Books have always been a major part of what brings people to Welldoing. We are a therapist-matching platform, but we know that that therapy isn’t for everyone, and certainly not all the time. Reading books can provide insight into how you are feeling, tips for behaviour change, but also a door into another world that you can explore and feel excited or soothed by.
This year we have 10 books which we have reviewed, and whose authors we have (mostly) interviewed for our YouTube channel during the last 12 months.
Grandparenting by Dr. Terri Apter
Cambridge University psychologist Dr Terri Apter is a serious social scientist, and a beautiful writer, writes Louise Chunn. She uses research and interviews with grandparents to both celebrate the creation of another generation, and explore the problems this can create in families.
The Age of Diagnosis by Suzanne O’Sullivan
The issue of over- and under-diagnosis is highly contentious and increasingly political. Alice McGurran, who interviews the author as well as reviewing the book, praises consultant neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan for her thoughtful and compassionate investigation which asks, among other questions, just because we can diagnose, should we?
Clinical psychologist Dr Tara Porter has spent nearly three decades supporting young people. In that time she has seen many anxious parents, who believe they are failures at parenting. With this highly readable book, Louise Chunn writes, she aims to inspire parents to take a middle-level approach to their children, and also to accept that their children do not have to be perfect either.
Strangers and Intimates by Tiffany Jenkins
Cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins examines how our views around privacy have changed. As Alice McGurran writes in her review, “Today, with social media, OnlyFans, Substack, journalism focused heavily on personal experiences, and politics defined as much by personality as policy – what do we gain, and what do we lose, when the boundaries between public and private life are blurred?”
Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever by Lamorna Ash
Focusing on talking to people in their 20s and 30s, journalist Lamorna Ash spent several years travelling around the UK researching the issue of religion in the modern world. What she has produced is “a wise, nuanced and moving exploration of modern-day faith in young people in the UK, and the importance of belief for all people,” writes Alice McGurran.
Home is Where We Start by Susanna Crossman
Susanna Crossman is now an arts therapist living in France with her husband and family, but as a young child she lived in a commune in the English countryside with extraordinary, sometimes dangerous, freedoms. “Some might feel the casual neglect of the children makes this book too difficult a read, but — having met others who have been raised communally — I could also see that Crossman was eager to see all sides of their experience. She does not think it was a disaster… but she is also a very different mother to her own children,” writes Louise Chunn.
The Collective Edge by Dr Colin M Fisher
Dr Fisher is an associate professor at University College London's School of Management and in this book is he examines the power of groups. As he writes “Human society is built on sorting ourselves and others into groups. We sort people based on broad characteristics like nationality, politics, and gender. We also sort people into smaller, tight-knit groups, such as family, friends, a work team, a sports team, or a band. We are collective creatures. Our memberships in ever-shifting, overlapping groups govern our experience of the world.”
Love’s Labour by Stephen Grosz
Eminent psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz wrote a surprise bestseller The Examined Life 12 years ago; his follow-up Love’s Labour may not reach the heights of its predecessor in sales, but its focus on love and relationships, via the stories of patients, is certainly compelling. “This is not a book with a pithy motto or a 7-point plan to pin on your fridge,” wrote Louise Chunn. “It’s thoughtful, gently questioning and acute in its observations. While you might not want to lie on his couch, I think many people would enjoy this trip through Stephen Grosz’s brain.”
US psychotherapist and author Jessica Baum has written a holistic guide to building relationships that might otherwise be challenged by differing attachment styles. She posits that recovery from childhood wounds is necessary before people can feel safe, in body and mind, in their relationship with another. She is also the author of bestseller Anxiously Attached. She is interviewed here by Alice McGurran.
Dear England: Lessons in leadership
A book written by a former footballer turned England team coach may seem an odd choice for a therapist-matching platform, but Southgate’s seemingly unwavering commitment to leading by example, with humility, empathy and a protectiveness over the team members won Alice McGurran over. She praised “Southgate’s efforts to lead in a way that fostered psychological safety, a sense of friendship and belonging, and of healthy pride in representing something bigger than yourself.”
You can also see the array of books that our therapist members recommend here, taking in everything from polyvagal theory and ADHD to stepfamily relationships, Stoicism and sex problems. We hope you enjoy exploring some of our suggestions,. and do let us know if you have recommendations yourself.
