In this week's #WiseWords series, therapist Anna Storey shares the books she recommends to her clients or finds specially powerful on the topic of therapy or wellbeing


Games People Play by Eric Berne, founder of Transactional Analysis theory

An absolute classic that offers extremely helpful tools in understanding yourself and sorting out personal relationships. Games People Play explores the most typical “games” that people play in relationships, which sometimes take over their whole lives. This book might help you see the repetitive pattern in your relationship and discover your own “game”. The moment you will recognise the game, you will be able to step out of it and get back control of your life. If you sometimes asked yourself why the same thing keep happening to you over and over again, this book is for you.



What Do You Say After You Say Hello by Eric Berne

This book explains, in a very engaging and accessible manner, many Transactional Analysis concepts, including Life Script. Life Script is an unconscious life plan derived from our early experiences that dictates how we live our life now. It is like a personal fairytale that you have been telling yourself since you were very young – it explains how to be with people and what to expect from a relationship, it tells you who you are and what life might have in store for you. The most amazing thing is that, if you don’t like your life script, you can change it! This book will explore it with you and advise you along the way.




If Men Could Talk by Alon Gratch 

This is a humorous and engaging read and a brilliant insight into the "male psyche". It is like “Men are from Mars”, written by an experienced therapist. Illustrated by numerous case studies, this book will help female readers understand certain behaviours in their partners and will give many insights to the male readers about why they do what they do. A must read if you feel your relationship is “stuck” and you don’t know what is going on.