Looking for trusted therapy resources for women? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re just starting therapy or looking to deepen your healing work, this curated list includes books and tools that support emotional growth, trauma recovery, and self-understanding. Topics include self-esteem, people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, relationships, and the impact of past experiences.

As a licensed therapist specializing in EMDR therapy and women’s mental health, I created this list to complement the work I do with clients in Michigan, Missouri, Colorado, South Carolina, and Texas—and to support anyone seeking meaningful mental health resources.

While this collection centers the needs of women, a few resources for men are also included—particularly those that speak to emotional development, identity, and relationships.

Scroll through to find trauma-informed therapy tools, self-help books, and personal growth guides to support your journey.

Books:

🧠 EMDR & Trauma Healing

These resources help explain trauma, memory, and how EMDR can support deeper healing — especially when talk therapy hasn’t been enough.

  • Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro
    Written by the creator of EMDR, this practical guide explains how trauma gets stored in the brain and how EMDR helps unlock stuck memories and emotional pain.

  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
    A foundational book on how trauma lives in the body and brain. It explores the long-term effects of trauma and the importance of body-based healing approaches.

  • What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
    This compassionate and accessible book focuses on how early experiences shape brain development, behavior, and resilience. A helpful entry point for trauma education.

  • No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
    An introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic model that complements EMDR. Learn how different "parts" of the self form in response to pain and how healing involves integrating them with compassion.

  • My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
    This powerful book explores how racialized trauma lives in the body and is passed through generations. Includes body-centered practices to support healing from personal and collective trauma.

  • Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
    For anyone who grew up with emotionally unavailable or self-absorbed caregivers. This book helps you understand your relational patterns and begin to set healthy boundaries in adulthood.

  • It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn
    A powerful exploration of inherited trauma and how emotional pain can be passed through generations. Wolynn blends neuroscience, epigenetics, and psychotherapy to help readers identify and heal patterns that aren’t theirs—but still shape their lives.

🎯 People-Pleasing, Boundaries & Perfectionism

Many of my clients are high-functioning, high-achieving women who feel stuck in cycles of overfunctioning, self-doubt, and burnout. These books support that work.

  • Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
    A clear, practical guide to understanding what boundaries are, why they matter, and how to set them without guilt. Grounded in real-life examples and actionable strategies.

  • The Perfectionism Workbook by Taylor Newendorp
    A hands-on workbook filled with exercises and reflections to help you challenge rigid standards, reduce self-criticism, and create more flexibility in how you define success.

  • The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
    A blend of poetic insight and practical guidance on self-sabotage, emotional resilience, and the internal work of transformation. Ideal for clients navigating change and inner conflict.

  • How to Do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
    Written by “The Holistic Psychologist,” this book explores how early patterns shape adult behavior and offers tools for self-healing that integrate body, mind, and emotional awareness.

  • Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
    A research-based guide to developing self-compassion instead of self-criticism. Especially useful for those who struggle with perfectionism and harsh inner dialogue.

💼 Work Stress, Burnout & Emotional Labor

If you’re feeling depleted by work demands, caregiving, or the invisible labor that falls on your shoulders — these are for you.

  • Burnout by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski
    A powerful guide for women navigating chronic stress and exhaustion. Learn how burnout affects your body and how to complete the stress cycle so you can feel human again.

  • Emotional Labor by Rose Hackman
    A compelling exploration of the emotional work women are expected to perform at home, in relationships, and at work—especially women of color. Helps you name, understand, and redistribute this hidden burden.

  • Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
    Part manifesto, part system. This book offers a framework for creating more balanced partnerships by clearly identifying, assigning, and respecting all the tasks that keep life running.

  • All the Rage by Darcy Lockman
    An eye-opening look at why modern couples still struggle with equality at home—especially after becoming parents. Validates the anger and exhaustion so many women feel.

  • Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
    A data-driven look at how systems and institutions are often designed without women in mind. This book connects the dots between emotional labor, inequity, and structural bias.

  • Fed Up by Gemma Hartley
    One of the first books to bring emotional labor into public conversation. Offers relatable stories and language to describe the exhaustion so many women feel but have trouble naming.

  • The Joy of Burnout by Dr. Dina Glouberman
    This book reframes burnout as a message from your inner self, not a personal failure. It offers guidance for using burnout as a turning point toward a more aligned and sustainable way of living and working.

  • Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
    A powerful call to reject hustle culture and reclaim rest as a human right. Especially meaningful for Black women and others pushed to keep performing in systems rooted in oppression. Rest isn’t indulgent—it’s liberation.

  • Black Fatigue by Mary-Frances Winters
    Explores how systemic racism causes chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and physical strain for Black people, especially Black women. Offers research, reflection, and language to name the toll—and push for change.

  • Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price
    A compassionate challenge to the myth that our worth is tied to productivity. This book dismantles internalized guilt and offers a new lens on motivation, burnout, and how we define value—especially for those who constantly feel like they should be doing more.

💞 Relationships & Attachment

These books explore connection, intimacy, conflict, and how early attachment shapes adult relationships. Whether you're looking to deepen a partnership, heal old patterns, or better understand emotional dynamics, these are foundational reads.

  • Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
    An accessible introduction to attachment theory and how it plays out in dating and relationships. Helps you identify your style and make more secure choices in love.

  • Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson
    A cornerstone of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), this book shows how couples can reconnect through vulnerability and emotional safety.

  • The State of Affairs by Esther Perel
    A nonjudgmental exploration of infidelity and modern love. Offers insight into betrayal, desire, and how couples can rebuild or redefine trust.

  • Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
    A provocative look at how long-term relationships struggle with intimacy and eroticism. Explores the tension between closeness and desire.

  • Eight Dates by John & Julie Gottman
    Based on decades of research, this book guides couples through structured conversations that deepen emotional connection and mutual understanding.

  • The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
    A practical, evidence-based guide to building strong relationships, resolving conflict, and maintaining emotional intimacy.

  • Polysecure by Jessica Fern
    Blends attachment theory with non-monogamous relationship structures. Offers tools for creating security and emotional connection in any relational format.

  • Us by Terrence Real
    Helps couples shift from power struggles to true partnership. Especially relevant for those navigating gender roles, emotional labor, and disconnection.

  • The Other Significant Other by Rhaina Cohen
    An important exploration of deep, committed friendships and non-romantic partnerships. Challenges cultural assumptions about intimacy and highlights the emotional significance of platonic connection.

  • Single, On Purpose by John Kim
    A refreshing take on singlehood as a time of empowerment, self-discovery, and intention. Encourages readers to build a fulfilling life without waiting for a relationship to complete them.

🧩 Focus, ADHD & Executive Functioning

These books support adults navigating attention challenges, executive dysfunction, time blindness, and emotional regulation—especially women who are late-diagnosed or managing high-functioning ADHD. Whether you're exploring a diagnosis or looking for practical tools, these reads are validating, insightful, and actionable.

  • Delivered from Distraction by Edward Hallowell & John Ratey
    A compassionate and informative guide to living well with ADHD. Covers diagnosis, treatment options, and strategies for success at home, work, and in relationships.

  • Your Brain’s Not Broken by Tamara Rosier
    A relatable, empowering guide to understanding ADHD through the lens of motivation and emotional regulation. Especially affirming for women and late-diagnosed adults.

  • ADHD 2.0 by Edward Hallowell & John Ratey
    A science-based yet hopeful look at how ADHD affects the brain—and how to work with it instead of against it. Offers updated tools for focus, resilience, and success.

  • Women with Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden
    One of the first books to center the unique experience of women with ADHD. Focuses on shame, masking, emotional regulation, and reclaiming identity.

  • ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau
    A practical, realistic guide to creating organizing systems that work for ADHD brains. Grounded, flexible, and especially helpful for executive functioning struggles.

  • Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
    Explores why so many people are struggling with attention—not just because of individual wiring but due to cultural, environmental, and technological forces. A thought-provoking companion to ADHD work.

🌱 Identity-Focused Mental Health

For Black Mental Health

  • Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
    A powerful collection of essays and speeches exploring race, gender, sexuality, and emotional resilience. Timeless, poetic, and fierce.

  • The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Dr. Rheeda Walker
    An essential mental health resource for Black Americans that combines clinical insight with cultural validation and strategies for resilience.

  • You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke & Brené Brown
    An anthology centering Black voices on vulnerability, shame, and healing. Deeply moving and affirming for readers navigating trauma in a racialized world.

  • Decolonizing Therapy by Dr. Jennifer Mullan
    Explores how colonialism, systemic oppression, and intergenerational trauma impact mental health—and how liberation must be part of healing.

🌿 For Latinx Mental Health

  • Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by Mariel Buqué

    This practical guide explores how trauma is passed down through generations and offers tools to help you interrupt harmful family patterns. Grounded in both psychology and body-based healing, it’s a powerful resource for personal reflection and lasting change.

  • Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria E. Anzaldúa

    A mix of poetry, memoir, and theory, this classic explores what it means to live between cultures, languages, and identities. It’s a rich, layered book that speaks to emotional fragmentation, cultural pressure, and inner conflict.

  • Chicana and Chicano Mental Health: Alma, Mente y Corazón by Yvette G. Flores

    A comprehensive look at mental health in Latinx communities, this book connects psychological well-being with cultural values, family, migration, and social systems. It’s ideal for those who want a deeper understanding of how culture and healing intersect.

  • My Broken Language: A Memoir by Quiara Alegría Hudes

    A beautifully written memoir about growing up in a Puerto Rican family, navigating spirituality, silence, and generational pain. Hudes weaves personal story with cultural insight in a way that feels both intimate and universal.

