Books From Your Therapist

In this episode, we’re talking to Jess Barton, a research coordinator at the centre for youth bipolar disorder (CYBD). Jess conducts research amongst youth with or at high risk of developing bipolar disorder and it was really interesting to get insights from a different side of work within mental health. The books we chat about are Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD and Bravey by Alexi Pappas. In Why We Sleep, neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker provides an in-depth exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. And the second book, Bravey, is a memoir from Olympian Alexi Pappas who fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman - a bravey. Jess also highlights a book written by youth at CYBD, called Never Alone: A Youth's Guide to Bipolar Disorder. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

In this episode, we’re talking to Robert Hilt, MD. Bob is a Professor in the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a psychiatrist at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Bob talks to us about his journey from working as a pediatrician to leading The Partnership Access Line (PAL), a state-funded program providing mental health consultation for questions such as diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment or treatment planning. The books we discuss are Freeing Your Child from Anxiety by Tamar E. Chansky and The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. In Freeing Your Child from Anxiety the reader can learn effective tools for teaching children and teens to outsmart their worries and take charge of their fears. And in The Eyre Affair the reader is taken on a whirlwind adventure to an alternate 1985, where literary detective Thursday Next pursues a master criminal through the world of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel Jane Eyre. If you could wander through the world of a novel, which one would you pick? If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

This month, we’re talking to Adam James Cohen, a Marriage and Family Therapist about his upcoming book Second Adolescence: the Messessary path to queer adulthood, which based on his podcast Second Adolescence and also Two Boys Kissing by David LevithanAdam’s podcast Second Adolescence is all about the messy, exhilarating, awkward, healing-filled queer adulthood that comes after growing through first adolescence in an anti-queer world. Each episode features a queer person sharing about their experience growing up, discovering their identity, coming out, and living through their own Second Adolescence. Adam’s book, which is part memoir, provides a framework for what Second Adolescence is for queer people and how they move through it.And our second book, Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan is a young adult novel, inspired by true events, that follows two 17-year-old boys who set out to break a world record by kissing for 32 hours. This book weaves a number of multi-generational intertwining storylines together where characters are also discovering their own identity and coming out. If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email us at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

This month, we’re talking to Cara Gereau, a Marriage and Family Therapist about Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill. In Come Together, Emily takes on a fundamentally misunderstood subject: sex in long-term relationships. The book delves into the complexities of sexual connection, exploring both the scientific and emotional aspects of intimacy. And our second book, Dept. of Speculation, compliments Come Together well, as it offers a portrait of a marriage and ruminates on the mysteries of intimacy and trust. It’s a quick literary read but will definitely stay with you long after you’ve put it down.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email them at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

In this episode, Tara & Amanda talk to Ellen Turner, a Marriage and Family Therapist. They discuss modern life and balancing different demands for our time with Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman and how to start thinking philosophically with Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder.If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email them at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

In this inaugural episode, Amanda & Tara talk about their friendship, starting the podcast and jump right in with some big topics: they explore polyvagal theory from Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us by Seth Porges & Stephen W. Porges PhD and talk about grief with the second book Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Also, why is Korea so important to them?If you’d like to reach out with your own recommendations or are a mental health practitioner interested in coming on to share, you can email them at booksfromyourtherapist@gmail.com.

Longtime friends Amanda Throckmorton, LMFT and Tara Cremin, book industry professional, chat to a range of therapists about a mental health related book they recommend and a book that has had an influence on their lives, combining first hand industry knowledge of psychology and the book industry. Learn what your therapists are reading!Please note this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Music by David McMartin.