David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
The 7 Best Self-Help Books of 2021
PsychCentral.comJuly 18, 2021
These seven self-help books may help you get started on your journey to mental health recovery.
- Best for anxiety: Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of the Anxiety, Fear, and Worry
- Best for depression: The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation, & Distress Tolerance
- Best for trauma: What Happened to You? (Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing)
- Best for setting boundaries: Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
- Best for students or people with ADHD: The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success: How to Use Your Brain’s Executive Skills to Keep Up, Stay Calm, and Get Organized at Work and at Home
- Best for worrying: Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It
- Best for vulnerability and leadership: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
In a 2014 study, researchers found that self-help books can successfully improve mindfulness and acceptance skills and outcomes in your life, even without the face-to-face care of a mental health professional.
There are many reasons why you may not be able to access psychotherapy or pharmaceutical treatment for your mental health. These reasons include limited funds, limited transportation, and stigma against various treatments, whether talk therapy or medication.
