from a General Counsellor to a specialist Psychiatrist could use it with a client to track their recovery. Building on the 30 Point Competency based Recovery plan laid out in Facing the Shadow, for recovering Sex Addicts, Facing Addiction makes the tool universal for all Addictions. This book is a must have.

Sex Addiction as  Affect Dysregulation. 

Alexandra Katehakis.

With books by Patrick Carnes, Stephanie Carnes, and Robert Weiss on the market you could be mistaken for thinking another book on sex addiction was not needed, but Alexandra Katehakis is a carrier of the flame for development in this area. A student of Allan Schore and Patrick Carnes, this book is a modern clinicians best friend. Bringing together all the trauma informed care from the School of Interpersonal Neurobiology with the pioneering work of Patrick Carnes. Don’t start working with sex addicts without it.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Pat Ogden & Janina Fisher

Pat Ogden is a superstar in the field of Trauma. He whole body approach to therapy has made the therapy room a contact sport. Activating and instructing the therapist to work fully with the effect of attachment issues and trauma on a client’s soma, takes therapy about as far away from CBT as it can get. This book is a workbook to, jam packed with helpful written tools and exercises that a clinician can go through with a client. GOLD.

Cruise Control. Robert Weiss.

Picking a favourite book of Roberts is like trying to pick a favourite Springsteen record. Impossible. Each book hits an issue right on the head. Always Turned On is the best Technological sex addiction text, Sex Addiction 101 and Workbook, through and comprehensive text on Sex Addiction Treatment. Cruise Control though I have chosen as it address Gay Men and Sex Addiction. This community has been misunderstood in the therapy room in regards to this addiction, and Robert gives Clinicians essential information to help a Gay or Bi Sexual Sex Addicted male or Sex and Love Addicted male navigate the recovery journey within their community. Clear, useful, insightful, confronting but ever guiding, Robert is one of the great addiction orators. Essential reading and fantastic resource for clients to.

The Body Keeps The Score. Bessel Van Der Kolk.

YouTube is full of Bessel lectures and I listened to them over and over again. His personal journey as a physician albeit longer than mine mirrored my journey as the psychotherapeutic community of clinicians got more refined the way we approach trauma and treatment. The book covers his journey and the way we now are attempting to really resolve trauma. He has been one of the piped Pipers of change, hopefully one do the Developmental Trauma Disorder will be a diagnosis we can rely upon and we can all get on with it. Great book.

Brainspotting. David Grand.

Some people are followers and regurgitators and others are imitators and some of us genius creators. David Grand is certainly the latter. His development of the medium Brainspotting from EMDR is now taking the work by storm. I have trained in this discipline and use it with remarkable results. If you want to learn something out of this world that will turn the way you work with Psychological issues and trauma on its head, then get on this train now, it is a Bullet train. Don’t be left behind.


Healing the Shame that Binds You. John Bradshaw.
John Bradshaw became a household name, in many households that up until they broke the sprell of Developmental trauma, just carried it forward with devastating consequences. Healing the Shame that Binds you gave trauma survivors

everywhere a language to finally speak about the unspeakable. I would not be the man I am today with the hours I spent reading and listening to John Bradshaws spiritual sermons on recovery. Many own their life to him. He write many a great book, but this is the cherry.

Facing The Fire. John Lee.

Well John Lee has been an inspiration to me for many years. The Flying Boy, At My Fathers Wedding were books that changed the way I experienced myself as a man, and gave hope and direction to a generation of men. Johns writing has been prolific. So I chose this book. Its another older resource with some of the most useful tips ever to help folks release anger and rage , so they do not continue to offend others and sabotage their own relationships. I hope this book is helpful to clients, I still recommend it and use the skills outlined within. Thankyou John for a life time of generous courageous writing that has saved many a soul from peril.