Resources & Bibliotherapy

This is a list of resources and books I recommend, depending on your interests and needs. If you struggle with reading physical books, all of these are also available in audiobook format.

Support and Advocacy

Crisis/Suicide Lifeline (free and available 24 hours)

Text or call 988. https://988lifeline.org/get-help/

The Linehan Board of Certification for Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

https://dbt-lbc.org/

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

www.nami.org

National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD)

www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com

Books on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Aguirre, B. 2025. I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You’re Wrong About You. New Jersey. Wiley.

Fox, D. J. 2021. Complex Borderline Personality Disorder: How Coexisting Conditions Affect Your BPD and How You Can Gain Emotional Balance. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.

Manning, S. 2011. Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How to Keep Out of Control Emotions from Destroying Your Relationship. New York. The Guilford Press.

Books on Complex Trauma

Van Der Kolk, B. 2014. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York: Penguin Books.

Fisher, J. 2021. Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: A Workbook for Survivors and Therapists. Eau Claire: PESI Publishing & Media.

Herman, J. 1997. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. New York: Basic Books.

Levine, P. 2008. Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body. Boulder: Sounds True.

Books on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Koerner, K. 2012. Doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Practical Guide. New York. The Guilford Press.

Linehan, M. M. 2020. Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir. New York: Random House.

Linehan, M. M. 2015. DBT Skills Training Manual – Second Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

Linehan, M. M. 2015. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets – Second Edition. New York: Guilford Press.

Swenson, C. 2016. DBT Principals in Action: Acceptance, Change, and Dialectics. New York. The Guilford Press.

BPD Memoirs

Van Gelder, K. 2010. The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder Through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism and Online Dating. Oakland. New Harbinger.

Kaysen, S. 1993. Girl, Interrupted. New York. Random House.

Reiland, R. 2004. Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder. Center City, MN. Hazelden.

Books on Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Buddhism

Aguirre, B. and Galen, G. 2013. Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder: Relieve Your Suffering Using the Core Skill of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Oakland: New Harbinger.

Brach, T. 2003. Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha. New York: Random House.

Germer, C. and Neff, K. 2018. The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive. New York: The Guilford Press.

Hanson, R. 2009. Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger.

Kabat-Zinn, J. 2013. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Random House.

Kornfield, J. 2009. The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology. New York: Random House.

Pema Chödrön. 2018. Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion. Boulder: Shambhala.

Pema Chödrön. 2018. The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. Boulder: Shambhala.

Pema Chödrön. 2016. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. Boulder: Shambhala.

Pema Chödrön. 1991. The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving-Kindness. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

Thich Nhat Hanh. 2017. The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries.Berkeley: Parallax Press.

Thich Nhat Hanh. 2017. The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now. New York: HarperCollins.

Thich Nhat Hanh. 1999. The Miracle of Mindfulness. Boston: Beacon Press.

Thich Nhat Hanh. 1992. Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. New York: Bantam Books.

Books on Spirituality

Amara, H. 2020. The Warrior Heart Practice: A Simple Process to Transform Confusion into Clarity and Pain into Peace. New York: Macmillan.

Singer, M. 2009. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself. Oakland: New Harbinger.

Tolle, E. 2016. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. New York: Random House.

Zukov, G. 2014. The Seat of the Soul. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Books on Various Psychology Topics

Aguirre, B. and Hershfield, J. 2023. Unwanted Thoughts & Intense Emotions Workbook: CBT & DBT Skills to Break the Cycle of Intrusive Thoughts & Emotional Overwhelm. Oakland: New Harbinger.

Aron, E. 2016. The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. New York: Harmony Books.

Hallowell, E. and Ratey, J. 2022. ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction – from Childhood Through Adulthood. New York: Ballantine Books.

Harris, R. 2008. The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living. Boulder: Trumpeter.

Heller, R. and Levine, A. 2011. Attached: A New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love. New York: Penguin Group.

Kelley, A. and Marriott, S. 2024. Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World. New York: HarperCollins.

Martin, S. 2019. The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism: Evidence-Based Skills to Help You Let Go of Self-Criticism, Build Self-Esteem & Find Balance. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.

Price, D. 2022. Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity. New York: Harmony Books.

Rajaee, S. 2022. Relationship OCD: A CBT-Based Guide to Move Beyond Obsessive Doubt, Anxiety & Fear of Commitment in Romantic Relationships. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.

Siegel, D. 2011. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. New York: Bantam Books.

Multimedia

From Chaos to Freedom: DBT Crisis Survival Skills. 2008 Produced by Behavioral Tech, LLC featuring Dr. Marsha M. Linehan. http://behavioraltech.org/products