Below is a set of resources (in no particular order) that I sometimes suggest to people and that people have told me they find helpful. Many of the resources could’ve been placed in several categories as there’s lots of overlap between them. I encourage you to follow your intuition as you look through this list and check out what seems like it might feel helpful to you. Like us all, these resources aren’t perfect so I encourage you to move on from anything that isn’t fitting for you.
If you’re going to be reading something that might feel triggering, I encourage you to think about how to take care of yourself before, during and after doing some reading. And pace yourself – take breaks and take your time – there’s no need to rush your process.
I am interested in hearing feedback so if you have thoughts about these resources or ones you think I should add, feel free to reach out.
Interpersonal Neurobiology – using info about the brain/nervous system to help ourselves feel better and navigate relationships
Julianne (Jules) Taylor Shore’s book “Setting Boundaries that Stick” www.julestaylorshore.com/book and podcasts describing boundaries/neurobiology like Therapy Chat www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZ_sAZGDFA and Couples Therapist Couch www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Aszq7vG3eU and www.couplestherapistcouch.com/blog/254-boundaries-neurobiology-with-juliane-taylor-shore and ShrinkChicks www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rUXYZ1BmOA
Also, Jules hosts a podcast about relationships here www.whydoesmypartner.com/episodes
Anxiety
Anxiety Canada website: https://www.anxietycanada.com/learn-about-anxiety/anxiety-in-adults/
TIPP skills including the “diver’s reflex”: psychology today article here, this article http://kindmindpsych.com/using-the-divers-reflex-to-regulate-emotional-intensity/ and also the youtube channel mindfullywell has a 2 part video demonstration
Cognitive defusion: https://www.csamsandiego.com/blog/tag/cognitive+defusion
Tolerance for Uncertainty, a COVID-19 workbook (a guide to accept your feelings, tolerate distress and thrive): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wVkHai96zxHP55b4S70FnL7YjnP0Y_fd/view
Dr Daniel Wendler (an Autistic Psychologist) writes about anxiety/avoidance re why you can’t motivate yourself even when you want to: writing.danielwendler.com/p/the-problem-with-shia-labeouf
Apps/Tech: Mindshift app by Anxiety Canada; Headspace app; Calm app; Muse headband
Sensory Grounding (tools to cope with intense emotions)
https://www.beautyafterbruises.org/blog/grounding101
https://strengthsofallparts.com/orient-with-your-5-senses
Sleep
10 self-care tips to help you sleep, according to science: https://www.bustle.com/p/10-self-care-tips-to-help-you-sleep-according-to-science-9760720
What really works when you’re too anxious to fall asleep: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/thinking-before-sleep_n_6572262
Depression
Mindful Way through Depression (book) by Williams and Teasdale
Dr Daniel Wendler (an Autistic Psychologist) writes about anxiety/avoidance re why you can’t motivate yourself even when you want to: writing.danielwendler.com/p/the-problem-with-shia-labeouf
KC Davis’ book How To Keep House While Drowning and website resources to help with chores, hygiene and movement https://www.strugglecare.com/resources/#home-care
Mind Over Mood (a CBT-based) workbook including chapters about anxiety and depression
Eating/food resources that challenge diet culture
Christy Harrison (an anti-diet dietician): her podcast FoodPsych, her social media resources, and her book Anti-Diet: https://christyharrison.com/
Maintenance Phase podcast: debunking the junk science behind health/wellness/weight loss fads https://www.maintenancephase.com
Health At Every Size (the book) by Lindo Bacon
Sheena’s Place toronto: free Peer Support groups
Livia Sara is an autistic person and an eating disorder survivor. Her blogposts provide neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder information including recognizing stim eating for self-regulation: www.livlabelfree.com/blog/autism-and-binge-eating-part-2
ADHD resources
Dr. Neff’s Neurodivergent Insights Blog about ADHD and about autism: https://neurodivergentinsights.com including her posts about the ADHD Interest-based Nervous System: neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-motivation/
neurodivergentinsights.com/adhd-attention
ADDitude magazine’s website, podcasts and free webinars: https://www.additudemag.com/
Women with ADHD: www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-add/adhd-in-adults/add-women/
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-add/adhd-brain/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria/
Jessica McCabe’s youtube channel, How to ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q including home organization hacks that work with your neurodivergence and collabs with clutterbug
Clutterbug ADHD-friendly home organizing that is simple and practical: youtube.com/@Clutterbug
Shrinkchicks podcast on youtube – two therapists with ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkXy4iK_cfc
Sensory Processing
ADDitude magazine’s website section on SPD: www.additudemag.com/sensory-processing-disorder-in-adults/
Neurodivergent Insights blog from Psychologist Dr. Neff who has ADHD and is on the Autism spectrum including this post about discovering your sensory preferences: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/sensory-preferences-the-complete-checklist and this general post about sensory systems and ways to work with your tendency to over/under-responding: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/8-senses and this post about understanding sensory overload on neurodivergentinsights and she has a sensory trigger checklist you can download if you subscribe to her weekly blogposts.
