I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist, deeply committed to healing intergenerational trauma and fostering healthy relationships. My passion for this field stems from witnessing the transformational power of understanding and addressing the roots of personal and relational issues. Having navigated the complex dynamics of family systems both professionally and personally, I've seen firsthand how unearthing and healing old wounds can lead to profound growth and stronger bonds. This fuels my dedication to guiding others on their journeys toward self-discovery and improved mental health. The books I recommend are ones that have not only enriched my professional practice but have also offered me invaluable insights into the psychology of human connections.
I wrote
This Isn't Working for Me: A Practical Guide for Making Every Relationship in Your Life More Fulfilling, Authentic, and Intentional
If I could recommend one book, it would be this one by Dr. Ilene S. Cohen. This profound read transformed my understanding of relationships and self-worth, teaching me the importance of setting boundaries for a healthier, more empowered life.
It offered practical strategies that reshaped how I interact with others daily, helping me address past traumas and break free from codependency. The book's empathetic approach made me feel seen, understood, and hopeful for the future. It's truly a guide for anyone seeking to live a more authentic life.
Is being a people-pleaser (a.k.a., conflict avoider, pushover, approval-seeker, doormat, etc.) ruining your life? Do you sometimes feel as if you exist only to satisfy others wants and needs, but never your own? Is your physical, mental, and emotional health suffering as a result?
Everyone loves a people-pleaser. They're always willing to help, to stay late, to fill in, to go along. But if you're one of them, you often end up feeling violated, ignored, disrespected, and disconnected from life and others. Silently enduring the ongoing and relentless invalidation of who you are and what you want will reliably wreak…
This was a perspective changer for me. This book not only taught me practical ways to manage anxiety but also transformed my outlook on life’s challenges, truly opening my mind with its insights.
It guided me through addressing unresolved issues without overwhelming sadness or fear, instead fostering a sense of empowerment. The light-hearted tone and moments of humor made me laugh and brought unexpected joy, making the exploration of personal growth enjoyable rather than daunting.
Smith's approachable style makes complex psychological concepts accessible. It helped me to find a calm in the chaos of my daily life.
Licensed therapist and respected mental health writer Dr. Kathleen Smith offers a smart, practical antidote to our anxiety-ridden times. Everything Isn't Terrible is an informative, and fun guide - featuring a healthy dose of humour - for people who want to become beacons of calmness in our anxious world.
Like Sarah Knight's "No F*cks Given" guides and You Are a Badass, Everything Isn't Terrible will inspire readers to confront their anxious selves, take charge of their anxiety, and increase their own capacity to choose how they respond to it. Comprised of short chapters containing anecdotal examples from Smith's personal experience…
It’s Within You was a life-changing read that fundamentally changed my perspective on personal growth and resilience. It taught me powerful lessons about the strength and potential that lie within us all, which helps us know our sense of worth.
The book provided me with the tools to confront and heal from past traumas, offering a sense of peace I hadn't felt before. While it didn’t make me laugh, it did evoke a profound sense of joy and empowerment, steering my emotions toward hope rather than fear.
A Powerful Synthesis of Modern Psychology and Ancient Spiritual Wisdom
What if you could just stop worrying about what others think of you?
How much more could you accomplish in life?
ONE simple shift could make it happen...
Burned out. Struggling. Undervalued. Conflicted. Invalidated. Anxious. Angry. Empty. All signs that your self-worth isn't coming from within. We've all been there, and it's not a place where healthy relationships, personal freedom, and peace of mind can thrive.
Do you find yourself asking:
Why doesn't he ever change?... Why don't they recognize my value?... Why won't she ever give me a break?...…
It revolutionized the way I view apologies and relationships. This book opened my eyes to the power of a sincere apology and how it can mend even the deepest of rifts.
Lerner’s insights into why people struggle to apologize genuinely were enlightening, offering me clarity on past conflicts and how to approach them differently. It didn’t just make me reevaluate my actions but also brought a sense of healing and closure to lingering issues. The book helped me improve my relationships and understand the complex dynamics of apologies and forgiveness.
It's concise, impactful, and truly transformative.
Renowned psychologist and bestselling author of The Dance of Anger sheds new light on the two most important words in the English language, "I'm sorry," and offers a unique perspective on the challenge of healing broken relationships and restoring trust. Dr. Harriet Lerner has been studying apologies for more than two decades, namely, why some people won't give them. Now she offers compelling stories and solid theory that demonstrates the transformative power of making amends and what is required for healing when the damage we've inflicted (or received) is far from simple. Readers will learn how to craft a meaningful…
This is a groundbreaking book that reshaped my understanding of family trauma and its impact across generations. It introduced me to the concept of inherited family trauma and offered insightful methods to uncover and break these cycles. This book not only educated me but also provided a path toward healing and self-discovery.
Reading it was an educational experience, revealing how much of who we are is influenced by the stories of our ancestors. Wolynn’s compassionate approach made complex psychological theories accessible and applicable to my life. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring their family history and healing from its unseen effects.
Inherited family trauma is currently an area of growing interest, as science increasingly explores what we know intuitively: that the effects of trauma can pass from one generation to the next, and that the answers to some of our greatest life problems often lie not within our own story, but in the experiences of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and extended family. Here, pioneer Mark Wolyn shows readers how they can overcome inherited trauma and reclaim their lives.
We often find ourselves trapped in cycles of misunderstandings and hurt within our relationships, struggling with the constant effort it takes to maintain connections with partners, friends, family, and colleagues. This book looks at ways to soften an intense and challenging relationship, rejuvenate a relationship that feels flat and unfulfilling, and/or perhaps attract a compatible life partner.
No matter what your motivation might be for embarking on this SELF-work. The hope is by reading this book, you will gain tools that you can take along as you continue to learn and grow throughout life. Relationships require work, but if you approach this work intentionally and do a little each day, you will develop into the person you want to be in any relationship.
I wasn’t always a joyful person. But today I’m freaking sunshine, and full-out committed to being an effective member of the team that’s elevating the level of love and joy in the world! My positions on that team have included writing dozens of mega-selling books (my own, and as a ghostwriter), founding my online Joy School at LisaMcCourt.com, hosting my Do Joy! podcast, and collaborating on projects with many other popular teachers of consciousness and joyful living. My books have sold over 9 million copies, earned 7 publishing industry awards, and garnered over 9,000 glowing Amazon reviews. Joy is my jam. I know a joyful book when I read one!
We all want peace. We all want a life of joy and meaning. We want to feel blissfully comfortable in our own skin, moving through the world with grace and ease. But how many of us are actively taking the steps to create such a life?
In Free Your Joy, millions-selling author and podcaster Lisa McCourt takes readers through the life-altering principles of vibration elevation that she has taught for 20 years through her online Joy School, sharing her unique formula for raising your “joy setpoint” to cultivate authentic, lasting peace and fulfillment in your daily life. Joy is…
Free Your Joy: The Twelve Keys to Sustainable Happiness
Bestselling author and creator of Joy School Lisa McCourt outlines her unique formula for sustainable happiness, offering a year's worth of activities, prompts, and techniques that raise your "joy setpoint" so you can cultivate authentic, lasting peace and fulfillment in your daily life.
Unprecedented global events have left many of us feeling depleted, depressed, isolated, and disconnected from many of the things that made us happy. Lisa McCourt, host of the Do Joy! podcast and founder of Joy School, helps people raise their joy setpoints regardless of what is happening around them.
