emmacameron.com

Art Therapy and Creative Wisdom

  • Home
  • About
  • Anxiety
  • Work With Me
    • Psychotherapy, Art Therapy & Counselling Colchester
    • Online Art Therapy
    • Creativity Coaching & Mentoring
    • Supervision
    • Therapy Client Data GDPR
  • For Therapists
  • Highly Sensitive (HSP)
  • Contact
You are here: Home / therapy / for therapists & counsellors / 6 Essential Self-Care Books for Therapists

6 Essential Self-Care Books for Therapists

3rd August 2016 by Emma Cameron 19 Comments

6 essential self-care books for therapists

6 Essential Self-Care Books for Therapists

I’m a big advocate of self-care for therapists. For our clients’ sake, for our own sake, for the sake of our families, even for the sake of our profession – we need to look after ourselves! You’ll get some great ideas for improving your own self-care with these 6 essential self-care books for therapists.

You’ve probably been a therapy client yourself, as part of your training. Did you feel your therapist was really looking after herself/ himself? I know for myself that when I sensed that my therapist was really taking care of herself (and these things show, even though we may like to kid ourselves that they don’t!) it helped me feel secure, and also offered me a really inspiring example.

Therapists had early training in neglecting our own needs

Many therapists come to this work with early training: we were unconsciously designated the problem-solver, the calming, soothing, containing, capable one in the family, often in response to a parent with a history of unprocessed trauma. And we were subtly encouraged to believe that our own needs did not matter, because we needed to give precedence to the “damaged” or “more needy” family member.

Which leaves us highly vulnerable to reverting to this pattern in our work. We love helping others, and we are very talented at it; but when it comes to looking after ourselves we can too easily fall into patterns of neglect.

6 essential self-care books for therapists and counsellors Click To Tweet

The following 6 essential self-care books for therapists are wonderful at reminding us why self-care matters so much for clinicians. They also provide lots of practical strategies that we can start using right away.

 

Book: Simple Self-Care for Therapists

1. Simple Self-Care for Therapists

Ashley Davis Bush (W.W. Norton, 2015)

This small book is packed with over 60 of what its author calls ‘Micro Self-Care’ practices. I love it! It’s a really easy read, designed to be dipped into and not necessarily read through from start to finish. To introduce each practice, Ashley Davis Bush tells an interesting (sometimes funny, sometimes moving) anecdote to illustrate how she might use it. Many of the practices can be used in a couple of minutes in between sessions, and some can even be done whilst you sit with your client.

Book: The Myth of the Untroubled Therapist

2. The Myth of the Untroubled Therapist

Marie Adams (Routledge, 2014)

The author, Marie Adams, taught a weekend workshop on ethics and research that formed part of my training on the MA in Integrative Arts Psychotherapy, and I found her engaging and inspiring. I went on to devour this book in just a few sittings, fascinated by the case studies based on forty therapists that she interviewed who opened up to her about the many ways that the challenges of their lives (divorce, bereavement, illness, etc) bumped up against their work as therapists. Adams concludes, ‘Vulnerability and pain are not the enemy. Providing they are owned and acknowledged, respected for the weight and texture they give to our lives, they will be the very tools through which we do our best work.’

Book: Help for the Helper. Rothschild

3. Help for the Helper

Babette Rothschild (W.W. Norton, 2006)

Subtitled ‘The Psychophysiology of Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma’, this classic text is designed to provide therapists with strategies for understanding, preventing and managing burnout and stress. I strongly recommend that all therapists who work with traumatised clients should have this in their library, and refer to it regularly. Babette Rothschild shows us how traditional psychological concepts such as empathy, projective identification, countertransference, can be understood in new ways through concepts from neuroscience such as emotional contagion and brain processes, and she provides exercises and examples to help us put the theories into practice.

Book: Creativity as Co-Therapist. Mitchell

4. Creativity as Co-Therapist

Lisa Ruth Mitchell (Routledge, 2016)

So many therapists think of their creativity as something quite separate from their clinical work (for example, they may knit, draw or write for pleasure, but not link it to their therapy work). Many other therapists consider themselves ‘not creative’ and think of creative practices as something that others can do, but not themselves. In this sparky, inspiring book, Lisa Ruth Mitchell aims to help us all not only to discover our own creativity, but she also shows us how we can root our creativity in our clinical work and use it to enliven, enrich and deepen our work with clients.
As someone who believes that accessing one’s own creativity is a vital component of self-care, I highly recommend this book!

The Mindful Therapist. Self-Care books for therapists

5. The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration

Daniel J. Siegel (W.W. Norton & Co., 2010)

Dan Siegel is the acclaimed author of many fascinating books concerned with the integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy, and I love his writing style which I find very accessible. In The Mindful Therapist he continually links our clinical skills to recent discoveries in neurobiology, and demonstrates ways that we can help ourselves be deeply present with, and attuned to, our clients without losing touch both with our own emotional states, and with our complex cognitive clinical judgement. He provides some practical exercises that we can use, as well as plenty of very accessible and useful information about the brain.

Trauma Stewardship. Self-care books for therapists

6. Trauma Stewardship – An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk (Barrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2009)

Not just for therapists, but for anyone who works directly with traumatised people, Trauma Stewardship helps us understand our own responses to trauma and suggests tools we can use to help us rebalance and restore our own emotional balance.

