Mental Health Support, Books & YouTube Videos

Many thanks to those who helped compile these lists and resources.

Leaving Christian Science: The Mental Health Episodes

Licensed social worker and former guest Cara returns to answer some questions about mental health posted in the ex-CS Facebook group.

Great Big Book List

Mental health book list for ex-CS by topic compiled by Cara

Understanding shame and moving toward self-compassion

Brené Brown, PhD, MSW I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough”
Brené Brown, PhD, MSW The Gifts of Imperfection: Your Guide to a Wholehearted Life
Kristin Neff, PhD Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
Kristin Neff, PhD & Christopher Germer, PhD The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive

Addressing CPTSD

Arielle Schwartz, PhD The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control & Becoming Whole
Pete Walker, MA, LMFT Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving

Emotional Intelligence/Maturity

Brené Brown, PhD, MSW Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Lindsay Gibson, PsyD Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-involved Parents

Workbooks/Self-Help

Arielle Schwartz (see above)
Patricia Resick, PhD et al Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to Guide Your Recovery
Nedra Tawwab Set Boundaries, Find Peace and The Set Boundaries Workbook
Sonya Renée Taylor The Body Is Not an Apology and Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook
Francine Shapiro, PhD Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy
Karyl McBride, PhD Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers
KC Davis, LPC How to Keep House While Drowning
Amir Levine, MD and Rachel Heller, MA Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find—And Keep—Love
Gary Bishop Unf*ck Yourself
Megan Boardman, LCSW The EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSD
Matthew McKay, PhD et al The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Leaving Religion

Marlene Winell, PhD Leaving the Fold
Daniel Dennett, PhD Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

Memoirs

Stephanie Foo What My Bones Know
Jennette McCurdy I’m Glad My Mom Died

About Therapy and Therapists

Jeffrey Kottler, PhD On Being a Therapist
Lori Gottlieb, LMFT Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Communication Skills

Marshall Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication
Sharon and Gordon Bower Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide for Positive Change

More book recommendations

Alice Miller, The Drama of the Gifted Child, and The Body Never Lies
MaryCatherine McDonald, Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong
Richard Schwartz, No Bad Parts, and Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts, an audio course you can borrow free from your library through Libby or buy from Macmillan
Gabor Maté, When the Body Says No
Lindsay C. Gibson, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Recovering From Emotionally Immature Parents, and Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: Honor Your Emotions, Nurture Your Self, and Live with Confidence
Debbie Mirza, The Covert Passive-Aggressive Narcissist

CAUTION - MAY BE TRIGGERING OR RE-TRAUMATIZING - Recommend reading under therapist care

Daniella Mestyanek Young, Uncultured. Being raised in the Children Of God cult, and examining cult behavior (Contains descriptions of childhood SA, abandonment, and medical neglect as well as other traumatic events)
Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps The Score. The history of PTSD as we understand it now; clinically written, largely for psychology students (Contains descriptions of literal war crimes, violent acts committed on children and innocents, as well as the understanding of generational trauma being passed down). As an alternative, I suggest Alice Miller’s “The body never lies” listed above
Jennette McCurdy, I’m Glad My Mom Died. A narrative story about the author’s life as a child star with an abusive mother in a highly controlled environment. (Contains vivid descriptions of covert child SA and eating disorders)

YouTube Videos

Therapy in a Nutshell - Descriptions of therapeutic modalities, and their applications, as well as general mental wellness

Dr. Tori Olds - Exercises in IFS therapy that can help you get started processing

Forrest Hanson - General Mental Wellness - Co-host of Being Well Podcast (also highly recommended, see bio for link)

GenericArtDad - ADHD/ASD skits- funny, but also insightful and helpful at explaining the Autistic/ADHD experience.

In Sight - Exposing Narcissism (archived) - UK podcast about Narcissism in general- done from the perspective of two trauma therapists reading submitted letters and breaking them down with compassion.

Teresa Lewis, Lewis Psychology - akin to Therapy in a Nutshell, but also focuses on EMDR