Resources
Read, watch & listen
Here you will find links to some recommended resources. It can be helpful to learn more about specific things covered in therapy in between sessions – and so we may suggest reading/listening/watching/completing some of the resources below.
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ASD in girls
autisticgirlsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Keeping-it-all-inside.pdf
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Adults
This is a Scotland based service for adults with autism. They run workshops and groups such as late diagnosis and parents groups among others.
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Information about trauma and access to a stabilisation pack:
cnwl.nhs.uk/services/mental-health-services/cnwl-trauma-informed-approaches-tia
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Incredible Conversation by Bettina Hohnen and Jane Gilmour. This podcast helps parents navigate through tricky conversations in a way that focuses on positivity and growth.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/incredible-conversation/id1513737413
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The Good Mood Clinic Podcast by Justine Corrie and Gemma Gladstone is a schema therapy based podcast which provides discussions around commonly experienced difficulties.
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Box breathing –youtube.com/watch?v=tEmt1Znux58&ab_channel=SunnybrookHospital
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Jay Shetty on anxiety in relation to perceived societal pressures: youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=yEZFQGcHCaY
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HeadStuck! What is Experiential Avoidance? by the Career Psychologist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ZuqeyxULM
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Listening to Shame (Ted Talk). Brené Brown. ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame?language=en
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What is Depression? Mayo Clinic: youtube.com/watch?v=d7NPnvKFs2Y
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What is Anxiety? Mayo Clinic: youtube.com/watch?v=UR6ZUJsnV1E
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What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)? Beck Institute: youtube.com/watch?v=IlmaA5nToYM
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What is EMDR? Emdria: emdria.org/blog/new-what-is-emdr-therapy-video/
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Thought Diary with explanation of the thinking traps:
beckinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Thought-Record-Worksheet.pdf
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Self Esteem – Challenging our assumptions and rules for living:
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Goal setting worksheet:
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Goal_Setting_Worksheet.pdf
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Acceptance of difficult feelings worksheet:
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Expansion_Practice_Form.pdf
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Mindfulness practice record:
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Informal_Mindfulness_Exercises.pdf
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Values worksheets:
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Values_Questionnaire.pdf
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Long_Bull’s_Eye_Worksheet.pdf
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Commitment to action worksheet:
thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Willingness_and_Action_Plan.pdf
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Depression and Anxiety
Overcoming Depression: A Self-Help Guide using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques. Paul Gilbert. This book provides a comprehensive overview of what depression is, how it is maintained, how to recognise how it impacts upon thinking and behaviour and ways to address these. The author guides the reader through developing more self-and-other compassionate thinking and behaviour and is an excellent resource for people who are struggling with depression.
Manage your Mind. Gillian Butler, Nick Grey & Tony Hope. This book provides very helpful overviews of common mental health difficulties and guides the reader through helpful practices to address these problems.
Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel By Changing The Way You Think. Dennis Greenberger & Christine A Padesky. This book has helpful chapters and worksheets on anxiety, depression, anger, guilt and shame.
Overcoming Mood Swings. Jan Scott. This self help book addresses extreme mood swings and provides helpful practical strategies to monitor and improve these patterns.
How to Help Someone with Anxiety. Rachael M Allan provides helpful insights into what is helpful when trying to help someone you care about when they have anxiety. She gives tips on how to start the right conversations and how to listen well.
How to Help Someone with Depression. Emma Cotterill provides an easily understandable overview of depression which guides the reader through ways of helping another with depression as well as how to take care of yourself in this helping role.
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Trauma
Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: A Workbook for Survivors and Therapists. Janina Fisher. The book makes complex information highly accessible and provides thought-provoking activities to encourage an understanding of complex trauma.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Bessel van der Kolk. This book provides a detailed explanation of how experiences of trauma can impact us in profound ways. The author encourages a holistic approach to healing that incorporates caring for the mind and body as well as targeting key cognitions.
Trauma is Really Strange. Steve Haines. This comic book style explanation of trauma is a refreshing read on how trauma can impact the brain, mind and body. The author provides a witty, yet informative account and introduces important practices for releasing trauma from the body.
Breaking Negative Thinking Patterns. Laura Seebauer and Gitta Jacob. This schema therapy book provides helpful explanations of how we develop certain coping modes in response to our childhood environments, how these coping modes may keep us stuck in dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaviour, and how to develop healthier, more sustainable coping styles.
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving. Pete Walker, who himself has had complex PTSD, provides and informative and gentle account of what occurs for people when their core needs are not met in childhood. He provides validation as well as helpful practices to use on the path to healing.
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Self-Esteem
Overcoming Low Self-Esteem. Melanie Fennell. This CBT-based book guides the reader through how low self-esteem develops, how it is maintained and how to tackle it. It is a very helpful book in it’s own right and we often recommend it alongside our therapeutic work.
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General
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? In this interesting book, Julie Smith explains why we may respond the way we do emotionally to life stressors. She explains how the mind works, normalises common adverse reactions and encourages the reader to develop and practice helpful coping mechanisms.
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Help for parents, children and adolescents
The Incredible Teenage Brain. Bettina Hohnen, Jane Gilmour & Tara Murphy. This book provides an accessible explanation of the complex brain development that occurs during adolescence and presents real life examples of how to help parents communicate with their teenage children successfully.
The What to Do When… series of books by Dawn Huebner are a helpful read for both children and adults. They offer a creative and understandable explanation of common difficulties experienced in youth and adulthood and have fun illustrations to capture attention:
What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems With Anger. Dawn Huebner
What to Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Negativity. Dawn Huebner
What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming OCD. Dawn Huebner.
What to Do When You Dread Your Bed: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems With Sleep. Dawn Huebner.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety. Dawn Huebner.