Book Recommendations for Dealing with Abusive Relationships

Recommended Books on Dealing with Abusive Relationships

He Promised He'd Stop (Non-fiction) by Michael Groetsch

Geared towards women in abusive relationships, this is a fantastic resource for women suffering from domestic violence, providing specific strategies towards protecting themselves and having the courage to leave violent relationships.

Better Boundaries: Owning and Treasuring Your Life (Non-fiction) by Jan Black

 

Excellent for readers struggling with codependency, have a history of abusive relationships and for those who struggle to say no.

Where to Draw the Line (Non-fiction) by Anne Katherine 

 

Anne Katherine's book on setting appropriate boundaries is the book you need to read if you want to change the course of a difficult relationship with a loved one or a work colleague to one that’s more equal, effective and open. The effectiveness of our personal and professional relationships and the level of respect we command are dependent on the effectiveness of the boundaries we set.

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (Non-fiction) by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis

A comprehensive guide for women who were sexually abused as children. Women are often in denial about their abuse as a method of self-preservation. Talking about these issues and expressing the emotions that they have endured in childhood such as anger is a key part of healing and overcoming the depression, anxiety and addictive behaviours that otherwise take hold or that have already taken hold.

 

Looking for something more specific? Get something more tailored with our personalised book prescriptions within 48 hours. 

You might also find it helpful to explore these feelings in a bibliotherapy session or learn some bibliotherapy techniques to help you process these feelings by completing our online Bibliotherapy, Literature and Mental Health course or our book Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading.

A big hello and thank you for reading! Passionate about literature, psychology, and life I launched Book Therapy as an alternative form of therapy using the power of literature. I train mental health professionals, librarians, teachers as well as readers on using bibliotherapy in their own work through our online Bibliotherapy, Literature and Mental Health course. We also curate reading lists/personalised book prescriptions for clients based on their individual needs. This is our signature personalised reading service.

You can also check out Book Therapy’s other free reading lists and A- Z of book prescriptions (covering both fiction and non-fiction). These suggest books based on your existing life situation (e.g. anxiety, job change, relationship heartache) as well as interests (e.g memoir, historical fiction, non-fiction, crime etc). There’s also a Children’s A — Z of Book Prescriptions. Feel free to check out the blog for more literary gems. There’s also a post on my personal story of how I entered the world of bibliotherapy and book curation.

In this role, I have had the opportunity to publish two books called Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading and The Happiness Mindset, and write various literary essays and pieces for newspapers and magazines. I have undertaken bibliotherapy workshops for The United Nations, various libraries in New York and corporate organisations in the UK and US. My book recommendations have featured in the Guardian, Marie Claire, NBC News, Asian Voice, New York Observer, Sydney Telegraph and various other publications. If you are a parent you might enjoy a podcast I’ve recorded with speech and language therapist Sunita Shah on Raising A Reader & Storyteller. And if you’d like to connect, email me at bijal@booktherapy.io or www.booktherapy.io.

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