Reading is a Coping Skill

A common theme in my client sessions has emerged over the years. At the end of nearly every session, we discuss books. The discussion of books varies from literary fiction, memoirs, thrillers, to self help. (Although, my long-time clients will tell you that I typically caution them to take any “self help” with a grain of salt). I have a love for reading and have been part of a book club for 10 years so it’s a natural subject for me. However, I think the reason it’s such a common end of session discussion point is because reading is one of the best coping skills for decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A great book takes you fully out of your reality and allows your mind to take a break from the worry of your own life. Also, in the age of scrolling while doing basically everything, reading a physical book or kindle forces all of your attention and energy to be on the story. Listening to books and podcasts are great too, but they don’t fully captivate the listener the way reading does. With this in mind, I’ve created a list of books my clients (and my book club) have loved. It’s a short list, and it doesn’t contain any traditional self help books, these are books for escapism and to get you thinking.

Psychology Based Memoirs/Non Fiction 

• Group: How One Therapist and a Group of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate

• Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery by Catherine Gildener 

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb 

• Apologies to the Young Addict by James Brown 

Thrillers

• Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

• None of this is True by Lisa Jewell 

• Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney 

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Literary Fiction 

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed 

• The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki 

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 

• Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner 

Sci Fi / Dystopian 

• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 

• The One by John Marrs

• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

• The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Memoirs 

• The Many Lives of Mama Love by Laura Love Hardin

• Bossy pants by Tina Fey

• Yearbook by Seth Rogen 

• Don’t Wait up: Confessions of a Stay at Work Mom by Liz Astrof 

Romance

• Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino 

• It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

• 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand