5 Books to Read for Mental Health Awareness Month

May is mental health awareness month, a cause near and dear to my heart. As a graduate student studying mental health counseling, every month is mental health awareness month. Whether you are a big proponent of mental health, work in the field, eager to learn more, or just looking for a good book, here are five books to celebrate mental health awareness!

1. The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

The name Susannah Cahalan may be familiar to you as she is the author of the best seller and now Netflix’s original movie Brain on Fire about her descent into madness. After developing psychotic-type symptoms Susannah was admitted to the hospital only to further deteriorate. Finally, a doctor discovered Susannah’s affliction was not a mental disorder at all, but a rather rare autoimmune disease.

Since her mental misdiagnosis and renewed health, Susannah has taken on investigative work to further examine the psychiatric labels used to diagnose individuals with various disorders. Cahalan’s investigative work follows a psychologist’s social study in which he tests the admissions process for individuals presenting with symptoms indicative of schizophrenia. While novels driven by investigative reporting can be dry, the true story of the followed psychologist’s attempts at faking schizophrenia to see if he and his colleagues can get past admissions is astonishing! A captivating read that highlights the pros and cons of our current diagnosing labels and standards.

2. What Happened To You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D. PhD

I am currently listening to this book through Audible. It is read as a conversation by both authors and it is POWERFUL. If you’re a fan of The Body Keeps the Score, a book about how trauma is held in the body, then this book is for you. With easy to understand discussions, Oprah and Dr. Perry suggest we should shift our mindsets from the question of “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” I consistently find myself with goosebumps while listening. Everything that we experience effects us psychologically and biologically.

3. Group: How One Therapist and A Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate

As mentioned before, I am a grad student studying clinical mental health counseling. I read this book after finishing my course on group therapy and absolutely loved it. Written on her own experiences, Christie Tate relays joining group counseling after, despite “having it all”, fantasizing about her own death. Her therapist is eccentric and uses some rather questionable methods, but ultimately Christie progresses. You will experience all the emotions while accompanying Christie on her journey.

4. How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera (The Holistic Psychologist)

Nicole LePera, also known on Instagram as The Holistic Psychologist, writes of her own self-healing journey while giving tips on how to self-heal yourself. Reading this book is like a self-therapy session in which you start recognizing “hey, I do that” and learn how to recognize your long persisting patterns. My copy is full of tabs and highlighter marks. Truly a good and eye-opening read.

5. Feeling Great by Dr. David Burns, M.D.

Ever heard of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)? CBT is a go-to therapeutic technique geared towards challenging and changing thought patterns in order to change your emotions and behaviors. Dr. Burns’ book Feeling Great is an update on a previous book of his, Feeling Good. This book presents a whole bunch of methods Dr. Burns uses with his clients to help them feel great. These techniques are explained at a level for practitioners or self-healers alike.