Whether you’re on a journey of self-discovery, seeking inspiration for positive change, or looking to enhance your mental and emotional well-being, these books are your go-to resources.
In this blog post, I’ve handpicked a selection of books on topics such as mindfulness, resilience, self-compassion, and overcoming challenges. Each book gives you valuable insights, practical strategies, and empowering stories to help you navigate life’s complexities and achieve personal growth and trauma healing.
From renowned authors to hidden gems, our list includes titles that resonate with various aspects of personal development. Whether you’re a seasoned self-help enthusiast or just starting your journey, there’s something here for you.
22 Transformative Books for Personal Growth & Trauma Healing in 2024
- Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma
- The Mindful Way Through Depression
- Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
- Recovering from Emotionally Immature Parents
- The Power of Vulnerability
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
- Everything Is F*cked
- The Five Love Languages
- What Are You Hungry For?
- Daring Greatly
- Atomic Habits
- Living Buddha
- The Power of Now
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
- The Four Agreements
- A New Earth
- Eternal Dharma
- The Untethered Soul
- Becoming Supernatural
- You Are the Placebo
- The Secret
Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma
As a leader in the trauma healing space, Peter Levine’s work resonated deeply with me. The book’s emphasis on somatic experiencing and the body’s innate wisdom in processing trauma has significantly influenced my approach to trauma healing.
Peter Levine’s insights into renegotiating trauma and completing the body’s instinctual response have enhanced my understanding and enriched my practices, allowing me to empower individuals to reclaim agency over their healing journeys effectively. “Waking the Tiger” continues to serve as a foundational resource that inspires and informs my mission of transforming lives through trauma-informed healing.
The Mindful Way Through Depression by Jon Kabat-Zinn
This book was the first self-help book I ever read, and it changed my life. “The Mindful Way Through Depression” by Jon Kabat-Zinn is a profound guide that offers a holistic approach to understanding and navigating depression. It introduces you to the transformative power of mindfulness, a practice rooted in being fully present and aware of one’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment.
This book provides practical techniques for developing mindfulness but also dives into the underlying causes and mechanisms of depression. It’s a great read to help you cultivate more compassion and a non-judgmental attitude toward yourself, which is crucial in the journey of healing from trauma.
If you’ve ever heard my story, you know that I healed from major reoccurring depression… this was the beginning that helped me see how I could become more resilient. This book teaches you how to become stronger in the face of life’s challenges by understanding the psychological mechanisms that lead to depression.
Check out The Mindful Way Through Depression by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay Gibson
I will be totally honest. This book was very difficult for me to get through. It took some time. I had to come back over and over again because I was at the very beginning of my healing journey. I would listen to a chapter and take some time to process and cope with the lessons before I could move on. If you have unresolved pain from your childhood, this may be incredibly impactful for you as well.
Clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson’s book exposes the damaging effects of emotionally immature or unavailable parents and how their actions can create a sense of neglect.
You will ultimately learn how to heal from your childhood’s pain and confusion.
If you’re intrigued by this but you’re on the fence because you feel a little guilty, even though you had a difficult childhood, I encourage you to at least pick this book up and read a few chapters. For years, I maintained steadfast (even after years of therapy) that my childhood was fine. I denied the physical and mental abuse and the neglect because that’s what I was taught. If you want a different life, you have to be willing to pull back the layers and look at the hard truth.
Check out Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay Gibson.
Recovering from Emotionally Immature Parents: Practical Tools to Establish Boundaries and Reclaim Your Emotional Autonomy by Lindsay Gibson
In this sequel to Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Lindsay Gibson shares powerful tools to help you step back and protect yourself at the first sign of an emotional takeover. You’ll learn how to ensure that your emotions and needs are respected and you’ll learn how to break free from the coercive control of emotionally immature parents.
Being raised by emotionally immature parents can make you feel lonely and neglected. Setting limits and expressing your feelings may be very difficult for you. As you develop adult relationships, you likely attract emotionally immature people since that is what you know. This fuels your pain and suffering. For many women, this especially leads to imposter syndrome.
Furthermore, your parents may still mock your emotions as you get older; they disregard and discount your reality and try to control and diminish your sense of emotional autonomy. This is exactly what happened in my life. This book gave me the tools and insights to learn how to stop letting their toxic behavior control my life.
