Susan Zola
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT) AND Certified Clinical Partner Specialist (CCPS)
Helpful Books
As We Begin Our Therapeutic Journey Together, Consider Reading:
AudioBook from Audible - Accidentally Brave
- By: Maddie Corman
- Narrated by: Maddie Corman
- Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
Listen to Audiobook HERE
Courageous, daring, and unflinchingly honest, ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE is an inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when the familiar world falls apart, a must-see examination of what it means to navigate a world with no certainty. Maddie Corman’s profoundly personal play challenges perceptions, captivates audiences, and sparks an emotionally charged discussion that will leave you wondering: What would I do?
The unimaginable hits the home of Mrs. Corman. She’s left wondering, now what? Maddie candidly shares her deeply personal story of growth and healing through turmoil that could have easily destroyed her marriage and family. Maddie explains what happens when her husband’s long kept secret is revealed.
In this unflinchingly honest one-woman play, Maddie tells an inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when everything she thought she knew came undone. With raw vulnerability and unexpected humor, actress and playwright Maddie Corman delivers her story of perseverance and hope when the unthinkable tests her marriage, family, and values.
Originally Produced live by Daryl Roth
Original Theatrical Sound Design by Bart Fasbender
Original Music composed by Claire Wellin
Note: Accidentally Brave includes explicit language and discussion of adult themes. Discretion is advised.
“…[a] completely absorbing solo piece…about how the discovery of [Maddie Corman’s husband’s] secret affected her and what she decided to do about it for her own well-being, her kids’ well-being and yes, the well-being of her husband and of their marriage…Despite moments of expressing pure hatred for her husband, she doesn’t stop loving him. And there’s extraordinary power and bravery within her compassion, making ACCIDENTALLY BRAVE a truly uplifting experience…”
— BROADWAYWORLD.COM
Accidentally Brave Movie Is On Hbo Max
“Based on Corman’s highly praised one-woman show, Accidentally Brave tells the story of the actress’s life when her world is suddenly shaken to its core. After three children and two decades of marriage, Corman’s life begins to unravel when her husband’s dangerously hidden secret is exposed. In the face of overwhelming emotional turmoil, Corman’s story of perseverance unfolds with candor, strength, and unexpected humor.
Diving beyond the salacious headlines, the film shares a tale of growth, healing, and the quiet resilience that can emerge even in the darkest of moments, offering an intimate, vulnerable look into Corman’s journey to rebuild her marriage and family as she defies society’s expectations to embrace the uncertainty of recovery.
“I truly meant for this piece to be something that heals and helps and provides some kind of service,” said Maddie Corman. “It comes from a place of deep pain and unimaginable loneliness, and a burning desire to shine a light on the secrets that keep us sick, to tell the stories that are scary to tell, and to remind one another of the grace that can sneak in when one’s heart is cracked open.” ”
It is a must-watch movie for both the betrayed partner and the person suffering from problematic/ compulsive sexual behavior.
Top Ten Recommended Reads As You Start Your Healing Journey:
1. Facing The Shadow: Starting Sexual and Relationship Recovery by Patrick Carnes
“For all addicts, a moment comes when they realize they have a problem. There is sudden clarity—the insight that life has become unmanageable. That moment, however, is fragile. It is easily lost to craving and denial. People struggling with sex addiction find the old refrains creeping back into their thinking: My situation is different. . . . This will all blow over. . . . People are over-reacting to my behavior. Or, This is hopeless. I’m just too perverted to change.
“If any of those thoughts occur to you, you are exactly where you should be,” notes Dr. Patrick Carnes in the introduction to Facing the Shadow. Starting with those gentle words, he guides readers through a series of reflections and exercises that pierce denial and light the path to healing from sex addiction.
Facing the Shadow, used by thousands of therapists with their clients, is based on the thirty-task model of recovery from addiction that forms the basis of Carnes’s work. This newly revised and expanded edition takes readers through the first seven of those tasks, including specific performables that are built in to the exercises. The model also supports Twelve Step recovery programs.”
2. Recovery Zone by Patrick Carnes
“Recovery Zone, Volume One picks up where Facing the Shadow leaves off, guiding readers to begin working tasks eight through thirteen of Dr. Patrick Carnes’ innovative thirty-task model. This book helps readers understand that true recovery is achieved by learning to cope with difficult situations and emotions. Stopping addictive behavior is the only way to start recovery. However, stopping the behavior is not enough to stay in recovery. True recovery is achieved by learning to cope with difficult situations and emotions.
Dr. Patrick Carnes helps readers know how to deal with difficult affective states and guides them to a place of resilience so they can decide what is important in their lives. Readers will learn how to live optimally in their Recovery Zone. The work sets the stage for recovery tasks 8-13, providing readers with a practical approach to recognize the underlying emotional causes that perpetuate the addiction cycle.”
3. Facing Heartbreak by Stefanie Carnes
“When you discover that the person you loved and trusted most in the world is hiding a secret life as a sex addict, the result can be devastating. Facing that heartbreak is what this book is all about. The healing process will take time regardless of whether you decide to stay in the relationship or leave.
Facing Heartbreak weaves real life stories with practical therapeutic advice and specific tasks that gently educate, empower, and guide the partner of the sex addict through a process of recovery. Using Dr. Patrick Carnes’ thirty-task sex recovery model, readers will learn to heal from the heartbreak and betrayal as they discover hope and healing.”
4. Courageous Love: A Couples Guide to Conquering Betrayal by Stefanie Carnes
“There is nothing that can rupture the loving connection between a couple like betrayal. Courageous Love provides a step-by-step guide for repairing your relationship, whether it is damaged by infidelity, pornography, or compulsive and addictive sexual behavior. Dr. Carnes teaches couples how to respond to one another with compassion and empathy and how to hold onto hope for their relationship.”
5. No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz
“Is there just one “you”? We’ve been taught to believe we have a single identity, and to feel fear or shame when we can’t control the inner voices that don’t match the ideal of who we think we should be. Yet Dr. Richard Schwartz’s research now challenges this “mono-mind” theory. “All of us are born with many sub-minds―or parts,” says Dr. Schwartz. “These parts are not imaginary or symbolic. They are individuals who exist as an internal family within us―and the key to health and happiness is to honor, understand, and love every part.””