Refresh your self-care!

I hope this short list has given you an idea for where to look to find inspiration and practical guidance. Using these essential self-care books for therapists, make sure your self-care practices get regularly refreshed and updated – so that you are not only the best clinician you can be, but also feel whole and fed and full of interest and passion for your life outside of the consulting room too.

You can get more and different ideas for enlivening your self-care in my post, ‘Floating Your Boat: Self-Care for Therapists and Counsellors’. Read it here.

And if you’re really ready to give yourself a self-care treat, and can get to Essex, UK, come along to my workshop ‘Creative Self-Care for Therapists’. You can find details of the next one here. I’d love to see you!

What other self-care books for therapists would you recommend for other clinicians who are looking to improve and extend their self-care? Let me know in the comments below.

Filed Under: for therapists & counsellors

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    3rd August 2016 at 3:08 am

    Wow, what a great list. Self-care as a therapist is so important but unfortunately it is often forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      3rd August 2016 at 10:17 pm

      I’m glad you liked it, Danielle!

  2. Lisa Mitchell says

    5th August 2016 at 9:04 pm

    Thank you for including my book in such revered company, Emma!!

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      6th August 2016 at 9:27 pm

      My pleasure. Thanks for writing it! 😉

  3. Laura Reagan says

    6th August 2016 at 2:59 am

    This is beautiful, Emma! Thanks so much for sharing!!!! I own most of these books but I didn’t know about Babette Rothschild’s! I’m grateful to have found this post!

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      6th August 2016 at 9:33 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Yes, get that Rothschild book as soon as you can, it’s great.

  4. Toni Jackson says

    6th August 2016 at 12:10 pm

    Thank you Emma!
    I’ve been meaning to order Help for the Helper for a while and you’ve inspired me to do so.

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      6th August 2016 at 9:34 pm

      Excellent! Thanks Toni.

  5. Diane says

    6th August 2016 at 5:52 pm

    Thank you Emma. Just what I need…the more ideas the better as I realise I’m only as present, creative and reflective with clients as I can make space to care for myself.

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      6th August 2016 at 9:35 pm

      I’m so glad to have been able to give you some good ideas, Diane!

  6. Donna Gibson says

    6th August 2016 at 6:38 pm

    I quite fancy reading all your recommendations Emma. I’ve had The Myth of the Untroubled Therapist on my reading list for a while so thanks for the reminder!

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      6th August 2016 at 9:37 pm

      That’s your summer reading sorted, Donna! Or maybe save it for after holiday-time… 😉

  7. Boonie says

    10th August 2016 at 8:53 pm

    Thank you for this list. I’ve listened to the Mindful Therapist too many times on Audible, and am in need of more self care & wisdom. I value your authenticity. A friend recommended your page and site. I am very grateful~

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      14th August 2016 at 10:25 am

      I’m glad you’re finding this list helpful, Boonie. And thanks for leaving a comment!

  8. Janey Cutting says

    9th August 2019 at 6:36 am

    Thanks for these recommendations Emma. Always good to find new perspectives on self care that help us to maintain our strength and sensitivity as therapists.

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      9th August 2019 at 11:17 am

      Glad you find it useful Janey!

  9. sarah says

    14th November 2020 at 1:06 pm

    Thank you for this reading list!! ….. a fabulous selection of important themes and concerns for all therapists.

    Reply
  10. Montse says

    18th September 2022 at 3:49 am

    Thanks so much for reminding us how critical it is that we, therapists, tend to ourselves like a gardener does to a garden. Loved your writing!

    Reply
    • Emma Cameron says

      4th October 2022 at 8:01 pm

      Thank you!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Information on this website is meant for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychological evaluation or treatment. If you are concerned about your mental or physical health, please see a medical doctor or mental health professional to address your concerns. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or impulses, please dial 999 or 911 to seek emergency treatment immediately. Emma Cameron does not provide emergency mental health treatment. All text and images on this site ©Emma Cameron 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and may not be copied, published or used without permission. ©Emma Cameron All Rights Reserved

Blog post categories

Recent Blog Posts

  • Emotional First-Aid Kit
  • Top Tips for New Therapists
  • EMDR Therapy – What is it?
  • What Do Experiential Therapists Ask
  • What is Experiential Therapy?
  • Trauma Therapy Has Changed – Here’s How
  • Well-Meant Advice That’s Just Wrong
  • What is AEDP?
  • Secure Attachment – What Is It and How Do You Get It?
  • Attachment – A Beginner’s Guide
  • How to Get Less Stressed at Family Gatherings
  • Ground Yourself – 12 Easy Ways to Get Calmer
  • Art Therapy – Frequently Asked Questions
  • What Happens In an Art Therapy Session?
  • Top 10 Things I Love About Being a Therapist
  • How to Manage Your Climate Anxiety
  • When I First Went to Therapy
  • Addicted to Worrying?
  • Heartfelt Summer Fiction Recommended by Therapists
  • Feel More Secure Inside with Attachment Based Therapy
  • Coaching or Therapy – What Do I Need?
  • 7 Myths About Coaching vs Therapy
  • Therapy Works. Here’s How I Know
  • What is PTSD?
  • Why NOW Could Be the Perfect Time to Go to Therapy

Copyright © 2023 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in