I love books. They’ve always been a big part of how I think and learn about counselling, wellbeing and current practice and science. So, I thought it might be nice to share some books I’m currently reading every few months or so here on my Notebook. I’m also going to start writing reviews of some of my favourite books which I am happy to recommend as valuable resources. The book review series will begin here during April.
On my Spring reading list are four books all, coincidently, by female authors.
Fawning by Dr Ingrid Clayton
This is actually a re-read as I gobbled up this book last autumn after reading an article by Dr Ingrid Clayton in my British Psychological Society magazine. Now, I want to go back and re-read it more thoroughly. Ingrid, a psychologist, shares her own experiences of the trauma response, fawning, together with case stories about her clients. It’s been a life changing book for me and I’ve drawn on it many times to support my work with clients. I’ll be sharing a book review and more posts about fawning, its symptoms and impact in the coming months.
The Power of Anxiety by Dr Sian Williams
I was a fan of Dr Sian Williams as a TV presenter before she retrained a psychologist and have enjoyed listening to her ‘Life Changing’ series of Radio 4. Anxiety is prevalent for many of clients and I’m looking forward to finding out more about Sian’s views on embracing, rather than resisting, how anxiety impacts us. It looks like a very practical book. I’m interested to explore her exercises and see how her viewpoint about anxiety sits alongside my own.
Bittersweet by Susan Cain
I’ve been wanting to read ‘Bittersweet’ for some time. In it, Susan Cain seeks to promote the benefits of a bittersweet view of life. The dust cover describes bittersweetness as ‘a tendency towards states of longing, poignancy and sorrow; an acute awareness of passing time; and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world’. I can’t wait to dive in!
I plan to kick off my monthly book review series by reviewing ‘Quiet’, Susan’s famous book about introversion.
Prioritise This by Lily Silverton
This is hot off the press as it was only released yesterday. I attended one of Lily Silverton‘s yoga classes back in 2017 and have followed her work ever since. In this book, she shares details of ‘The Priorities Method’, her signature approach to help her clients prioritise what’s important to them and support their wellbeing in a busy modern world.
Spring is a great time of year to be inspired by the work of others as the days get longer and we have more light to play with. I hope my list gives you some inspiration for your own Spring reading. If you have any recommendations you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you.
