5 must read books for mental health
Ritika Lashkari
There are days when everything feels too much. When even small tasks feel heavy, your heart beats with worry instead of wonder, and silence is anything but peaceful. During those seasons, therapy helps — but so do books.
Not the kind filled with advice or unrealistic inspiration. But the kind that sit quietly beside you and say, “I get it. I’ve been there too.” These five books won’t fix your life. But they might help you feel a little less alone while you’re figuring it out.
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
When your body remembers what your brain tries to forget.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do I still feel this way, even though the hard part is over?” — this book is your answer.
Written by trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, it explains how trauma lives in your body — not just your memory. He explores neuroscience and real patient stories, showing how trauma can be healed through innovative approaches like yoga, EMDR, and body-based therapies .
It’s a powerful read. Think of it as a deep exhale for anyone carrying unspoken stories in their skin.
2.Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
If you’ve ever felt weird about needing help — or believed that asking for it makes you weak — this book will cradle that fear and make you laugh.
Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist, writes her real-life story of being both a therapist and a patient. Through deeply human, often humorous narratives, she lets us peek into the therapy room — not as observers, but as participants in the beautiful mess of healing.
There’s something raw and comforting about this book. It doesn’t romanticize recovery. It tells you, “Healing isn’t linear, but it’s worth it.” It’s a love letter to therapy, and to being wildly, beautifully human.
3. It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
This book is for anyone experiencing grief—whether it’s from a loss, identity shift, or crushed expectations.
Megan Devine doesn’t sugarcoat grief. She honours it. Her writing acknowledges that some losses are not meant to be “gotten over.” She creates space for sadness, anger, confusion — without trying to fix them. Whether you’re grieving a person, a relationship, a version of yourself, or the life you thought you’d have — this book lets you exist in your grief without judgment.
4. When You’re Ready This Is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest
This book is for anyone committed to personal growth—especially those tired of self-sabotage and longing for clarity.
Brianna Wiest writes like a close friend who knows the parts of you that you don’t talk about out loud. She understands the ache of being emotionally self-aware but still feeling stuck.
This book doesn’t shout advice. It whispers wisdom. Through chapters, she explains how self-sabotage, fear of love, and emotional trauma sneak into our daily lives — and how we can begin to unlearn them. If you’re in a space where you know you want to grow, but can’t find the next step — this book becomes that quiet guide. It doesn’t promise transformation overnight. It promises presence — and sometimes, that’s enough.
5. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
This book saved lives. And it still does.
Matt Haig writes about his battle with depression and anxiety with such raw vulnerability, it feels like someone finally put your invisible feelings into words. He doesn’t try to paint over the darkness — he walks you through it, hand in hand. There are short chapters. Honest thoughts. Lists. Reminders. And most importantly — hope.
If you’re in a place where you’re wondering if you’ll ever feel better, if this is how it’s always going to be — let this book sit beside you. Let it remind you: You are not broken. You are becoming
Why these books matter
These books weren’t written to fix you. They were written to help you understand yourself. To make you feel seen. To tell you that your messiness is not a character flaw — it’s a signal that something inside you needs love, not shame.
And in a world that often asks us to perform healing, rather than live it — these books give you permission to slow down, feel it all, and still believe in the possibility of light.
A Gentle Note from Me to You:
There is no right way to heal. There’s only your way. And if reading is your way of breathing a little deeper, learning a little slower, or feeling a little less alone — let these books walk with you. Let their pages be your pause. Your permission slip. Your quiet revolution.
And if you ever feel lost in their words — remember, there is always therapy.
And here at bookmytherapy, we are holding space for you. Softly. Always.