Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Sue Johnson

Hold Me Tight is written by the founder of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, which is the theory and approach I use in my own couples therapy. This book is written for the general public, and uses the underlying theory of EFT – attachment theory – to help couples move closer together. While no book can replace couples therapy, Hold Me Tight is still a valuable handbook for any couple.

Divorce Poison: Protecting the Parent-Child Bond From a Vindictive Ex by Richard Warshak

I was turned on to Divorce Poison by a co-therapist, and I've had several clients who have felt that it speaks to their own experience of Divorce Poison: when your ex-spouse is trying – intentionally or not – to turn your children against you; when the anger and bitterness of the divorce spills over onto the kids. Warshak does a good job of describing the different forms that Divorce Poison can take and how you as a parent can combat it while not poisoning the children yourself.

Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison

Night Falls Fast is a classic on the subject of suicide, written by a practicing psychiatrist who has come face to face with her own suicidal impulses while battling bipolar disorder. She writes with compassion and authority, both as an educated expert and as a person who deals with her own mental illness on a daily basis. I recommend this both for people who are themselves dealing with depression and for their friends and family members.