6a. Help Her Heal: An Empathy Workbook for Sex Addicts to Help their Partners Heal by Carol Juergenen Sheets and Allan J. Katz
“Carol Juergenen Sheets and Allan J. Katz have created a workbook/roadmap for rebuilding relationships damaged by sexual addiction and other forms of infidelity. With a focus on empathy – understanding what the betrayed partner is feeling; the exercises in this guidebook will help sex addicts rebuild lost trust and intimacy. This is a recipe for healing a broken relationship.”
6b. The Betrayal Bind: How to Heal When the Person You Love the Most Hurts You the Worst by by Michelle Mays LPC CSAT-S
What happens when your partner, your primary person, in an instant, becomes a source of danger and pain? The Betrayal Bind introduces new language, concepts, and imagery to explore the crucial relational dilemma that betrayed partners face when their significant other is unsafe to connect to, yet connection is the key to healing. Discovering a partner’s sexual betrayal spins your world out of control. In a split second, your sense of safety is shattered, your trust is gone, and everything you thought you could count on is in question. Betrayed partners, whether dealing with an isolated infidelity or a pattern of sexual compulsivity, need immediate support to navigate the new terrain of their relationship. They need a clear articulation of betrayal trauma, a thorough education about their normal attachment-based reactions, and a proven path to healing. By focusing on how a partner’s attachment system functions in the wake of sexual betrayal, The Betrayal Bind offers a new, game-changing exploration into an age-old problem and connects the dots from research to the lived experience of betrayed partners.
7. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
“Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience – If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. In Atlas of the Heart, we explore eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human and walk through a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection. This is for the mapmakers and travelers in all of us.”
8. What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry
his book is going to change the way you see your life. Have you ever wondered “Why did I do that?” or “Why can’t I just control my behavior?” Others may judge our reactions and think, “What’s wrong with that person?” When questioning our emotions, it’s easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It’s time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
9. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
“Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent more than three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments – from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga – that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal – and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.”
10. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
“In The Four Agreements, bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.”
Full Disclosure
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Surviving Disclosure: A Partner’s Guide for Healing the Betrayal of Intimate Trust by Jennifer P Schneider M.D., M. Deborah Corley Ph.D. – Surviving Disclosure, helps partners better understand the trauma resulting from the addict’s behaviors and offers a step-by-step guide for how to begin the healing process, prepare for the impact of living with an addict (even an addict in recovery), and deal with shame, anger and fear. The book describes what to tell the children and others, how to promote self-care and well-being no matter what the addict does, and how to set boundaries as part of rebuilding trust.
- Disclosing Secrets: An Addict’s Guide for When, to Whom, and How Much to Reveal – by M Deborah Corley Ph.D. , Jennifer P Schneider M.D. – Based on the latest research of the impact of disclosure, this updated and rewritten edition of Disclosing Secrets presents the best approach for addressing one of the most difficult challenges any sex addict must face – sharing information about his or her sex addiction.
- Full Disclosure: Seeking Truth After Sexual Betrayal: Volume 1: How Disclosure Can Help You Heal by Dan Drake, Janice Caudill – THIS BOOK IS FOR PARTNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL BETRAYAL. Have you discovered your partner’s sexual secrets? Are you looking for a way to seek the extent of the betrayal you’ve experienced in a safe way? If you’re looking for a guide to help you walk through the Full Disclosure process, we’ve designed this workbook series to help you. In this volume, you will learn what a Full Disclosure is and determine if it’s right for you. Volume 2 will help you prepare for the Full Disclosure. Volume 3 will help you heal post-disclosure. Through examples, questions, and through the shared experiences of others, we’ve created a supportive way for you to navigate a complex, difficult process. Designed to be used with your partner’s companion workbook, “Full Disclosure: How to Share the Truth After Sexual Betrayal,” this resource can help you heal after sexual betrayal.
- Full Disclosure: Seeking Truth After Sexual Betrayal – Volume Two for Partners: Preparing for Disclosure on Your Terms by Dan Drake, Janice Caudill – Have you discovered sexual betrayal? Are you unable to heal your heart and relationship from betrayal trauma without knowing the full truth? Have you determined that you need a professionally-guided disclosure but are unsure how to prepare so your needs are addressed? If any of those questions apply, this workbook series is for you. Volume Two for Partners assists you in preparing for a disclosure on your own terms, by defining your needs and how to get them fulfilled, your boundaries and how to stand firm in them, and your personal healing by how you prepare yourself. This step-by-step guide not only helps you survive the painful experience of coming into full truth, but also supports you to grow stronger along the way. Used in companion with your spouse’s version, Full Disclosure: How to Share Truth After Sexual Betrayal, these parallel workbooks guide each of you through a therapeutic disclosure with a common understanding, common language, and a common goal of restoring the foundation of truth in your relationship.
- Full Disclosure: Seeking Truth After Sexual Betrayal: Volume Three for Partners – Post Disclosure Healing by Dan Drake, Janice Caudill – Have your secret sexual behaviors recently been discovered? Are you stuck in knowing what to share, how much to share, and how to not traumatize your partner with too many gory details about your past? Has your therapist asked you to do a “Formal Disclosure” but you have no idea how to do that? Do you want to begin a life of honesty, integrity, and transparency? IF ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS APPLY, THIS WORKBOOK IS FOR YOU. This guide walks you through a comprehensive approach to providing a full disclosure of your sexual past to your partner. We help you break down the entire process, offering you a step-by-step approach to sharing your past and restoring a foundation of truth in your relationship. Through examples, questions, and through the shared experiences of others, we’ve created a way for you to navigate a complex, difficult process. Designed to be used with your partner’s companion workbook, “Full Disclosure: Seeking Truth After Sexual Betrayal,” this resource can help you build a new life and relationship that’s based on honesty and integrity.Note: This workbook includes a comprehensive guide to preparing for your Full Disclosure, broken up into three volumes. This includes a guide to help you understand what a disclosure is and if it’s right for you, preparing a disclosure document and preparing for the disclosure session, as well as preparation post-disclosure. If you only need structured support around preparing your disclosure document, please see our resource, “Your Disclosure Document: A 10-Step Guide for Preparing Your Disclosure Document.”
Reading For Betrayed Partners
- Your Sexually Addicted Spouse: How Partners Can Cope and Heal by Barbara Steffens and Marsha Means
- Facing Heartbreak by Stefanie Carnes, PhD, Mari A. Lee, LMFT and Anthony D.Rodriguez, LCSW
- Mending a Shattered Heart by Stefanie Carnes, Ph.D.
