Our handpicked selection of books and podcasts

BY ESTHER PEREL

Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, Mating in Captivity is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.

BY JESSICA FERN

Attachment theory has entered the mainstream, but most discussions focus on how we can cultivate secure monogamous relationships. What if, like many people, you’re striving for secure, happy attachments with more than one partner? Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual nonmonogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how emotional experiences can influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships. Polysecure is both a trailblazing theoretical treatise and a practical guide.

BY MARSHAL B. ROSENBERG

Explains how to break patterns of thinking that lead to anger, depression and violence, transform potential conflicts into compassionate dialogues, speak your mind without creating resistance or hostility, hear whatever is said to you as a "please" or "thank you", create greater depth and caring in your intimate relationships, and motivate with compassion rather than with fear, guilt or shame.

BY EMILY NAGOSKI, PHD

Come As You Are used groundbreaking science and research to prove that the most important factor in creating and sustaining a sex life filled with confidence and joy is not what the parts are or how they’re organized but how you feel about them. In the years since the book’s initial publication, countless women have learned through Nagoski’s accessible and informative guide that things like stress, mood, trust, and body image are not peripheral factors in a woman’s sexual wellbeing; they are central to it—and that even if you don’t always feel like it, you are already sexually whole by just being yourself. This revised and updated edition continues that mission with new information and advanced research, demystifying and decoding the science of sex so that everyone can create a better sex life and discover more pleasure than you ever thought possible.

BY AMIR LEVINE AND RACHEL HELLER

We already rely on science to tell us what to eat, when to exercise, and how long to sleep. Why not use science to help us improve our relationships? In this revolutionary book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller scientifically explain why some people seem to navigate relationships effortlessly, while others struggle.

BY ALEX KORB

Whether you suffer from depression or just want a better understanding of the brain, this book offers an engaging and informative look at the neuroscience behind our emotions, thoughts, and actions. The truth is that there isn’t one big solution to depression, but there are numerous simple steps you can take to alter brain activity and chemistry. Some are as easy as relaxing certain muscles to reduce anxiety, or getting more sunlight to improve your mood. Small steps in the right direction can have profound effects―giving you the power to become your best self as you literally reshape your brain, one small change at a time.

BY JAMES S. GORDON

Despite the billions spent on prescription anti-depressant drugs and psychotherapy, people everywhere continue to grapple with depression. James Gordon, one of the nation's most respected psychiatrists, now offers a practical and effective way to get unstuck. Drawing on forty years of pioneering work, Unstuck is Gordon's seven-stage program for relief through food and nutritional supplements; Chinese medicine; movement, exercise, and dance; psychotherapy, meditation, and guided imagery; and spiritual practice. The result is a remarkable guide that puts the power to change in the hands of those ready to say "no" to suffering and drugs and "yes" to hope and happiness.

BY BO FORBES

Bo Forbes, a psychologist and yoga teacher, offers some of her most important teachings and practices, including: Restorative yoga sequences designed to balance anxiety and lift depression, breath and body-centered exercises to calm your mind and energize your body, simple ways to understand your emotional patterns, 3 main obstacles to emotional well-being, and 5 tools for building emotional balance.

BY ZINDEL V SEGAL AND JOHN D TEASDALE

In The Mindful Way through Depression, four uniquely qualified experts explain why our usual attempts to “think” our way out of a bad mood or just “snap out of it” lead us deeper into the downward spiral. Through insightful lessons drawn from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy, they demonstrate how to sidestep the mental habits that lead to despair, including rumination and self-blame, so you can face life’s challenges with greater resilience. Jon Kabat-Zinn gently and encouragingly narrates the accompanying CD of guided meditations, making this a complete package for anyone seeking to regain a sense of hope and well-being.

WITH ANDREW HUBERMAN, PHD

Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning.

WITH DAN HARRIS

Conversations about meditation hosted by ABC News anchor and New York Times best-selling author Dan Harris with celebrities, meditation teachers, mental health professionals and top scientists.

WITH KRISTEN TRUEMPY

We talk about a lot of things that tree huggers would love: appreciation of beauty, gratitude, positive emotions, relationships and well, love. However we, that is positive psychologists and positive psychology practitioners buried ourselves in books, set out to experiment and then write it all up in a writing style that is about as exciting to read as watching an avocado turn brown. And that's the problem: if you are not an academic you probably want a little bit more excitement, than pages and pages of densely written journals can provide. Even if you are an academic, who has time to read all the interesting stuff out there anyways? So in an effort to save your eyes taking on a comically rectangular shape the positive psychology podcast brings the science of the good life to your earbuds.

WITH GUY MACPHERSON

The Trauma Therapist | Podcast is a podcast about the human spirit. Join Guy Macpherson, PhD at traumatherapistproject.com as he interviews thought-leaders in the fields of trauma, mindfulness, addiction and yoga and we learn about the journeys of these passionate mental health therapists who dedicate their lives to helping those who've been impacted by trauma.

Latinx Therapy is a weekly podcast that discusses mental health topics related to Latinx individuals in efforts to demystify myths and diagnosis that truly exist. Cultural and commonly stigmatized themes will be discussed with Latinx mental health professionals, doctors, psychiatrists, social media influencers, entrepreneurs and many more.

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly chat about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.