Resources
Self Help Resources
A Free Gift to You:
A Guide to Self-Care Ebook.
- Support your journey of personal development and self-love
- Information on self-care
- Tools, questions and exercises
A Free Gift to You:
A Guide to Building Emotional Intelligence (EQ).
- Increase your awareness of Emotional Intelligence
- Explore empathy, communication, social skills and more
- Tools, questions, and exercises
Here are some self-help resources to learn more about yourself and what might be keeping you stuck. This is a curated list I have developed over years of practice that continues to evolve and I am excited to share some of these resources with you.
Disclaimer: Please use these resources thoughtfully and with caution and discretion. These resources are general suggestions and not all may be helpful or applicable to you. Self-help resources and support groups are not a substitute for professional assessment and treatment. These resources may change over time and I will do my best to update regularly. I am not personally invested in, nor stand to profit from, any of the recommendations provided.
Paige Abbott’s Podcast Interviews- And More!
The Matt Chiem Experience ep. 24
Tale Me About It ep. 20 speaking about eating issues
Stomp the Stigma ep. 11 speaking about Mental Health, being a Psychologist, and more!
A 3 minute read article about my business, clientele and why I do what I do
Mental Health Resources
Togetherall is a virtual community in Alberta to get support from peers
Brene Brown has many amazing books on shame, resilience and vulnerability. Her latest ‘Atlas of the Heart’ is an encyclopedia of emotions. Amazing!
Kristin Neff on self-compassion
Tara Brach on self-compassion
‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk (on trauma)
‘Happiness Trap’ by Russ Harris
‘Get Out of Your Mind and into Your Life Workbook’ by Steven Hayes
‘Feeling Good’ and ‘The Feeling Good Handbook’ by David Burns. These are classic resources connected to Cognitive-Behavioural therapy principles for those struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health symptoms.
Meetup.com has been a resource many of my clients have found helpful for finding community
Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday
Deepak Chopra for meditation and spirituality
‘The Power of Now’ and Eckart Tolle on mindfulness and spirituality
‘The Dance of Anger’ by Harriet Lerner
‘Whole Brain Living’ by Jill Bolte Taylor
Thich Nhat Hanh for spiritual teachings, mindfulness, acceptance
For reflection and self-help work, there are lots of workbooks out there on various topics related to these topics and much more. Try to pick ones that you can sample online to ensure you are comfortable with the format before purchasing
Apps:
For Meditation and Mindfulness: Insight Timer, Headspace, Calm, Healthy Minds
For Sleep: Loona
For Journaling: Five Minute Journal, Day One, 365 Gratitude, Gratitude, MoodTracker, Daylio
For Self-Care: I Am, Finch
For Recovery: Monitoring Your Gambling and Urges (MYGU), Meeting Guide by AA, Everything AA, NA Meeting Search, Relay App
For Mental Health: CBT Companion, DBT Coach, Resilify
Recovery Resources
ASAM Long Definition (2012)
National Institute on Drug Abuse to learn more about how substances impact the brain. Their teen section and marijuana sections can be quite helpful.
Melody Beattie (author dealing with codependency): Daily meditations. She also has many books that can be helpful in learning more about your relationship patterns.
Patterns and Characteristics of Codependency
‘The Enabler’ by Angelyn Miller
The SMART Recovery Toolbox for those struggling with substances and other problem behaviours.
‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael Singer for those interested in a more holistic and spiritual take on Cognitive-Behavioural Principles.
‘Addictive Thinking’ by Abraham Twerski
‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ by Gabor Mate
‘Recovery: Freedom from our addictions’ by Russell Brand
‘Dopamine Nation’ by Anna Lembke
‘Quit Like a Woman’ by Holly Whitaker
‘This Naked Mind’ by Annie Grace
‘Undoing Drugs’ by Maia Szalavitz
‘Overcoming Binge Eating’ by Dr. Christopher Fairburn.
This article provides a thorough overview of eating disorders
Article on the problems with social media use and how it can compare to nicotine
I have co-authored three books: ‘Addiction is Addiction,’ ‘ the corresponding workbook and ‘Love, the Drug‘ about recovery.
I also recommend people look into the 12-Step programs (and/or other forms of peer recovery support and connection). Here is a brief article introducing the premise of the programs. I would encourage you to do more reading and research before deciding on next steps of action. Here are some 12-Step programs that might be a fit:
Overeaters Anonymous (quiz to determine if this program is a fit for you)
Anorexic and Bulimics Anonymous-ABA
Al-Anon (for family members and loved ones)
Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families-ACoA
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous-SLAA
SMART Recovery, and/or Recovery Dharma YYC for group support if you are struggling with any problem behaviour. I understand these groups may not be a fit for you, but some of the writings or materials may have an impact even if you do not pursue meetings.
Worth Recovery podcast (for women in recovery)
Relationships
John Gottman’s resources are very helpful for learning more about healthy relationships.
‘The Science of Trust’ and ‘Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work’ by John Gottman are two specific books worth looking at
The Gottman Card Decks App is free and an interesting way to spark conversation
Dr. Sue Johnson has resources for building intimacy and close relationships
‘After the Fight’ by Daniel Wile
‘Attached’ by Levine and Heller
‘Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents’ by Lindsay Gibson
‘The Power of Attachment’ by Diane Poole Heller
The blog/website marriage.com
‘Rebuilding After a Relationship Ends’ by Fisher and Alberti.
‘Set Boundaries, Find Peace’ by Nedra Glover Tawwab
‘How to Say No’ free ebook by Alexandra Franzen
FREE personality typing to explore who you both are in relationship (this can also be helpful for individual recovery)
There are a lot of self-help resources out there. When looking at books, YouTube, websites, and other resources, I recommend finding resources that speak to you personally. Just because it was recommended or others have found it useful does not mean it will relate to you. Search out the general topic you are interested in, sample resources as you are able to, and then pursue the ones that resonate for you. These will usually have more meaning and personal impact then those you are looking at because you “should.”
While self-help resources are not a replacement for professional assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, they can certainly be complementary of the journey of change and can help people start to identify specific issues and places where professional therapy may be useful.