- The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Relationships by Patrick Carnes
- Moving Beyond Betrayal by Vicki Tidwell
- Intimate Treason by Claudia Black
- Ready to Heal: Breaking Free of Addictive Relationships by Kelly McDaniel
- “An Affair of the Mind” by Laurie Hall
- Ambushed by Betrayal by Allan J Katz and Michele Saffier CSAT
- Unstuck: Move from Powerless to Empowered in Your Relationships by Charlene Benson
- Leave a Cheater, Gain a Life: The Chump Lady’s Survival Guide by Tracy Schorn
- A Partner’s Guide to Truth and Healing: A Healing Journey for Betrayed Partners by John Sternfels, LPC, NCC,CCPS,CSAT,CMAT, C-SASI
- I love you but I don’t trust you by Mira Kirshenbaum
- Prodependence: Moving Beyond Dependency by Robert Weiss
- The Intimacy Factor: The Ground Rules for Overcoming the Obstacles to Truth, Respect, and Lasting Love by Pia Mellody
- Facing Codependence by Pia Mellody
- Codependents’ Guide to the Twelve Steps by Melody Beattie
- The New Codependency: Help and Guidance for Today’s Generation by Melody Beattie
- Reflections of Hope by S-Anon
- The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships by Harriet Lerner
- The Betrayed Husband’s Survival Guide by Gary Owens
- For Love and Money by Debra Kaplan
- How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera
- The State Of Affairs-Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel
- Post-Romantic Stress Disorder: What to Do When the Honeymoon Is Over by John Bradshaw
- Should I Stay or Should I Go? – A Guide to Knowing If Your Relationship Can- And Should- Be Saved by Lundy Bangcroft and Jac Patrissi
- “Daily Wisdom for ‘Why Does He Do That?’” by Lundy Bancroft
- Intimate Deception: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Betrayal by Dr. Sheri Coffer
- Is My Husband Gay, Straight, or Bi?: A Guide for Women Concerned about Their Men by Joe Kort
- Tell Me No Lies by Ellen Bayer, Ph.D.
- Unleashing Your Power: Moving Through the Trauma of Partner Betrayal by Carol Juergensen Sheets and Christine Turo-Shields
- Sexual Reflections: A Workbook for Designing and Celebrating your Sexual Health Plan by Alexandra Katehakis, Ph.D.
- The Monogamy Myth: A Personal Handbook for Recovering from Affairs by Peggy Vaughan
- The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook: Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience and Awaken Your Potential by Arielle Schwartz
- Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler
- Battle of the Titans: Mastering the Forces of Sex, Money, and Power in Relationships by Debra L. Kaplan
- I am Her Tribe by Danielle Doby
- Altogether You: Experiencing Personal and Spiritual Transformation with Internal Family Systems Therapy by Jenna Riemersma
- The Betrayal Bind: How to Heal When the Person you Love the Most Hurts You the Worst by Michelle Mays LPC CSAT-S
- Disarming the Narcissist (Third Edition): Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed by Wendy T. Behary LCSW
- Pillow Talk: The Intimate Marriage from A to Z by Karen Scalf Linamen
- The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook: Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience and Awaken Your Potential by Arielle Schwartz
- Transformations: A Woman’s Journey of Self-Discovery by Carol Juergensen Sheets , Christine Turo-Shields , Chris Bordey
Books Regarding Boundaries
- Boundaries Where You End And I Begin: How To Recognize And Set Healthy Boundaries by Anne Katherine M.A.
- Boundaries in Marriage by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
- Boundaries in Marriage Workbook by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- The Set Boundaries Workbook: Practical Exercises for Understanding Your Needs and Setting Healthy Limits by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- Whole-Body Sex: Somatic Sex Therapy and the Lost Language of the Erotic Body by Melissa Walker
- The Sexual Alarm System: Women’s Unwanted Response to Sexual Intimacy and How to Overcome by Judith Leavitt
- Is My Husband Gay, Straight, or Bi?: A Guide for Women Concerned about Their Men by Joe Kort PhD LMSW AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor of Sex Therapy and Alexander P. Morgan
- Behind The Smile: Healing From Abuse, Trauma, and Betrayal by John Sternfels LPC with Melissa Robert
- The Seeking Integrity Betrayed Partners Workbook: A Guide for Healing and Recovery by Seeking Integrity and Angela Spearman (Introduction) – The Seeking Integrity Betrayed Partners Workbook was created for use in conjunction with our Part 1, 2, and 3 online workgroups for Betrayed Partners (found at: seekingintegrity.com/workgroups-and-lecture-series/). Each week of the online workgroups has a corresponding week in this workbook, with exercises designed to help you apply the information and conversation that occurs in online classes to your own life, recovery, and process of healing. That is this book’s best and highest use. It is our hope that this book will not be utilized as a standalone resource. Again, it is intended to be used in conjunction with Seeking Integrity’s Part 1, 2 and 3 online workgroups for Betrayed Partners. That said, your therapist or a knowledgeable 12-step sponsor in a group like Prodependence Anonymous might choose to lead you through this material. That is perfectly acceptable. The one thing we don’t recommend is simply purchasing this book and trying to get well on your own, without external input. In our experience, betrayed partners have little hope of healing until they reach out for assistance and support from knowledgeable others.
- My Husband’s Affair Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me by Anne Bercht
- A Man’s Guide to Partner Betrayal: Overcoming the Pain and Repercussions of a Cheating Partner by Adam B. Nisenson (Author), Carol Juergensen Sheets (Foreword)
Reading For The Unfaithful Or Sex Addicted Partner
- Facing the Shadow: Starting Sexual and Relationship Recovery by Patrick Carnes – Facing the Shadow, used by thousands of therapists with their clients, is based on the thirty-task model of recovery from addiction that forms the basis of Carnes’s work. This newly revised and expanded edition takes readers through the first seven of those tasks, including specific performables that are built in to the exercises. The model also supports Twelve Step recovery programs.
- Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction by Patrick Carnes – Sex is at the core of our identities. And when it becomes a compulsion, it can unravel our lives. Out of the Shadows is the premier work on this disorder, written by a pioneer in its treatment. Revised and updated to include the latest research–and to address the exploding phenomenon of cybersex addiction–this third edition identifies the danger signs, explains the dynamics, and describes the consequences of sexual addiction and dependency. With practical wisdom and spiritual clarity, it points the way out of the shadows of sexual compulsion and back into the light and fullness of life.
- Recovery Zone Volume 1 by Patrick Carnes – Recovery Zone, Volume One picks up where Facing the Shadow leaves off, guiding readers to begin working tasks eight through thirteen of Dr. Patrick Carnes’ innovative thirty-task model. This book helps readers understand that true recovery is achieved by learning to cope with difficult situations and emotions.
- Recovery Zone Volume 2 by Patrick Carnes – World renowned addiction expert, Dr. Patrick Carnes, releases his second volume of The Recovery Zone series, an innovative and practical guide focused on tasks and resiliency skills to restore happiness, harmony, and lifestyle balance for those recovering from all types of addictions. Recovery Zone Volume 2 provides real answers about how to stay in the zone when traumatic events, toxic stress, and easy access to escape surrounds you. The goal must be an “Ultimate to do List” so you do not miss out on the life you want and feel a genuine call to do.
- Out of the Doghouse by Rob Weiss
- Sex Addiction 101: A Basic Guide to Healing from Sex, Porn, and Love Addiction by Robert Weiss PhD LCSW
- Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain by William M. Struthers
- Stop Sex Addiction: Real Hope, True Freedom for Sex Addicts and Partners by Milton S Magness
- Help Her Heal: An Empathy Workbook for Sex Addicts to Help their Partners Heal by Carol Juergensen Sheets and Allan J. Katz
- Help.Them.Heal Teaching You Both How to Heal Your Relationship by Carol Juergensen Sheets
- Sex Addiction; Wisdom From the Masters by Carol Juergensen Sheets
- How to Help Your Spouse Heal From Your Affair by Linda MacDonald
- Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Laura Davis
- Sexual Anorexia: Overcoming Sexual Self-Hatred by Patrick J Carnes Ph.D
- “I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression” by Terry Real
- “A Light in the Dark: The Hidden Legacy of Adult Children of Sex Addicts” by Kenneth M. Adams, Ph.D, Mary E. Meyer, Ph.D., LMFT, Culle L. Vande Garde, LCSW, Stefanie Carnes, Ph.D
- A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps: The Classic Guide for All People in the Process of Recovery by Patrick J Carnes Ph.D
- Hope And Recovery The Workbook by Anonymous
- Always Turned On: Sex Addiction in the Digital Age by Robert Weiss and Jennifer P. Schneider
- The Porn Trap: The Essential Guide to Overcoming Problems Caused by Pornography by Wendy Maltz , Larry Maltz
- Stop Sex Addiction: Real Hope, True Freedom for Sex Addicts and Partners by Milton S Magness
- In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior by Patrick J Carnes Ph.D
- How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera
- Post-Romantic Stress Disorder: What to Do When the Honeymoon Is Over by John Bradshaw
- Gifts of Recovery – Daily Meditations for Men and Women in Recovery from Sex Addiction by Timothy D Stein LMFT, CSAT-S, CCPS
- Untangling the Web: Sex, Porn, and Fantasy Obsession in the Internet Age by Robert Weiss and Jennifer P. Schneider
- Intimacy Anorexia by Doug Weiss
- Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction by Dr. Eddie Capparucci
- Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution by Rachel Moran
- Wack: Addicted to Internet Porn by Noah B.E. Church
- Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction by Gary Wilson
- Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing by Jay Stringer
- Sex Addiction as Affect Dysregulation: A Neurobiologically Informed Holistic Treatment (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Alexandra Katehakis
- Facing Internet Technology and Gaming Addiction: A Gentle Path to Beginning Recovery from Internet and Video Game Addiction by Dr. Hillary Cash, Cosette Rae, MSW, and Dr. Patrick Carnes
- Awakening from the Sexually Addicted Mind: A Compassionate Guide to Recovery by Darrin Ford
- Passport to Shame: From Asian Immigrant to American Addict by Sam Louie
- Navigating the Phases of Sex Addiction Recovey: A Workbook for Adding Meaningful Value and Purpose to Sobriety by Allan J. Katz
- Sex Under the Influence: Understanding and Healing from Sexualized Drug Use by David Fawcett PhD
- Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction by Eddie Capparucci
- The Adonis Complex: How to Identify, Treat and Prevent Body Obsession in Men and Boys by Harrison Pope
- Embracing Shame Paperback by Bret Lyon
- Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw
- Learn Empathy: Help Your Betrayed Wife Heal by Marsha Means
- Healing Shame -How to Work with This Powerful, Mysterious Emotion—and Transform It into an Ally by Bret Lyon and Sheila Rubin
- Intimacy Anorexia by Douglas Weiss, Ph.D.
- The Seeking Integrity Healthy Intimacy and Sexuality Workbook: Exercises for Men in Recovery by Seeking Integrity (Author), Dr. David Fawcett (Introduction) – The Seeking Integrity Healthy Intimacy and Sexuality Workbook presents 25 updated and highly refined exercises designed to help recovering addicts walk through the process of relational and sexual healing. This workbook is intended for use in conjunction with Level 1 and Level 2 of Seeking Integrity’s six-week online workgroups for recovering addicts seeking Healthy Intimacy and Sexuality (found at: seekingintegrity.com/workgroups-and-lecture-series/). That is this book’s best and highest use. Your therapist or a knowledgeable 12-step sponsor might also choose to lead you through this material. The one thing we don’t recommend is simply purchasing this book and trying to get well on your own, without external input. In our experience, addicts have little hope of developing healthy intimacy and sexuality until they reach out for assistance from knowledgeable others.
Sex And Love Addiction
- Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love by Pia Mellody
- The White Book by Sexaholics Anonymous
- The Green Book by Sex Addicts Anonymous
- Sex and Love Addicts by Anonymous
- Addiction to Love: Overcoming Obsession and Dependency in Relationships by Susan Peabody
- Arousal: The Secret Logic of Sexual Fantasies by Dr. Michael J. Bader
- Recovery Workbook for Love Addicts and Love Avoidants by Susan Peabody
- Is it Love or Is It Addiction: The book that changed the way we think about romance and intimacy by Brenda Schaeffer D.Min M.A.L.P. C.A.S.
Women, Sex, And Addiction
- Women, Sex, and Addiction: A Search for Love and Power by Charlotte S. Kasl
- No Stones: Women Redeemed from Sexual Addiction by Marnie C. Ferree
- Naked in Public: A Memoir of Recovery from Sex Addiction and Other Temporary Insanities by Staci Sprout
- Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey through Sex and Porn Addiction by Erica Garza
- Dryland: One Woman’s Swim to Sobriety by Nancy Stearns Bercaw
LGBTQ+ Books
- Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men by Rob Weiss
- “Lust, Men and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery” by David Fawcett PhD, LCSW
- Becoming Gay: The Journey to Self-Acceptance by Richard Isay
- 10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives by Joe Kort
- Queer Blues: The Lesbian and Gay Guide to Overcoming Depression by Kimeron N. Hardin
- The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs
- Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things go Wrong by Lauren D. Costine
Enmeshment
- When He’s Married to Mom: How to help Mother-Enmeshed open their hearts to True Love and Commitment by Dr. Ken Adams
- Silently Seduced: When Parents Make their Children Partners – Understanding Covert Incest by Kenneth M. Adams
- The Invisible Presence: How a Man’s Relationship with His Mother Affects All His Relationships with Women by Michael Gurian
- Asian Shame and Addiction: Suffering in Silence by Sam Louie
- Spoken Not Broken: Healing through Poetry by Sam Louie
- I Do It for Her: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption from Sex, Love, and Substances by Kim Litton (Author), John Dubin (Illustrator)
- Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing by Jay Stringer
Reading For Couples
- Courageous Love: A Couples Guide to Conquering Betrayal by Stefanie Carnes – Leading marriage expert Dr. Stefanie Carnes explains her time-tested strategy to help couples conquer fear and restore their trust, intimacy and connection following a betrayal. There is nothing that can rupture the loving connection between a couple like betrayal. Courageous Love provides a step-by-step guide for repairing your relationship, whether it is damaged by infidelity, pornography, or compulsive and addictive sexual behavior. Dr. Carnes teaches couples how to respond to one another with compassion and empathy and how to hold onto hope for their relationship.
- Open Hearts – Renewing Relationships with Recovery, Romance & Reality by Patrick Carnes – Open Hearts is a book a couple reads together. It takes techniques that Carnes and the Laasers developed in their psychotherapy practices and weaves them into a series of individual and joint exercises. It looks at tough issues: shame, anger, money, betrayal, sex, parenting. It encourages fun: drawing up a family motto, expressing spirituality together, taking gentleness breaks.
- Should I Stay Or Go? : How Controlled Separation (CS) Can Save Your Marriage by Lee Raffel
- The Couple’s Guide to Intimacy: How Sexual Reintegration Therapy Can Help Your Relationship Heal by Dr. Bill Bercaw CSAT CST, Dr. Ginger Bercaw CSAT CST – “How can we have a healthy sex life after sex addiction?” We have answered this question by developing Sexual Reintegration Therapy(SRT). If you have a vision for a better relationship, SRT gives you the plan. Even if you cannot see clearly how your wounded relationship can be healed, SRT will offer you that hope. SRT consists of a progressive series of clearly defined experiences (that we have been using successfully with our clients for years) that will help you address core intimacy issues that need upgrading.
- Sex, God, & the Chaos of Betrayal: The Couples’ Road Map of Hope & Healing by
- Help.Them.Heal Teaching You Both How to Heal Your Relationship by Carol Juergensen Sheets – An empathy workbook and wonderful companion to Carol’s best-selling Help. Her. Heal. This workbook is for couples to help them heal their relationship following sexual betrayal.
- Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay by Mira Kirschenbaum
- Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity by Mark Chamberlain
- Conscious Uncoupling: 5 steps to living happily even after by Katherine Woodward Thomas
- From the Living Room to the Bedroom: The Modern Couples Guide to Sexual Abundance and Lasting Intimacy by Dr. Bill and Ginger Bercaw, PsyD, CST, CSAT. –The exercises we’ve chosen for this book focus squarely on improving your Living Room (emotional intimacy) and Bedroom (sexual intimacy) connection. The resulting positive feedback loop between the two rooms of your relationship is what we call CoupleFlow™, which is a stronger, brighter, more resilient and more passionate partnership that is more than capable of facing the many challenges posed by our crazy-busy, tech-bombarded, running in a million different directions culture.
- Erotic Intelligence: Igniting Hot, Healthy Sex While in Recovery from Sex Addiction by Dr. Alexandra Katehakis PhD MFT CSAT-S CST-S
- Attachment Theory in Practice: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Individuals, Couples, and Families by Susan M. Johnson
- Building True Intimacy: Creating a connection that stands the test of time by Dan Drake, Joanna Raabsmith, and Matthew Raabsmith
- Coupleship Inc: From Financial Conflict to Financial Intimacy by Debra Kaplan and Rick Kahler
- Battle of the Titans: Mastering the Forces of Sex, Money, and Power in Relationships by Debra Kaplan –
- For Love and Money: Exploring Sexual & Financial Betrayal in Relationships by Debra Kaplan
- Altogether Us: Integrating the IFS Model with Key Modalities, Communities, and Trends by Jenna Riemersma and Richard Schwartz
- Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After by Katherine Woodward Thomas MA MFT
- 40 Forms of Intimacy: Integrating Daily Connection Into Your Couple Relationship by Alex A. Avila
- Loving with the Brain in Mind: Neurobiology and Couple Therapy by Mona DeKoven Fishbane
- Recovering Couples Anonymous: A Twelve-Step Program for Couples by Patrick Carnes
- From Object to Icon: The Struggle for Spiritual Vision in a Pornographic World by Andrew Williams –
- Lessons of Lifelong Intimacy: Building a Stronger Marriage Without Losing Yourself―The 9 Principles of a Balanced and Happy Relationship by Michael Gurian
- Secure Love: Create a Relationship That Lasts a Lifetime by Julie Menanno
- The Hold Me Tight Workbook: A Couple’s Guide for a Lifetime of Love by Sue Johnson
- Therapeutic Separation: A Workbook for Couples Facing Addiction by Lindsey Stanley, Lpc, and Stevie Hall, PH D Lpc
- The Seeking Integrity Repairing Your Relationship Guide: 18 Proven Exercises for Relationship Healing by Seeking Integrity (Author), Robert Weiss PhD (Author) – The Seeking Integrity Repairing Your Relationship Guide presents 18 updated and highly refined exercises to help cheating men heal their damaged primary relationships. This workbook is intended for use in conjunction with Level 1 and Level 2 of Seeking Integrity’s six-week online Out of the Doghouse workgroups for male cheaters (found at https://seekingintegrity.com/workgroups-and-lecture-series/). That is this book’s best and highest use. Your therapist or a knowledgeable 12-step sponsor might also choose to lead you through this material, and that is perfectly OK. The one thing we don’t recommend is simply purchasing this book and trying to heal on your own, without external input. In our experience, cheaters have little hope of fixing their relationship until they reach out for assistance from knowledgeable others.
