The inspiration for this article came from the fact that friends, acquaintances and clients often ask me to recommend books related to my field. In this article, I briefly present the first books that came to mind which, when I read them and connected with the author, gave me something significant not only for my own journey, but also for my role as a co-traveller of my clients and what I could offer them.
The first book that came to mind was ”The Gift of Therapy” by Yalom which easily gave me the foundations for how I can exist in the role of the therapist. I think it is quite specialised for a non-professional, though it might be useful for someone who wants to experience psychotherapy from the therapist's perspective, to see what the “anatomy” of the process looks like and what to expect from it. All his other books (“Love's Executioner”, “Momma and the Meaning of Life”, “The Schopenhauer Cure”, etc.) I consider exceptional, not only for understanding the therapeutic process, but also because by connecting with the author through the text, the interested reader recognises parts of themselves whose recognition is capable of prompting them to reflect in a new and creative way on who they are, what they want and where they are going.
I warmly welcome any literary work that highlights the depth of human traumatic experiences while at the same time bringing out their universal dimensions – especially when this is done scientifically by people who have deeply explored both their own trauma and the traumas of their clients, and therefore in a way that is both incisive and awakening for society as a whole. I can recommend two books available in English as well, and I also suggest following the talks and any material by these two respective authors:
The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk)
When the Body Says No (Gabor Maté)
Starting my professional journey as a physiotherapist and later as a psychologist and psychotherapist, studying and training in somatically focused psychotherapy approaches as well, I can say with certainty that the western world, through western thinking, has reached a point where it has lost touch with the body and its senses. We have ended up being born and dying far from the warm bodies of our loved ones amidst cold hospital tiles. Although I believe it will take quite a few years for a shift in social representations to take place, neuroscience has helped us realise that not only does the brain control the body, but the body also controls the brain. Every time I am amazed by how somatic psychotherapy techniques bring up psychological material, memories and experiences deeply hidden in the somatic unconscious which – naturally – are an absolute treasure for a person's therapeutic growth. To sum up, these two authors speak experientially and with scientific data about truths that help on a personal level and shock on a socio-political level, going against the modern current of “consume in order to exist”. .
I will continue by recommending the book “The Drama of the Gifted Child” by Alice Miller which I consider to be one of those books where (as I sometimes characteristically say) “you enter therapy along with it”. I find it quite enlightening for anyone who genuinely wishes to connect with their inner world and discover aspects, pitfalls and tendencies of theirs that both benefit them and keep them stuck in a life with a huge emotional cost. It describes situations that are bread and butter for every modern psychotherapist, which they encounter on a daily basis.
I will close this list with a book I read recently, “Homo Stupidus” by Giannis Laimodetis which I was very glad to find has put into writing thoughts and ideas that have deeply concerned me for years. It explores questions such as, “where is humanity heading?”, “how did we get to where we are?”, and leaves the question “is there hope?” unanswered. Optimistically pessimistic, I stand before these questions and invite you too to stand with courage before the truth that we all ultimately see and sweep under the rug, though I very much fear that the rug has bulged so much that the moment we trip over it is fast approaching…
Concluding this article, I want to point out that books are extremely helpful for many reasons and pave the way for us to move forward on our therapeutic journey. However, both in my own journey and in other people's, I observe and confirm that most of the time they act as the trigger and the beginning of a deeper introspection and change, since human beings are traumatised and healed within relationships and not through books. In my early, timid beginnings, following my desire to know who I am, a great many books and my connection with their authors supported me and gave me courage and hope to take the next step and get in touch with people. It is truly wonderful to be able to draw strength, inspiration for life, and (especially in the most difficult moments) hope from someone who wrote a book and has been in the exact place one finds oneself at that moment. In conclusion, I believe that books are a wonderful opportunity for all of us, both for starting a deeper introspection which necessarily takes place in the presence of another person (for example, a romantic relationship, a therapeutic relationship, a therapeutic group, etc.) and as timeless supports along the path of our lives. They give us the unique opportunity to interact with people and ideas we would never have known otherwise had they not been written down on a piece of paper.
I invite you to be open as you read the above books, to stay in touch with your body and your senses, and every now and then to take a short break and ask yourselves, “how did I feel about this phrase?” If you sense a tightness in your stomach, a lump in your throat or a need to pull away from the book, that is precisely the moment when the opportunity truly opens up to connect with yourself through the material the book brings you into contact with. Stay with those moments – do not fear them, and with curiosity and courage explore, asking yourselves “what does this mean for me?”.
Happy “journey”!