Webinar mini-series from Autism Ontario re Exploring the Senses by Occupational Therapist Bethany Bruin: www.autismontario.com/node/876
Autism Spectrum resources
The self-administered questionnaire – the Autism Spectrum Quotient: https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient
Samantha Craft’s unofficial checklist for women/AFAB folks: https://the-art-of-autism.com/females-and-aspergers-a-checklist/
Neurodivergent Insights blog from Psychologist Dr. Megan Neff who has ADHD and is on the Autism spectrum: https://neurodivergentinsights.com
Psychologist Devon Price’s book called Unmasking Autism and the many podcasts he’s been on discussing it (fyi he’s trans and autistic)
Seren Sterling’s post on unmasking as more like unearthing: https://poweredbylove.ca/2023/07/22/shifting-my-unmasking-from-revealing-to-unearthing/
Dr Daniel Wendler (an Autistic Psychologist) writes about two forms of self-care (self-soothing and self-nourishment): neurodivergentinsights.com/two-forms-self-care
and he writes about anxiety/avoidance re why you can’t motivate yourself even when you want to: writing.danielwendler.com/p/the-problem-with-shia-labeouf
Tony Attwood’s website, youtube videos and books: https://www.tonyattwood.com.au/about-aspergers-m
Growing up with Emotionally Immature Parents / Childhood Emotional Neglect
Jonice Webb’s article about signs of emotionally neglectful parents on medium.com here
Jonice Webb’s affirmations for healing from childhood emotional neglect: https://psychcentral.com/blog/childhood-neglect/2019/02/38-daily-affirmations-for-healing-your-childhood-emotional-neglect#5
Affirmation cards: https://www.jennseeley.com/blogs/therapy-blog
Jonice Webb’s youtube channel, email list, her book running on empty: https://drjonicewebb.com/
and her many articles here: https://drjonicewebb.medium.com including articles about recognizing childhood emotional neglect in adulthood, setting boundaries with parents, communication in relationships, and many many more
Glennon Doyle’s podcast, We Can Do Hard Things, particularly the episodes with Dr. Becky re re-parenting yourself: https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/
Dr. Lindsay Gibson’s book Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. There are also podcasts interviewing her about the book
Boundaries
Julianne (Jules) Taylor Shore’s book “Setting Boundaries that Stick” www.julestaylorshore.com/book and podcasts describing boundaries/neurobiology like Therapy Chat www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBZ_sAZGDFA and ShrinkChicks www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rUXYZ1BmOA
Nedra Tawwab’s resources on social media and youtube, and her book ‘Set boundaries, find peace’ and the accompanying workbook and her podcast appearances on shrinkchicks https://www.nedratawwab.com/
Dr. Nicole LePera aka The Holistic Psychologist’s resources on social media and her book How to do The Work (note: there’s a section in this book re eating that does not fit with my anti-diet beliefs/approach).
The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy workbook by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, Jeffrey Brantley (chapters on communication skills)
Parenting
Parenting strategies from Dr Becky Kennedy on her Good Inside podcast, the Good Inside book, and on episodes of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast
Dr Ross Greene’s Collaborative Problem Solving approach: search Google/youtube for free videos/resources
Grief
Coping with grief and loss guide: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm
Gender Identity
A guide for families supporting youth: https://ctys.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CTYS-FIT-Guide-2020-English-1.pdf
Resources for parents compiled by therapist Lindsay Elin: https://lindsayelinpsychotherapy.com/resources-for-parents-of-trans-youth/
Self-Compassion
Dr. Kristin Neff’s tedtalk, guided meditations and resources: https://self-compassion.org/
Brené Brown
The Power of Vulnerability tedtalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en
The Call to Courage on Netflix
Brené Brown with Dr. Susan David on The Dangers of Toxic Positivity, Part 1 of 2
And her many books and podcasts at https://brenebrown.com/
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder / Hair-Pulling / Skin-Picking
Sunnybrook hospital guide re OCD for patients and families: https://sunnybrook.ca/uploads/1/departments/psychiatry/ocd-information-guide-2015.pdf
Workbook Getting Over OCD: a 10-step workbook for taking back your life (I don’t love the name of this but I especially like chapter 1 which many people I’ve offered it to have found helpful and validating)
Shrinkchicks podcast on youtube with OCD-specialist Alegra Kastens LMFT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPlCO1RgY28
Body-focused repetitive behaviours website www.bfrb.org with resources including:
The Great Big List of Favourite Fiddles (Stimulation substitutes): https://www.bfrb.org/blog/1-blog/679-the-great-big-list-of-favorite-fiddles
List of Strategies for Skin-Picking: https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/treatment/self-help/127-rs-list-of-strategies-for-skin-picking-49-im-using-42-i-could-try
Positive Psychology
Tedtalks on research about what makes people feel happier and more fulfilled: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/positive-psychology-ted-talks/
Dr. Martin Seligman’s tedtalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology?language=en
VIA Character Strengths Questionnaire is about half way down on the questionnaire centre page: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter click on the test and it will ask you to login or register. Registration is here: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/user/register
katarina maatta-hebdon 