
RESOURCES
There is a huge selection of websites, books, and podcasts about psychology, healing, and personal & spiritual growth. These are some I recommend as particularly astute and insightful.
Ecopsychology Resources
Animas Valley Institute – founded in 1980 by clinical psychologist Bill Plotkin, Animas “...offers a rich assortment of journeys into the mysteries of nature and psyche, including Soulcraft™ intensives, contemporary vision fasts, and training programs for nature-based soul guides.” Signup available on their website for free newsletter with lots of inspiring information. They have a generous scholarship program available, especially for people from historically marginalized communities, folks under 35 years old, and those involved in creating cultural change.
Ecology of Awakening – “...is dedicated to supporting the sustained and embodied shift necessary to create resilient and thriving communities for future generations [with] programs that employ a unique framework weaving together cosmology, deep ecology, somatic resiliency work and other time-tested processes that usher us towards dissolving our borders and discovering our deepest belonging—to ourselves, to each other, to the Earth and to the greater mystery.”
School of Lost Borders – “...offers vision fasts and rites of passage training which cultivate self-trust, responsibility, and understanding about ones' unique place within society and the natural world. Its programs provide guided opportunities, perspectives, teachings, and much needed self-reflection time in a non-judgmental yet challenging environment.”
Mindfulness, Meditation, & Spiritual Growth
Spiritrock – Buddhist meditation center in Marin County with frequent evening programs, workshops, and retreats on Insight Meditation (also known as vipassana or mindfulness).
East Bay Meditation Center – “...is an independent center located in downtown Oakland, offering meditation training and spiritual teachings from Buddhist and other wisdom traditions, with attention to social action, multiculturalism, and the diverse populations of the East Bay and beyond. Programs include meditation classes, daylong retreats, sitting groups, workshops, and classes.”
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) – free online version of the widely used and evidence-based 8-week MBSR course
Living Myth Podcast – mythologist Michael Meade sharing timeless wisdom inspired by myths from around the world
Psychology & Healing Resources
Rick Hanson – neuroscience research on happiness, confidence, resilience with videos, audiobooks, podcast, and more.
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) – helps people rethink and restructure the way in which they express themselves and listen to others, and is based in helping us identify what our needs are and be able to communicate those clearly. This form of communication can promote greater self-awareness and personal growth, and foster deeper interpersonal relationships.
Great Books for Wholeness & Transformation
Relationships & Attachment
Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships: Healing the Wound of the Heart – John Welwood
Wired for Love: How Understanding Your Partner's Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and and Build a Secure Relationship – Stan Tatkin
Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love – Sue Johnson
When the Past is Present: Healing the Emotional Wounds that Sabotage Our Relationships – David Richo
The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples – John Gottman
Trauma Recovery
My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies - Resmaa Menakem, MSW, LICSW
Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart – Dr. Laurel Parnell
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind & Body in the Healing of Trauma – Bessel van der Kolk
Recovery from Trauma, Addiction, or Both: Strategies for Finding Your Best Self – Lisa Najavits
Anxiety & Depression
The Depression Book: Depression as an Opportunity for Spiritual Growth – Cheri Huber
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness – Williams, Teasdale, Segal & Kabat-Zinn
Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope – Johann Hari
The Anxiety & Worry Workbook: The Cognitive Behavioral Solution – Clark & Beck
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook – Davis & Eshelman
Shame & Self-Esteem
The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love - Sonya Renee Taylor
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha – Tara Brach
Healing the Core Wound of Unworthiness: The Gift of Redemptive Love – Adyashanti (audiobook only)
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are – Brene Brown
Soul without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within – Byron Brown
Healing the Shame that Binds You – John Bradshaw
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself – Kristin Neff
Mindfulness, Buddhist Psychology, & Neuroscience
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life – John Kabat-Zinn
The Wise Heart – A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology – Jack Kornfield
Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm & Confidence – Rick Hanson
Meditations to Change Your Brain: Rewire Your Neural Pathways to Change Your Life – Rick Hanson (Audiobook only)
Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness – Mark Epstein
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Workbook – Stahl & Goldstein
Ecopsychology
Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're In Without Going Crazy - Joanna Macy
Soulcraft: Crossing in the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche – Bill Plotkin
Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche – Bill Plotkin
Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World – Bill Plotkin
Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind – Roszak, Gomes & Kanner
Depth Psychology
Awakening the Soul: A Deep Response to a Troubled World – Michael Meade
The Search for the Beloved: Journeys in Mythology & Sacred Psychology – Jean Houston
The Soul's Code: In Search of Character & Calling – James Hillman
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths & Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype – Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth & Sacredness in Everyday Life – Thomas Moore
Sexuality
Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life – Emily Nagoski
Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the 21st Century – Barbara Carrellas
Women's Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Treasure – Sheri Winston
Non-Monogamy
The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love – Janet Hardy & Dossie Easton
Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships – Tristan Taormino
Psycho-Spiritual Inquiry
The Most Important Thing: Discovering Truth at the Heart of Life – Adyashanti
Loving What is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life – Byron Katie
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times – Pema Chodron
Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life – Jack Kornfield
Psychedelic Integration
Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth – Francoise Bourzat
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys – James Fadiman
Other Recommendations
Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up - James Hollis
Tapping In: A Step by Step Guide to Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation – Dr. Laurel Parnell
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life – Marshall Rosenberg
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert