Books From Your Therapist

This month, we’re diving deep into shame, mother wounds, and the stories women are finally telling out loud.We sit down with author Melissa Petro to talk about her powerful debut, Shame on You. With fearless honesty, Petro unpacks the social systems that teach women we’re never enough. Blending investigative reporting, science, literature, and raw personal stories—including her own—she challenges the narrative of inadequacy and offers a bold, liberating way forward.We also explore Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel, a groundbreaking look at how unmet childhood needs shape our adult relationships. McDaniel names and destigmatizes the pain of being “under-mothered,” connecting the dots between early trauma and destructive patterns—and, more importantly, offering practical tools for healing, self-understanding, and healthier love.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we talk with Christine Droney, LCSW about grief, dealing with loss and life after death. The books we discuss are Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go by Gina Moffa and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.After nearly two decades of clinical experience and her own journey after losing her mother to cancer, Gina Moffa knows all too well how disorienting, painful, and lonely grief can be. In Moving on Doesn’t Mean Letting Go, she offers a heartfelt, practical map through loss—one that can shift the pain of your grief even when things feel unpredictable and overwhelming.At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. When Breath Becomes Air is a profoundly moving memoir chronicling both his life and death.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we talk with Oona Metz, LICSW about divorce, starting over and discovering yourself again. We discuss Oona's newly released book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women and Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage by Heather Sweeney.In Unhitched, nationally recognized divorce expert and therapist Oona Metz provides a compassionate yet practical roadmap through every stage of the divorce process. Filled with key takeaways, reassuring insights, and inclusive stories tailored for women in both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ relationships, Unhitched offers a reassuring guide to life before, during, and after divorce.Camouflage is about a woman’s journey from being overshadowed by her husband’s military career to rediscovering her identity as a single mother entering a new stage in life. After camouflaging her identity to conform to the expected role of the supportive military spouse, Heather Sweeney emerged from the shadows of her husband’s Navy career to rediscover herself.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we talk with Jenet Dove, LPC about overcoming imposter syndrome and building shame resilience. We discuss Jenet's book Turn the Volume Down on Imposter Syndrome Journal and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't) by Brené Brown. In the Turn Down the Volume on Imposter Syndrome Journal, Jenet unpacks seven key components on overcoming imposter syndrome & shares personal anecdotes and guidance alongside space for you to explore your own experiences. Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on shame, why we encounter it and how we can build up resilience to it. You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we talk with Zoë Hall, LMFT & LPCC about the intersection of spirituality and mental health. We focus on two books: The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller and Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé.The Awakened Brain is a groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience. In Of Water And The Spirit, is the story of a renowned healer and shaman’s life-changing journey of discovery, healing, and wisdom.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Tara and Amanda dive deep into the theme of love — all kinds of love — through the lens of two iconic books: All About Love by bell hooks and Just Kids by Patti Smith. From radical self-love and friendship to art, grief, and romantic longing, they reflect on how these works have shaped their understanding of what it means to love and be loved. It’s an honest, layered conversation about how we give and receive love — and the stories that stay with us.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re talking with Haley Graham, licensed clinical social worker. The books we chat about are I Don’t Want To Talk About it: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression by Terrence Real and Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.A bestseller for over 20 years, I Don’t Want to Talk About It is a groundbreaking and hopeful guide to understanding and destigmatizing male depression, essential not only for men who may be suffering but for the people who love them. Long Island Compromise is an exhilarating novel about one American family and the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, from the New York Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is In Trouble.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Work with Amanda (California residents)Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking to Jonah Bayer, LMHC. Jonah is a writer, podcaster, musician and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. We talked to him about his career change from working in music journalism to becoming a therapist, which he wrote about in this great article. The books we discuss are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Band People by Franz Nicolay. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, is a spiritual self-help book that emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment to achieve inner peace and enlightenment. The book suggests that much of human suffering stems from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, and that by focusing on the "now," one can transcend these negative emotions and connect with their true self.Band People offers a close look at the lives of working musicians who aren’t the center of their stage. Through interviews and incisive cultural critique, writer and musician Franz Nicolay provides a portrait of the musical middle class. Artists talk frankly about their careers and attitudes toward their craft, work environment, and group dynamics of being in a band. You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Follow Tara on SubstackWork with Amanda (California residents)Also check out How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking to licensed social worker, Nicholas Rissone. We talked to him about the books It's Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel and Decolonizing Therapy by Dr. Jennifer Mullan. In It’s Not Always Depression, Hilary Jacobs Hendel tells stories of patients who came to her seeking treatment for depression but in fact none of them were chemically depressed. Instead, she found that they’d all experienced traumas in their youth that caused them to put up emotional defenses that mvasqueraded as symptoms of depression. Jacobs Hendel writes about how she used the Change Triangle to help lead these patients toward more joyful and fulfilling lives.Decolonizing Therapy is an essential work that centers colonial and historical trauma in a framework for healing. This book illuminates that all therapy is—and always has been— inherently political. To better understand the mental health oppression and institutional violence that exists today, we must become familiar with the root of disembodiment from our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will readers see how colonial, historical, and intergenerational legacies have always played a role in the treatment of mental health.