Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith
Do you ever wish someone had explained how to manage your thoughts and emotions earlier in life?
In “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?” by Dr Julie Smith, the focus is on practical ways to understand and work with common emotional experiences such as anxiety, low mood, self-doubt and overwhelm.
The book brings together simple psychological tools that can help you make sense of what is happening in your mind and body, especially during times when things feel difficult or uncertain.
It highlights how patterns of thinking, emotional responses and behaviours are often learned, and that with awareness and practice, it is possible to respond in ways that feel more supportive and steady. Rather than aiming to remove difficult emotions, the approach is about building skills to navigate them with more confidence and understanding.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Many people come to therapy with a sense that their reactions feel bigger than the situation in front of them, or that they struggle to feel safe, calm or connected even when they want to. This can be confusing, particularly when there is an understanding of what has happened in the past, but the body still responds as if the threat is present.
In The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk explores how trauma is not only stored as memory, but is also held within the body and nervous system, shaping how we experience ourselves, others and the world around us.
Making Great Relationships by Rick Hanson
Do you ever notice that relationships can feel confusing or tense even when you care about the other person and genuinely want things to go well?
In “Making Great Relationships” by Rick Hanson, the idea is that relationships are not fixed or something we simply have, but something we are actively creating through the way we think, speak and respond to each other in everyday moments.
The book explores how many of our relational patterns are shaped by the nervous system and past experiences, which can sometimes lead to conflict, withdrawal or misunderstanding even when connection is what we actually want.
The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
Many people come to therapy feeling frustrated with themselves, often describing a sense that they know what they need to do but cannot seem to follow through, or that they keep finding themselves in the same patterns despite wanting something different. This is often described as self-sabotage, although that word can sometimes feel quite harsh or blaming.
In The Mountain Is You, Brianna Wiest offers a different way of understanding this, suggesting that these patterns are not simply about getting in your own way, but are often forms of protection that developed over time.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A Levine
Do you ever feel like your body reacts strongly to situations, even when part of you knows you are safe?
In “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” by Peter Levine, trauma is understood not just as something that happens to us, but as something that is held in the body and nervous system.
The book explains how our natural survival responses, such as fight, flight or freeze, can become stuck when an experience feels overwhelming, leaving us feeling anxious, shut down or on edge long after the situation has passed.
Rather than focusing only on talking about what happened, this approach highlights the importance of gently reconnecting with the body and allowing these responses to 'complete' in a safe and supported way.
Over time, this can help the nervous system move out of survival mode and into a state where more ease, regulation and connection feel possible.