The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection, & Courage by Brené Brown
Not necessarily a book but this is a collection of audio teachings on authenticity, connection, and courage. Dr. Brené Brown challenges the idea that vulnerability is weakness and helps us realize that vulnerability is a true measure of courage. “In our culture,” teaches Dr. Brené Brown, “we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid, such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.”
For most of my life, I hid in fear of being seen. Emotionally and physically, I would hide because I was taught from a young age that I was flawed. I learned that my “true self” was not good enough. Once I began to heal and learn self-love, I realized that my truth was kind, emotional, and generous. I began to bring that to the world, and I began to feel more alignment and happiness.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Initially, I was hesitant to pick up this book, but I’m glad I did. I read this at a time when I was really struggling with people at work. I tend to take things very personally and feel very connected to the work that I do. This book helped give me a new perspective on how to look at things differently so I could start to release some of the pain I was creating.
This book turns positivity on its head and really talks about the power of detachment.
We’ve been told that living a happy, rich life is all about positive thinking. “F**k positivity,” says Mark Manson. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” We can begin to find courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop avoiding painful truths and start facing them.
Check out The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life.
Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson
A non-traditional look at enlightenment and what it means to live in an imperfect world. Mark Manson has an interesting way of giving you hope in situations that feel desperate. In this book, he discusses how religion and politics have become inextricably linked and how using money, entertainment, and the internet are psychologically destroying us. I think the added humor to such a serious topic makes this book incredibly relatable.
Check out Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson.
The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman
While this book was originally released in 1992, it’s still on the top of my list for everyone to read when it comes to understanding how you relate to those you love. This book outlines five ways that we can express and experience love with our romantic partners.
Very often, we feel a strong disconnect with our partners because we show love in entirely different ways.
It seems like such a small thing, yet I’ve seen this disconnect lead to immense pain and suffering. If you have ever felt like your partner is unappreciative or ungrateful, this is a great book to start with. It may be a simple disconnect in how you send and receive love.
Check out The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman.
What Are You Hungry For?: The Chopra Solution to Permanent Weight Loss, Well-Being, and Lightness of Soul by Deepak Chopra
This may seem like another odd book to include on this list. Yet, in our modern world, many of us struggle with feeling insecure about our weight and bodies. I have spent years trying to come to terms with my relationship with food, and this book changed my view forever.
This is practical advice for a buried subconscious problem.
We tend to focus on external factors when trying to lose weight and improve our health. Chopra helps you understand why you overeat and look to the external to satisfy an internal need.
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Another great read by an American professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host and internationally known Brené Brown. Almost every day, we face the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define vulnerability or daring greatly.
It takes courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with all our hearts, whether it is in a new relationship, an important meeting, or a difficult family conversation.
This book actually helped me find the courage to begin sharing my own story.
As I knew I wanted to have an impact on the world, I knew I had to find the strength to face uncertainty. This book helped me break out of my comfort zone to step into my greatness.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear is a practical guide that dives into the science of habit formation and how small changes can lead to remarkable results over time. Clear introduces the concept of atomic habits, which are tiny but powerful habits that combine to create significant transformations in our lives. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the small, consistent actions we take each day, rather than setting lofty goals or relying on motivation alone.
Check out Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Here are the Best Books for Spiritual Seekers
Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
As a Buddhist, I have read nearly every book by a Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, and this book brought me incredible insight. Throughout two millennia, Buddha and Jesus Christ have left behind a legacy of teachings and practices that have shaped the lives of billions of people.
In this teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh explores the common ground between Christianity and Buddhism, including compassion and holiness. Thich Nhat Hanh brings an appreciation of the beauty of Christianity that can only be conveyed by an outsider. As someone who struggled with accepting organized religion, this book helped give me a new perspective on it.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
This is one of the best spiritual awakening books that I’ve ever read. Eckhart Tolle is a world-renowned spiritual teacher who helps you live a healthier and happier life by living in the present moment. Through the Power of Now, you learn to let go of your analytical mind and its false self, the ego. This book gave me a true perspective of what it actually means to be mindful and live in the present moment.
Check out The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle.
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Joe Dispenza
Do you feel trapped by your genetic predispositions? Do you feel like you’re hardwired and your health and happiness can’t change? As you read this remarkable book, you will learn how emerging science can empower all of us to create the reality we want. Dr. Joe Dispenza does an amazing job of combining lessons from the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible for you.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra
In this bestselling book by Deepak Chopra, you’ll learn seven powerful natural laws that can help you succeed in every area of your life. This book shatters the myth that you can only achieve success through sheer hard work and ambition. Two of the laws specifically had a huge impact for me.
The Law of Karma indicates our actions generate energy that similarly returns to us.
So, by choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others, we ensure that the flow of happiness and success comes back to us. This helped me see how my energy, thoughts, and actions were impacting the life I was creating. I wasn’t as powerless as I was raised to believe.
There is no denying that life can be unpredictable at times, but trying to control the outcome of events on your own is fighting against what is meant to be.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom Don Don Miguel Ruiz
This first book, based on Ancient Toltec wisdom, changed my life forever and is always at the top of my recommendation list. We do everything based on agreements we’ve made—with ourselves, with other people, with God, and with life. The most critical are self-limiting agreements we make with ourselves that create needless suffering.
Check out The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom Don Don Miguel Ruiz here.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
Another good read from Eckhart Tolle, this modern classic expands on these powerful ideas from The Power of Now. You’ll learn that by transcending ego-based consciousness, you can achieve personal happiness and end conflict and suffering throughout the world as well.
Ultimately, attachment to ego causes anger, jealousy, and unhappiness. I absolutely love Eckhart Tolle’s work, as he is on a mission to help the world become humbled, enlightened, and pure.
Check out A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle.
Eternal Dharma: How to Find Spiritual Evolution through Surrender and Embrace Your Life’s True Purpose by Vishnu Swami
A beautiful spiritual guide to finding your purpose. Vishnu Swami, who became the youngest Swami in Vedic monasticism at the young age of 23, takes the ancient Eastern knowledge of Veda to guide you through a journey of understanding and empowerment. When you align yourself with the natural flow of existence, you gain clarity on all spiritual and religious paths and access Universal Power.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer
I first read this book when I was at an immensely painful part of my growth journey. The Untethered Soul offers simple yet profound answers to many questions, such as how to release the pain and suffering that’s been plaguing your life or how to break free from limitations that have kept you feeling trapped. This book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you.
Michael A. Singer is a spiritual teacher and author. In this book, he shares lessons on using meditation and a path of mindfulness to achieve happiness and self-realization. He shares how you can learn to develop consciousness to live in the present moment and let go of painful memories and thoughts. This book was incredibly impactful for me, and I think it would be for you, too.
Check out The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer.
Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon by Joe Dispenza
If you aren’t familiar with Dr. Joe Dispenza, I highly recommend you check him out. Dr. Joe focuses on the mind-body connection and how our thoughts truly impact our reality and even our health. This book combines profound scientific information with ancient wisdom. He shows how ordinary people like you and me can live a more abundant life.
The human spirit is quite literally supernatural, and we can enhance our creative abilities by aligning with appropriate knowledge and instruction.
The human spirit is quite literally supernatural, and we can enhance our creative abilities by aligning with appropriate knowledge and instruction.
When we tune into frequencies beyond our material world, we receive more coherent and orderly streams of consciousness and energy. By intentionally altering the chemistry of our brains, we can initiate profoundly mystical transcendental experiences.
Check out Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon by Joe Dispenza.
You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Joe Dispenza
Could you heal without drugs or surgery by thinking alone? It happens more often than you might think. The human body is an amazing machine, it’s complex and full of interconnected systems that work together seamlessly. However, trauma can impact our emotional and psychological well-being and also manifest physically in the form of stress, tension, and even chronic health issues.
Dispenza recounts numerous documented cases where placebos have reversed cancer, heart disease, depression, crippling arthritis, and even Parkinson’s tremors. This book changed my entire perspective on the power of the human mind and our ability to connect with our higher power.
Check out You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Joe Dispenza.
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Several years ago, The Secret was made into a movie, but it was actually based on a book by Rhonda Byrne. This book contains the wisdom of modern-day teachers – people who have achieved health, wealth, and happiness using the Secret. You can increase your wealth, health, and happiness with these simple secrets.
Despite some people calling the book and movie hokey, the lessons are very valuable. You will change your life forever if you can release your preconceived notions and open your mind to embrace new ideas.
Check out The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.
Each of these books has impacted my life in unique ways.
I know they can impact you as well. If you are ready for more growth, healing, and guidance, check out our programs and course.
Let’s make 2024 the best year yet!
