My favourite books. What are you reading?

We're all becoming so much more aware of ourselves these days. We have access to a wealth of knowledge on self

help from social media and we’re taking more responsibility, learning about our behaviours and where they stem from. Books give me great joy. Reading a paperback seems to be a dying act, but my love of them continues.

I’ll easily while away hours sat on the floor of Daunts before deciding what to buy.

Here’s a snippet of my ‘go to’ reads from over the years (and the new ones). There's some prominent figures in the self help world. You might know them already, they’re popular. One of my favourites is 'A Road less Travelled' and one I still pick up from time to time. I'm currently reading 'You Don't Understand Me' by Dr Tara Porter (leading clinical psychologist). A truly insightful book, having a teenage daughter I want to do more to support them. Teens are struggling these days, with the pressure to do well at school, effects from social media, knock on effects from lockdown, friendships, family break-ups and relationships. These effects have lead to an increase in anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and self harm. Dr Porter's book is an invaluable read for teenagers and parents on how best to navigate stressful times.

Another prominent (author/physician) and expert in trauma, addiction, stress and childhood is Gabor Maté, all of his books are an enthralling reads. My ultimate fav' though is Bessel van der Kolk's (author/scientific researcher) -

'The Body Keeps the Score’ - effects of trauma on the brain and body. In his studies he explains how abuse, violence and traumatic experiences effect our bodies and keep us in a state of high alert ... with a continuous secretion of stress hormones which then wrecks havoc on our immune systems - all fascinating stuff and what we touch on in class. Let me know if you decide to read any of these titles. Lissy x