  • For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

    This bold, empowering book helps readers name and challenge the emotional toll of perfectionism, code-switching, and invisibility in white-dominated spaces. A must-read for those looking to reclaim their power while staying rooted in their values

🌈 For LGBTQ+ Mental Health

These books explore identity, resilience, mental health, and the impact of living in a world that often misunderstands or marginalizes queer and trans experiences. These resources are affirming, nuanced, and powerful—especially for those navigating intersectional identities.

  • The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs
    Explores the impact of shame, perfectionism, and emotional suppression in the lives of gay men. Validating and deeply human, especially for those raised in environments where queerness was hidden or judged.

  • Trans Bodies, Trans Selves edited by Laura Erickson-Schroth
    A comprehensive resource by and for transgender and nonbinary people. Covers identity, health, relationships, and mental well-being from an affirming and community-centered lens.

  • Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
    A short but powerful book that challenges rigid gender roles and affirms fluidity, particularly for queer and trans readers navigating identity in a binary world.

  • All About Love by bell hooks
    While not LGBTQ-specific, this book is deeply affirming for queer women and femmes exploring love, community, and healing. Hooks writes from a Black feminist and queer-inclusive lens.

  • Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
    Explores the intersections of queerness, race, disability, and collective care. A powerful read for queer women of color and anyone building a healing practice outside of white, ableist norms.

  • Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
    A short but powerful book that challenges rigid gender roles and affirms fluidity, particularly for queer and trans readers navigating identity in a binary world.

🌷 For Women’s Mental Health

  • The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
    A classic that empowers women to recognize, express, and transform anger in relationships and within themselves.

  • Untamed by Glennon Doyle
    A bold, honest book about shedding social expectations and living more authentically. Encourages emotional honesty and inner freedom.

  • Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
    Combines mindfulness and self-compassion to help women soften perfectionism and self-judgment.

  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
    A powerful invitation to reject body shame and embrace radical self-love as a healing and political act.

  • The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal
    Blends neuroscience and psychology to help women understand and strengthen willpower, motivation, and habits—without shame.

⚖️ For Men’s Mental Health

  • I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Terrence Real
    A groundbreaking look at hidden depression in men and how it affects relationships and emotional well-being.

  • The New Rules of Marriage by Terrence Real
    A no-nonsense, compassionate guide to creating healthier partnerships by addressing emotional labor, communication, and gender roles.

  • The Mask of Masculinity by Lewis Howes
    Explores the emotional armor men are taught to wear and how it prevents authentic connection and healing.

  • Man Enough by Justin Baldoni
    Challenges outdated definitions of masculinity and offers a more vulnerable, connected model of being a man.

  • Iron John by Robert Bly
    A poetic, myth-based look at men’s emotional development and the journey toward mature masculinity.

🧾 Worksheets, Prompts & Tools

These PDF downloads can help you reflect, regulate, and stay connected to your therapy goals.

🌀 EMDR Resources & Reflection Tools

  • What Is EMDR?
    A quick-reference overview of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Learn what it is, how it works, and what to expect in therapy.

  • Body Sensations
    This guide helps you identify and track physical sensations that come up during sessions. It supports deeper awareness and connection to your body's responses.

  • Feelings Wheel
    A visual tool to help you name and expand your emotional vocabulary. Especially helpful when emotions feel unclear or overwhelming.

  • Beliefs Worksheet
    Use this worksheet to explore negative beliefs that may be keeping you stuck and begin reinforcing positive beliefs that can help you move forward.

  • TICES
    This worksheet guides you through identifying thoughts, images, emotions, and physical sensations connected to a specific experience. It helps build insight and increase somatic awareness in EMDR work.

🎧 Podcasts & Articles

Podcasts:

Featured Blog Posts:

🌐 National Directories for Inclusive Therapy

For Women

For Men

For LGBTQ+ Individuals

📍 Crisis Resources by State

Michigan

Colorado

Missouri

  • Compass Health Warm Line: 1-844-853-8937

  • 988 Lifeline: Dial 988 | 988lifeline.org

South Carolina

  • SC Mobile Crisis: 1-833-364-2274 | scdmh.net

  • MHA Warm Line: 1-844-642-6818 (5pm–10pm daily)

Texas

  • TX HHS Mental Health Line: 1-833-986-1919 | hhs.texas.gov

  • NAMI Texas: Dial 988

🚨 24/7 National Crisis Lines

While I don’t offer emergency services, these resources are always available:

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

  • The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth): 1-866-488-7386 or Text START to 678-678

  • Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (Spanish available: press 2)

  • Call BlackLine®: 1-800-604-5841

I provide online therapy for adult women in Michigan, Missouri, Colorado, South Carolina, and Texas. If you’re looking for EMDR therapy, support with perfectionism, or a space to explore self-worth and identity, I invite you to get in touch or learn more about my approach to therapy.

Note: EMDR Therapy for Women is not responsible for the content, claims or representations of the listed sites.

"You don’t have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm."

— UNKNOWN

This could be the beginning of something different. Reach out today.