I have always found friendship in books. As an English literature major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my nose was always stuck in a book, assigned reading and otherwise. Nowadays, with two small children, a dog, a cat, and a practice to run, my reading looks different. However, one thing remains the same. There is so much good in picking up a book (or putting in headphones for an Audible) and just using your brain for something besides parenting or work. Now I am definitely guilty of often reading books that would be good for clients or for work or for parenting. But every now and then I make myself read or listen to something that is purely of benefit for me. I preach self-care every day and those books truly are my self-care. I recently have been listening to the biography of Michael Jordan and anybody who dares to argue that he is not the GOAT will probably not be seen by me at my practice (only kind of kidding). 

Perhaps the greatest treasures of my home library are the books that I share with clients. I am often recommending The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. I found this book to be particularly helpful in my journey to overcome perfectionism and I often recommend this book and her other wonderful resources to clients. I know that I am looking forward to making my husband watch her HBO special with me on her latest work Atlas of the Heart. Another treasure of my home library is Burnout by the Nagoski sisters. What a resource for women who feel angry or at a loss with what to do with how they feel. I learned so much about how patriarchy can affect a woman’s ability to express herself from that book – more than I ever learned about it in graduate studies. 

I am currently reading a couple of different books at the moment. One that makes me laugh is How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur, which is a comedic take on ethics by the creator of one of the best sitcoms lately, “The Good Place.” I face a lot of ethical questions on a daily basis as a clinician, as a small business owner, as a mom, and just as a person. This book is a good read in that I can put it down to enter a session or change a diaper (so many diapers these days!) and still feel excited to pick it back up whenever the opportunity again presents itself. It could be an hour later or a week later given the way my life is scheduled these days. 

It may be hard to take my own advice sometimes, but picking up a book is always a good idea. I will continue to share my book recommendations (and suggestions on things to steer clear from) on this blog from time to time as a resource. The majority of the improvements you will make in counseling come outside of the time you spend with your therapist. Spend some of that time with a good book and you will be headed in the right direction.