Books are great resources that can be easily accessible and offer valuable insights into various mental health topics. They can be beneficial to both clients and mental health clinicians. For counselors, books can provide guidance in assessment and treatment approaches. For the client, books can teach coping skills and aid in the acceptance of mental health disorders. For both the counselor and the clients, books can help readers gain a better understanding of mental health concerns across different groups of people. With this in mind, Counselor Arica Havis, LPC compiled this list of her favorite books:
Nelson Beats The Odds by Ronnie Sidney II
This book is great reading material for helping young clients gain more age-appropriate knowledge about ADHD. It’s also a great resource for building awareness of ADHD within minority communities, which is helpful because mental health is not always talked about among minority populations. Counselor Havis says, “I use this resource to empower clients who struggle with ADHD by helping them understand that they can overcome their struggles.”
Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress by Laurie Grossman
This book is a great resource for helping children and teens learn a new way to self-regulate. It offers tips to stay calm and focused and to feel confident. This book teaches empowerment by highlighting each individual’s inner strength and promotes learning and practicing mindfulness skills.
Zach Gets Frustrated by William Mulcahy
This book is a great resource for helping children manage their anger emotions. It teaches that it is normal and okay to experience angry emotions, but that when anger leads to maladaptive behavior and becomes hard for a young client to control, then learning skills to increase anger management is needed. This book helps clients identify and redirect their anger in a more effective, healthy way.
Blueloon: A Picture Book About Depression by Julia Cook
This is a great resource that can help clinicians identify depression in younger clients. It highlights the importance of adults being on the lookout for signs of depression in children. This book also highlights that depressive episodes are a common experience, even for children, and that there are always ways to work towards getting back to a happier version of yourself.
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
Havis says, “I love, love this resource! It is great for helping clinicians understand the correlation between adverse childhood experiences and the impact they can have on medical and mental health diagnoses; it emphasizes how these experiences can produce long-term consequences and a lifetime of physical and mental illnesses.” The book also focuses on ways of healing from childhood trauma and adversity.
All of these book resources can greatly benefit both clients and clinicians. Whether it is promoting acceptance, furthering knowledge, or teaching healing and coping skills, there are countless books available that can help each person and their situation.
If you are a clinician searching for more resources or training to help you in your practice, we recommend checking out our Brave Play page to find all of our upcoming trainings. If you are searching for a mental health counselor to work with you or your child, we serve Alabama with counseling offices in Albertville / Boaz, Jacksonville, Jasper, and Huntsville, as well as telehealth options. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
For more of our team’s favorite mental health books, check out these articles:
- Bookshelf: “My Money Bunnies: Fun Money Management For Kids”
- Bookshelf: “The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole”
- Bookshelf: “Get Well: A Fresh Perspective on Mental Wellness”
This article was written by Arica Havis, LPC – a mental health professional at Garrett Counseling in Huntsville, AL. Learn more about Counselor Havis here.