Dana S. Thordarson, Ph.D., R.Psych.
November 2004
Recommended Self-Help Books
A good self-help book can be very helpful. A good self-help book is like a self-treatment
manual, teaching you skills that have been shown in research to be effective for your
particular problem. It is not helpful if you just read it. Reading the book is not sufficient,
because just understanding a problem better is not enough to resolve it. When people DO
the exercises suggested, following the program is if it were a course of therapy, some
studies have shown that a self-help manual can be about as effective as a course of good
quality therapy.
Almost all of these books are based on cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), because (a) I am
most familiar with CBT, (b) CBT is quite structured and skill-based so it lends itself well to
the self-help genre, and (c) CBT has been shown in scientific research to be effective for
common presenting problems such as depression and anxiety.
General – Depression, Anxiety, Negative Thinking
The Depression Workbook
by Mary Ellen Copeland
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
by David D. Burns, Aaron T. Beck
The Feeling Good Handbook
by David D. Burns
Living Without Depression and Manic Depression
by Mary Ellen Copeland
Managing Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide
by Gillian Butler, Tony Hope
Mind Over Mood: A Cognitive Therapy Treatment for Clients
by Dennis Greenberger, Christine A. Padesky
Thoughts and Feelings
By Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning, Martha Davis
Stress
The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook
by Martha Davis, Matthew McKay, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman
Anxiety Disorders - General
The Sky is Falling: Understanding and Coping with Phobias, Panic, and
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
by Raeann Dumont, Aaron T. Beck
The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
by Edmund J. Bourne
Coping with Anxiety: 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Anxiety, Fear & Worry
by Edmund J. Bourne, Lorna Garano
Dana S. Thordarson, Ph.D., R.Psych.
November 2004
Living with Fear
by Isaac M. Marks
Panic & Agoraphobia
Don't Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks
by R. Reid Wilson
Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic (Map-3): Client Workbook
by David H. Barlow, Michelle G. Craske
Fight or Flight: Overcoming Panic and Agoraphobia (videotape)
by Ronald Rapee
Power over Panic
by Bronwyn Fox
Social Anxiety
The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven Techniques for Overcoming
Your Fears
by Martin M. Anthony, Richard P. Swinson
Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness
by Gillian Butler
Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety and Phobia
by Barbara G. Markway, C. Alec Pollard, Cheryl N. Carmin
I Think They Think: Overcoming Social Phobia (videotape)
by Ronald Rapee
OCD
Stop Obsessing!
by Edna Foa
Getting Control: Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions
by Lee Baer
Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, Beverly Beyette
When Once is Not Enough: Help for Obsessive-Compulsives
by Gail Steketee, Kerrin White
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
I Can't Get Over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors
by Aphrodite Matsakis
Life After Trauma: A Workbook for Healing
by Dena Rosenbloom and Mary Beth Williams
Dana S. Thordarson, Ph.D., R.Psych.
November 2004
Worry & Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Overcoming Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Client Manual: A Relaxation,
Cognitive Restructuring, and Exposure-Based Protocol for the Treatment of
GAD
by John R. White
Fear of Flying
Flying Without Fear
By Duane Brown
www.fearofflyinghelp.com (a free course on the Web)
Assertiveness
The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas & Stand Up for
Yourself at Work & in Relationships
by Randy J. Paterson
Your Perfect Right: Assertiveness and Equality in Your Life and Relationships
by Robert E. Alberti, Michael L. Emmons
Anger
Taking Charge of Anger
By W. Robert Nay
The Anger Control Workbook
by Mathew McKay, Peter Rogers, Matthew McKay
Overcoming Anger and Irritability
by William Davies
Relationships
Love is Never Enough: How Couples Can Overcome Misunderstandings, Resolve
Conflicts, and Solve Relationship Problems Through Cognitive Therapy
by Aaron T. Beck
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
by John M. Gottman, Nan Silver
The Relationship Cure: A Five-Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage,
Family, and Friendships
by John M. Gottman, Joan de Claire
Reconcilable Differences
by Andrew Christensen and Neil Jacobson
Other
Would, Coulda, Shoulda: Overcoming Regrets, Mistakes, and Missed
Opportunities
by Arthur Freeman, Rose Dewolf, Aaron T. Beck
Dana S. Thordarson, Ph.D., R.Psych.
November 2004
Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing,
Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem
by Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
by Martin E. P. Seligman
How to Go to Therapy: Making the Most of Professional Help
by Carl Sherman
Managing Pain Before it Manages You
by Margaret Caudill
Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions
By James W. Pennebaker
Overcoming Binge Eating
by Christopher Fairburn
Taking Control of Your Headaches: How to Get the Treatment You Need
By Paul Duckro, William Richardson, and Janet Marshall
The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young
by Gary Small
Getting to Sleep
By Ellen Mohr Catalano