- The Seeking Integrity Porn Addiction Workbook: A Guide for Recovery and Healing by Seeking Integrity (Author), Robert Weiss PhD (Introduction) – The Seeking Integrity Porn Addiction Workbook presents 21 updated and highly refined exercises designed to help recovering porn addicts walk through the process of healing. This workbook is intended for use in conjunction with Level 1 and Level 2 of Seeking Integrity’s six-week online workgroups for porn addicts (found at: seekingintegrity.com/workgroups-and-lecture-series/). That is this book’s best and highest use. Your therapist or a knowledgeable 12-step sponsor might also choose to lead you through this material. The one thing we don’t recommend is simply purchasing this book and trying to get well on your own, without external input. In our experience, porn addicts have little hope of recovery until they reach out for assistance from knowledgeable others.
Our primary goal with this workbook and the corresponding online workgroups is to assist people who struggle with problem porn use. We want those who are suffering to have their concerns and compulsions addressed without shame and without moral, cultural, or religious bias. Most of all, we want to suggest that long-term change and recovery are possible for all who are committed to healing. - The Seeking Integrity Sex Addiction 101 Workbook: Exercises to Guide Sex Addiction Recovery by Seeking Integrity (Author), Dr. Robert Weiss (Foreword) – The Seeking Integrity Sex Addiction 101 Workbook presents 27 updated and highly refined exercises designed to help recovering sex addicts walk through the process of healing. This workbook is intended for use in conjunction with Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 of Seeking Integrity’s six-week online workgroups for sex addicts (found at: seekingintegrity.com/workgroups-and-lecture-series/). That is this book’s best and highest use. Your therapist or a knowledgeable 12-step sponsor might also choose to lead you through this material. The one thing we don’t recommend is simply purchasing this book and trying to get well on your own, without external input. In our experience, sex addicts have little hope of recovery until they reach out for assistance from knowledgeable others. Our primary goal with this workbook and the corresponding online workgroups is to assist people who struggle with problem porn use. We want those who are suffering to have their concerns and compulsions addressed without shame and without moral, cultural, or religious bias. Most of all, we want to suggest that long-term change and recovery are possible for all who are committed to healing.
- Finding the Way Through: A Workbook for Sex and Pornography Addiction by Timothy D Stein and Jeanne Vattuone – Finding the Way Through is a workbook for sex and pornography addiction focusing on sobriety, recovery, and partner betrayal sensitivity. Proven information and exercises guide those struggling with compulsive sexual behavior in creating a solid program for sustained sobriety and successful recovery. This first-of-its-kind workbook incorporates specialized essential information about the experience and healing process of betrayed partners to support betrayed partner sensitivity and relationship repair. This book is organized into 5 sections: Education & Application, Partner Sensitivity, Addict Stories, Recovery Traits, and Reflections & Information to Share. It can be used as a group curriculum or as an individual guide for recovery.
Books For Parents
- The New Age of Sex Education: How to Talk to Your Teen About Cybersex and Pornography in the Digital Age by Jennifer Weeks
- Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel MD
- The Rest of the Way: Healing Barriers Between Gays, Lesbians, and Their Parents by Enid Duchin Jackowitz
- Mom, Dad, I’m Gay: How Families Negotiate Coming Out by Ritch Savin-Williams
- Is It a Choice? Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gay and Lesbian People by Eric Marcus
- The Sex Education Answer Book: By the Age Responses to Tough Questions Kids Ask Parents About Sex by Cath Hakanson
- Break Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents by Eli R. Lebowitz
- Parents Guide to Teenager Anxiety and Depression by S.L. Clark
- Stop Walking on Eggshells for Parents: How to Help your Child (Of Any Age) With BPD by Randi Kreger
- Who’s Going to Help me?! Supporting Your Child in a Family Disclosure By Casey M. Allison, APSATS CPC-C
- No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Tina Payne Bryson PhD and Daniel j. Siegel MD
- Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. and Mary Hartzell M.Ed.
- Not What I Expected: Help and Hope for Parents of Atypical Children by Rita Eichenstein
- For Goodness Sex: Changing the Way We Talk to Teens About Sexuality, Values and Health by Al Vernacchio
- Too Hot To Handle: A Global History of Sex Education by Jonathan Zimmerman
- Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity by Peggy Orenstein
- Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein
- The Adonis Complex: How to Identify, Treat and Prevent Body Obsession in Men and Boys by Harrison Pope
- Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse by Richard B. Gartner
- Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture by Niobe Way
- THE WONDER OF GIRLS: Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Daughters by Michael Gurian
- THE MINDS OF GIRLS: A New Path for Raising Healthy, Resilient, And Successful Women by Michael Gurian
- THE MINDS OF BOYS: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life by Michael Gurian
- SAVING OUR SONS: A New Path for Raising Healthy and Resilient Boys by Michael Gurian
- Raising Boys by Design: What the Bible and Brain Science Reveal About What Your Son Needs to Thrive by Dr. Gregory L. Jantz , Michael Gurian , and Ann McMurray
- BOYS AND GIRLS LEARN DIFFERENTLY! A guide for teachers and parents by Michael Gurian,with Kathy Stevens, Patricia Henley, and Terry Trueman
- Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack
- Real Boys’ Voices: Boys Speak out about Drugs, Sex, Violence, Bullying, Sports, Girls, School, Parents, and So Much More by William Pollack
- Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Michael Thompson Phd, and Dan Kindlon Phd
Books for Children/Teens
- Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen A Jenson , Debbie Fox
- Good Pictures, Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids/Jr. Version: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds by Kristen A. Jensen, MA and Gail Poyner, PhD
- It’s So Amazing: A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families by Robie H. Harris
- It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris
- Daddy’s Secret Cedar Chest by Geoff Goodman, PhD
- The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens by Teen Thrive
- When Harley Has Anxiety by Regine Galanti, PhD.
- Everyone Feels Anxious Sometimes- A Kids Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dr. Daniela Owen
- A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Book Box Set ( Books 1-8: Anger, Anxiety, Peaceful, Happiness, Sadness, Confidence, Love, & Scribble Emotion) by Diane Alber
- Being You: The Body Image Book for Boys by Charlotte Markey, Daniel Hart, and Douglas Zacher
- The Girl’s Body Book: Everything Girls Need to Know for Growing Up by Kelli Dunham
- Sex Education for Teens – Answers You Seek, For the Questions You’re Too Shy to Ask: The Comprehensive Guide to Understand Sexuality, Puberty, Relationships and Digital Safety by Elena Bennett
Trauma
- It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are by Mark Wolynn
- Focusing by Eugene T. Gendlin
- You Don’t Have to Take it Anymore: Turn Your Resentful, Angry, or Emotionally Abusive Relationship into a Compassionate, Loving One by Steven Stosny
- Mother Hunger- How Adult Daughters can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance by Kelly McDaniel
- Trapped in the Mirror: Adult Children of Narcissists in their Struggle for Self by Elan Golomb
- The Object of my Affection is in my Reflection: Coping with Narcissists by Rokelle Lerner
- Ambushed by Betrayal by Allan J Katz and Michele Saffier CSATS
- “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility by Ramani S. Durvasula Ph.D
- “I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression” by Terry Real
- Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up’s Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents by Nina W Brown EdD LPC
- The Courage to Heal For Men and Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
- The Courage to Heal Workbook For Men and Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
- Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van dec Kolk
- No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard C. Schwartz
- Silently-Seduced: When Parents Make their Children Partners by Dr. Ken Adams
- Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
- A Light in the Dark: The Hidden Legacy of Adult Children of Sex Addicts by Ken Adams
- The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Wendy Maltz
- The Conscious Sexual Self Workbook by Melissa Jebian Fritchle
- The Porn Solution: Relationship Repair After Pornography Betrayal by Dr. Sandra Shachar
- Mastering the Trauma Wound: A Mindful Approach to Healing Trauma and Creating Healthier Relationships by Candice Christiansen M.Ed.
- Embracing Shame: How to Stop Resisting Shame and Turn It into a Powerful Ally by Bret Lyon PhD SEP AND Sheila Rubin MA LMFT RDT/BCT
- Using Boundaries to Find Peace for Every Part of You by Casey M. Allison, APSATS CPC-C
- Hey! What About Me? by Allan J. Katz, LPC/CSAT
- Addictive Entrepreneurship by Allan J. Katz, LPC/CSAT
- Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski PhD
- The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb PhD.
- IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging
- Healing Trauma: Attachment, Mind, Body and Brain (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Daniel J. Siegel MD
- The Developing Mind, Third Edition: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
- Flying Boy Series 1-3 by John Lee
- Under Saturn’s Shadow: The Wounding and Healing of Men by James Hollis
- Finding Our Fathers : How a Man’s Life Is Shaped by His Relationship with His Father by Samuel Osherson
- Man Enough: Fathers, Sons, and the Search for Masculinity by Frank Pittman
- The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Onno van der Hart Ph.D., Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis Ph.D., Kathy Steele
- Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
- The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O’Connor
- Undaunted Hope: Stories of Healing from Trauma, Depression, and Addictions by Claudia Black
- Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse by Richard B. Gartner
- Exploring Masculinity: Identity, Inequality, Continuity, and Change, by C.H. Pascoe and Tristen Bridges
- In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development by Carol Gilligan
- Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection by Niobe Way
- We All Have Parts: An Illustrated Guide to Healing Trauma with Internal Family System by Colleen West (Author), Steven Gong (Illustrator)
- Parts Work: An Illustrated Guide to Your Inner Life by Tom Holmes PhD (Author), Lauri Holmes MSW (Author), Sharon Eckstein MFA (Illustrator)
- Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child by John Bradshaw
- Reparenting Your Wounded Inner Child: Explore Childhood and Generational Trauma to Break Destructive Patterns, Build Emotional Strength, and Achieve … 7 Empowering Steps (Heal, Grow, & Thrive) by Leigh W. Hart
- The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, … (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) Paperback by Matthew McKay PhD (Author), Jeffrey C. Wood PsyD (Author), Jeffrey Brantley MD (Author)
- I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression by Terrence Real
- Reasons to Stay Alive Kindle Edition by Matt Haig
- Recovery of Your Inner Child: The Highly Acclaimed Method for Liberaring Your Inner Self by Lucia Capacchione
Al-Anon
- As We Understood by Al-Anon – Spirituality, Al-Anon style. Members share their understanding of the spiritual ideas and tools of the Al-Anon program.
- One Day At a Time by AI-Anon – Inspirational readings relate Al‑Anon philosophy to everyday situations, helping to make each day better than the one before.
- Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses by Al-Anon – From Contents – Grief as a Process; Living with the Family Disease of Alcoholism; Loss of the Dream; Grieving for Our Childhood; Loss in Relationships; Death of a Loved One; Dealing with Our Feelings; Taking Care of Ourselves Spiritual Growth from Grieving.
- How AI-Anon Works for Families & Friends of Alcoholics by AI-Anon – Al-Anon’s basic book discusses the mutual-help program of recovery, including personal stories. A beginning approach to the Twelve Concepts of Service is included.
- The 12 Steps: A Way Out by Friends in Recovery – Twelve-step program workbook including individual exercises and suggestions for group activities.
- A Good First Step: A First Step Workbook for Twelve Step Programs by Richard A. Hamel M.S. – Using a structured format, this helpful booklet allows us to take this important “make or break” recovery step.
Addiction
- The Big Book by Alcoholics Anonymous – Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the “Big Book,” presents the A.A. program for recovery from alcoholism. First published in 1939, its purpose was to show other alcoholics how the first 100 people of A.A. got sober.
- A.A. for the Older Alcoholic-Never Too Late by Alcoholics Anonymous – Eight alcoholics share their stories of finding recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous after the age of 60. Far from feeling that their lives are over, these men and women express that, having come to A.A., it is time to start living.
- As Bill Sees It by Alcoholics Anonymous – A source of comfort and inspiration, this collection of Bill W.’s writings addresses themes such as acceptance, gratitude and spirituality. Excerpted from the Big Book, the “Twelve and Twelve,” Grapevine and other A.A. literature.
- Living Sober by Alcoholics Anonymous – This practical booklet demonstrates through simple examples how A.A. members throughout the world live and stay away from that “first drink” one day at a time. Covers topics such as attending events where alcohol is served, relationships in sobriety and much more.