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Follow Tara on SubstackWork with Amanda (California residents): https://www.amandathrockmorton.com/Resources mentioned in this episode:Pat Radical TherapistDr. Raquel Martin5hahem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we sit down with psychologist, scholar and author Dr. Thomas Vance to discuss book: My Pocket Therapist Journal: Dating & Relationships. Dr. Vance brings his insights and culturally responsive approach to mental health to our conversation, sharing the inspiration behind his 7-week guided journal designed to help people heal from heartbreak, build self-awareness, and foster healthier, more authentic connections. We also discuss Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap, a book that blends financial literacy with activism. We chat about how emotional well-being and money are deeply connected, particularly for women and marginalised communities, and what it means to build financial independence as a radical, empowering act.Together, we unpack emotional patterns in dating, the importance of aftercare and how money can be both a source of stress and a tool for liberation. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Follow Tara on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, it's Amanda and Tara talking about the topic of burnout and ways to prevent it. We're discussing the book Burnout by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA. We dive into the stress response cycle, what this is and how essential it is to completing the cycle. The second book we talk about is My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. This book features a protagonist struggling with burnout who is trying to escape the world. It was fun discussing both books and finding the commonalities between them.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen!Follow Tara on Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we’re talking to Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, author of How to Have a Happy Birthday. We chatted about why it's important to honour your birthday and celebrate yourself. The second book we discuss is Elizabeth Gilbert's inspirational Big Magic. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we’re talking to Christina Taylor, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Christina helps teens and young adults in North Carolina overcome their self doubt, perfectionism, anxiety and negative experiences, allowing them to embrace and love who they truly are. We talk to Christina about the books What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we’re talking to sex educator and intimacy coach Justine Barre from The Witch's Therapist. We're discussing non-monogamy, polyamory, relationship anarchy and the book The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton. Widely known as the “Poly Bible”—The Ethical Slut has dispelled myths and showed curious readers how to maintain a successful polyamorous lifestyle through open communication, emotional honesty, and safer sex practices. Our second book is the tragically beautiful On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we’re talking to Dr. Adam Dorsay about his new book Super Psyched. Adam is a licensed psychologist and executive coach in Silicon Valley where he works with high-achieving adults (including professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes). Adam is the host SuperPsyched, an award-winning podcast and he has given two highly regarded TEDx Talks.Adam’s book Super Psyched is all about connection and explores how restoring or creating the deep bonds of connection to what truly matters in our lives, can lead to happiness. Packed with actionable advice, unforgettable stories, and unexpected insights, Super Psyched is the ultimate handbook for unleashing the power of connection to live the life you love.For our second book, we’re discussing Thanks a Thousand by A.J. Jacobs. In this book, New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs decided to thank every single person involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. The resulting journey takes him across the globe, transforms his life, and reveals secrets about how gratitude can make us all happier, more generous, and more connected.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.You can find us:Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapistPodcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're talking to licensed therapist and mental health writer Dr. Kathleen Smith about how to stop people pleasing and start being yourself. Kathleen's latest book True to You is a relatable self-help guide for people who want to learn to live less focused on others’ reactions and more confidently by their own principles. We chat about Bowen family systems theory and how learning more about your family can help you learn about yourself. Our second book is The Social Lives of Animals by Ashley Ward. In this book, biologist Ashley Ward takes us on a wild tour across the globe as he searches for a more accurate picture of how animals build societies. We chat about the social impulses of animals and how they be more connected to us than we think. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're talking to Emma Stern about how to set lasting boundaries with the people in our life but also with ourselves.The books we chat about are Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.Set Boundaries, Find Peace by licensed counselor and relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're discussing wild women and intuition in some recent reads that have stayed with us. The books we chat about are Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD. and I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.Women Who Run With the Wolves dives a "psychic archaeological digs" into the ruins of the female unconscious. Dr. Estés uses multicultural myths, her own lyric writing, folk tales, and stories that help women reconnect with the instinctual attributes of the Wild Woman archetype. Our second book, I Who Have Never Known Men is a haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic novel of female friendship and intimacy, and the lengths people will go to maintain their humanity in the face of devastation.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking to Jess Barton, a research coordinator at the centre for youth bipolar disorder (CYBD). Jess conducts research amongst youth with or at high risk of developing bipolar disorder and it was really interesting to get insights from a different side of work within mental health. The books we chat about are Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD and Bravey by Alexi Pappas. In Why We Sleep, neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker provides an in-depth exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. And the second book, Bravey, is a memoir from Olympian Alexi Pappas who fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman - a bravey. Jess also highlights a book written by youth at CYBD, called Never Alone: A Youth's Guide to Bipolar Disorder. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking about to Anna Goldfarb about her new book Modern Friendship. Anna is a prolific journalist and “Friendship Explainer” whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Time, Vice, The Cut, Vox, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Modern Friendship is a definitive step-by-step guide to understanding the fundamental mechanics of friendship. Anna shares insights into what is pushing our friendships to the brink and provides actionable advice for forming authentic, enduring connections today. And we’re staying on the topic of friendship with our second book, Big Friendship, by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. We chat about how this book inspired her Anna's work.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.