All the books you need to read as a beginner counselor
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You’ve graduated with your master’s degree and secured yourself a brand new counseling or therapy license. You packed away your textbooks and thought your days of educational reading were behind you…but that urge to keep learning keeps nagging at you. You miss being immersed in the latest research and learning new things that you can use to improve your clients’ lives.
The good news? Now that you’re out of school, you can read whatever you want. And it doesn’t have to be boring non-fiction either! In my opinion, you can learn just as much from fiction or memoirs.
Interested in understanding the lived experience of someone with an eating disorder? Try I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.
Want to work with survivors of sexual assault? Then give Know My Name by Chanel Miller a read.
Got a new client who is the caregiver of their spouse with mental illness? My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach will give you a glimpse into their unique struggles.
No matter what kind of counselor you’re becoming, here are 10 books I personally recommend for any novice counselors hoping to keep their love of learning alive.
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
As a newly minted mental health professional, you may think you understand all the emotions, but this beautiful (literally – the design is gorgeous) book will introduce you to new ways of conceptualizing human emotions.
New Happy by Stephanie Harrison
Creator behind the popular New Happy Co. Instagram account, New Happy (the book) is an eye-opening and practical guide to identifying the societal messages keeping us unhappy and flipping the switch on them.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This may have been assigned reading for you during graduate school, but if not, then add to cart immediately. Written by a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, this book inspires all to find meaning in even the bleakest of circumstances.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Even if you don’t specialize in working with trauma, you’re going to come across clients who have experienced traumatic events anyway. Best to be prepared! This book is the go-to for understanding the pernicious effects that trauma has on the body.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This is the only fiction book on the list, so you know it’s special. This is one of my top-recommended books for clients for its beautiful message on discovering what makes a life worth living. Spoiler alert: the life you’re living now is worth living, no matter what.
Why Therapy Works by Louis Cozolino
While one of the more research-y books on the list, I had to include it because it absolutely blew my mind. You’d think a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling would teach me “why therapy works,” but this book took it to a whole new level.
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett
Chances are, if your client is coming to see you, there’s something unsatisfactory about their lives. They might not even be able to identify what the cause is, but something isn’t right. This step-by-step guide helps readers create the life they want.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Being a counselor is hard. Our lives don’t suddenly become perfect once we’re helping others improve theirs. This memoir normalizes the struggles that mental health professionals themselves face, and inspires them to get the support they need.
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté
At almost 500 pages, this book more closely resembles a textbook than any others on the list, but if you can make it through the dense information, it will be so worth it in the end. While extremely research heavy, each chapter is more fascinating than the last and will open your eyes to many of the causes of our client’s struggles.
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Written by the same author as “The Midnight Library” (number 5 on this list), this memoir is a firsthand account of a man’s crippling depression and suicidality. I haven’t read any other book that so vividly paints the picture of what it’s like to live with depression.