- Never Enough The NeuroScience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel
- Understanding Addiction: Know Science, No Stigma by Dr. Charles Smith and Dr. Jason Hunt
- In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by MD Gabor Mate
- Sober On a Drunk Planet: Giving up Alcohol by Sean Alexander
- Overcoming Addictions: The Spiritual Solution by Deepak Chopra MD
- Act on Life Not on Anger: The New Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Guide to Problem Anger by Dr.’s George H. Eifert, Matthew McKay, and John Forsyth
Love
- 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman
- Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson
- Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love by Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller, J. Keith Miller
- Addiction to Love: Overcoming Obsession and Dependency in Relationships by Susan Peabody
- Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brene Brown
- Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant, or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find- and keep- love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
- The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy by John Gottman PhD and Julie Schwartz Gottman PhD
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John Gottman PhD and Nan Silver
- What Makes Love Last?: How to Build Trust and Avoid Betrayal by John Gottman PhD and Nan Silver
- The Man’s Guide to Women: Scientifically Proven Secrets from the Love Lab About What Women Really Want by John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman PhD, Douglas Abrams, Rachel Carlton Abrams M.D., and Lara Love Hardin
- The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships by John Gottman and Joan DeClaire
- Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman PhD, Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams M.D.
- Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence by Alexandra Katehakis and Tom Bliss
- What Turns You On?: A Guide to Living Your Best Sex Life by Alexandra Katehakis
- Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski PhD
- Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections by Emily Nagoski PhD
- Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire by Lori A. Brotto PhD
- Love’s Journey: The Season’s and Stages of a Relationship by Michael Gurian
- The Birth of Pleasure: A New Map of Love by Carol Gilligan
- Why Men Struggle to Love: Overcoming Relational Blind Spots by Eddie Capparucci Ph.D.
Bereavement
- On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- On Life after Death by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss by Elizabeth Kubler Ross
- I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One by Brook Noel
- It’s Okay Not to Be Okay: Moving Forward One Day at a Time by Sheila Walsh
- Your Grief, Your Way by Shelby Forsythia
- The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Francis Weller
Personality Disorders
- Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Kit: The Road Back to Sanity by Dee Gardner
- You Don’t Have to Take it Anymore: Turn Your Resentful, Angry, or Emotionally Abusive Relationship into a Compassionate, Loving One by Steven Stosny
- Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger
- The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism, and Online Dating by Kiera Van Gelder
- When a Loved One Has Borderline Personality Disorder: A Compassionate Guide to Building a Healthy and Supportive Relationship by Daniel S. Lobel PhD.
- When your Mother has Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Adult Children by Daniel S. Lobel PhD
- Talking to a Loved One with Borderline Personality Disorder: Communication Skills to Manage Intense Emotions, Set Boundaries, and Reduce Conflict by Jerold J. Kreisman MD.
- Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists: Coping with the One-Way Relationship in Work, Love, and Family by Eleanor Payson
- The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing: The Experience and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Judith L. Rapoport
- Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder by Gabor Maté
Spirituality/Self-Growth
- The Pocket by Pema Chodron and Eden Steinberg
- Ready to Heal: Breaking Free of Addictive Relationships by Kelly McDaniel
- The Anger Management Workbook for Women: A 5-Step Guide to Managing Your Emotions and Breaking the Cycle of Anger by Julie Catalano
- Anger Management Workbook for Men: Take Control of Your Anger and Master Your Emotions by Aaron Karmin
- Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love by Amir Levine
- Attachment Theory Workbook by Annie Chen
- Unstuck: Move from Powerless to Empowered in Your Relationships by Charlene Benson
- How We Love, Expanded Edition: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage by Milan Yerkovich and Kay Yerkovich
- How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Nicole LePera
- Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach
- Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
- Mating In Captivity by Esther Perel
- Loving Kindness by Sharon Salzberg
- A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfeld
- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
- Peace in Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Twelve Steps to Compassion by Karen Armstrong
- A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman
- A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson
- The Seeker’s Guide by Elizabeth Lesser
- Dance of Anger by Elizabeth Lesser
- *A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
- *The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
- The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A Singer
- The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
- The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Huff
- The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck
- Beyond Fear by Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Spirituality of Imperfection by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham
- Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
- The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by McKay, Wood, Brantley
- The Disease to Please by Harriet B. Braiker, Ph. D
- The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Deborah Ford
- The Art of Extreme Self-Care by Cheryl Richardson
- The Illustrated Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
- You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type by Daniel G. Amen
- Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freakouts, and Triggers by Dr. Faith G. Harper
- Don’t Believe Everything you Think: Why Your Thinking is the Beginning & End of Suffering by Joseph Nguyen
- You’re Not Alone: The Only Books you’ll Ever Need to Overcome Anxiety and Depression by Zachary David Westerbeck
- Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado
- Practices for Overcoming Anxiety by Boussaidane S., M.D.
- Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen
- Stop Overthinking: Evidence-Based Tips and Techniques to Conquer Negative Thoughts, Manage Anxiety, and Quickly Calm the Mind by Linda Hill
- Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety by Sally M. Winston and Martin N. Seif
- How to Deal with How you Feel: Managing the Emotions That Make Life Unmanageable by James Merritt
- The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response by Ellen Vora –
- The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb PhD
- How Hard it Really Is: A Short, Honest Book about Depression by J.S. Park
- Offerings: Buddhist Wisdom for Every Day (Offers for Humanity) by Danielle Follmi and Olivier Follmi
- The Language of Letting Go : Daily Meditations for Codependents by Melody Beattie
- No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Existential Kink: Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power (A method for getting what you want by getting off on what you don’t) by Carolyn Elliott
- Altogether You: Experiencing personal and spiritual transformation with Internal Family Systems therapy by Jenna Riemersma
- Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D.
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Replay by Ken Grimwood
- The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
- Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom by Rick Hanson Ph.D. and Richard Mendius MD
- Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are by Jack Kornfield
- How People Change: Relationships and Neuroplasticity in Psychotherapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. and Marion F. Solomon Ph.D.
- Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
- Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness Using IFS, A Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy, 3rd Edition by Jay Earley
- Self-Therapy Workbook: An Exercise Book For The IFS Process by Bonnie J. Weiss LCSW
- Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
- The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer
- Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton
- Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
- The Wonder of Aging: A New Approach to Embracing Life After Fifty by Michael Gurian
- The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
- The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond by Louann Brizendine MD
- The Male Brain: A Breakthrough Understanding of How Men and Boys Think by Louann Brizendine
- Good Sex: Getting Off without Checking Out by Jessica Graham
- Building a Non-Anxious Life by Dr. John Delony
