Books By Female Professionals to Inspire Healing: Pages From My Bookshelf

Books By Female Professionals to Inspire Healing: Pages From My Bookshelf

As you know, I have fallen in love with self-improvement. I believe there is nothing more empowering than trying to be the best possible version of yourself. This is often reflected in my reading list. Although I have written about self-growth books before. Today I want to take a moment to share with you healing books written by female professionals. This includes clinical psychologists, family therapists, people with PhDs, and more. Essentially, my focus for today is inspirational books written by women. Women who are experienced in their chosen fields. Books that will inspire healing.

It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People by Ramani Durvasula (PhD)

Healing often means recognizing and healing from our trauma. Trauma doesn’t always mean a tragic accident or the loss of a loved one. Sometimes trauma can be more subtle than you realize. Just as a tiger can’t change its stripes, a narcissist will not stop manipulating you. Invalidating you. No matter how much you try to appease them. The first step toward healing from their toxic influence. To protect yourself from future harm—is to accept that you are not to blame for their behavior.

Dr. Ramani explores how narcissists hijack our well-being and offer a healing path forward. Unpacking the oft-misunderstood personality, she reveals the telltale behavioral patterns that indicate you may be dealing with a narcissist. You’ll learn how to become gaslight-resistant and chip away at the trauma bonds that keep you stuck in the cycle. Grieve the loss of these painful relationships. Create and maintain realistic boundaries, discern unhelpful behaviors from narcissistic behaviors, and recover your sense of self after constant invalidation.

Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by  Dr. Mariel Buqué (PhD)

When a physical wound is left unhealed, it continues to cause pain and can infect the whole body. When emotions are left unhealed, they similarly cause harm that spreads to other parts of our lives. Hurting our family, friends, community members, and others. Eventually, this hurt can injure an entire lineage, metastasizing across years and generations. This is intergenerational trauma.

This trauma is why some of us become estranged from our families. Why some of us are people pleasers, and why some of us find ourselves in codependent relationships. This trauma can be rooted in the experiences of ancestors, who may have suffered due to unhealthy family dynamics. And it can be collective, the result of a shared experience like systemic oppression. It can be harmful ingrained behaviors in a culture. Like the acceptance of physical discipline of children, or even a natural disaster like a pandemic. These wounds are complex, impacting our minds, bodies, and spirits. Healing requires a holistic approach that has so far been absent from the field of psychology. Until now.

In her book, Dr Mariel Buqué teaches how to heal and address lingering trauma passed down to us.

Practical Optimism The Art, Science, And Practice Of Exceptional Well-Being by Dr. Sue Varma (M.D)

This book isn’t about magical thinking. Practical optimists are resourceful, realistic, and thoughtful problem solvers who possess something of rare value: the inner resources to cope during a crisis and to use as fuel to flourish. Complete with self-assessment quizzes and exercises, Practical Optimism will help us all see the world for the better and reach our true potential. Practical Optimism is a scientific and tangible pathway to boosting health, happiness, resilience, success, and longevity.

Optimists, research has shown, are not just happier and more successful, but physically healthier. And if you’re a natural-born pessimist? No problem: the most vital piece of the Practical Optimism program is that it is a practice, a skill set that we can choose to adopt and get better at every day.  This book isn’t about magical thinking. Practical optimists are resourceful, realistic, and thoughtful problem solvers who possess something of rare value: the inner resources to cope during a crisis and to use as fuel to flourish. Complete with self-assessment quizzes and exercises, Practical Optimism will help us all see the world for the better and reach our true potential. Practical Optimism is a scientific and tangible pathway to boosting health, happiness, resilience, success, and longevity.

I love this book because it combines science and mindfulness – giving us a guide for how to practice optimism in a practical and attainable way. Reaching our true potential involves a lot of healing which is why this book is a must-read for me.

Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self by Thema Bryant (PhD)

In the aftermath of stress, disappointment, and trauma, people often fall into survival mode, even while a part of them longs for more. Juggling multiple demands and responsibilities keeps them busy, but not healed. As a survivor of sexual assault, racism, and evacuation from a civil war in Liberia, Dr. Thema Bryant knows intimately the work involved in healing. Having made the journey herself, in addition to guiding others as a clinical psychologist and ordained minister, Dr. Thema shows you how to reconnect with your authentic self and reclaim your time, your voice, and your life. Healing starts with recognizing and expressing emotions in an honest way and reconnecting with the neglected parts of yourself, but it can’t be done in a vacuum. Dr. Thema gives you the tools to meaningfully connect with your larger community, even if you face racism and sexism, heartbreak, grief, and trauma. Rather than shrinking in the face of life’s difficulties, you will discover in Homecoming the therapeutic approaches and spiritual practices to live a more expansive life characterized by empowerment, healthier relationships, gratitude, and a deeper sense of purpose.

This book combines science and spirituality to help us understand ourselves better and free ourselves from the shackles of our trauma.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski (PhD) and Amelia Nagoski (DMA)

Ah, burnout. In this day and age, it’s practically everywhere. We are so consumed with our 9 to 5s and family responsibilities – it has become so common for people to suffer from burnout.

What is burnout? Many women in America have experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s world are two very different things—and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you “love your body” when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming “your best self”? In what way can you “lean in” at work when you’re already operating at 110 percent and aren’t recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you’re too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish?

Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we’re up against—and show us how to fight back.

You can see my full list of inspirational books written by female professionals on Amazon or take a peak below. Let me know in the comments which book resonates with you the most or reach out on Instagram and let me know which book inspired your healing.

Glenda

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