I recommend you either search on Google or Amazon for the recommended products.  We just wanted to have a list of things we recommend regularly for educating or helping you heal. Our recommendations are based on our experience of what helps ourselves and on what our clients state they find or found helpful.

Recommended Books

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Vanderkolk – This book is the beginning of understanding what is happening in our brains and bodies from trauma.

Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro – If you are interested in EMDR, this book is for you.

Lundy Bancroft books – Lundy Bancroft has studied and written about abusive men, all of his books are helpful in understanding these men which is a first step in healing and choosing your path.

Stalking the Soul by Marie-France Hirigoyen – This book brings the concept of the destruction of identity that occurs with emotional abuse.  

Trauma Stewardship by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky – This book is for people who work with those who have been traumatized such as therapists, DCS workers, first responders and others.  It helps us learn how to care for ourselves in this work.

Books by Brene Brown – Brene Brown is a qualitative researcher of emotions.  All of her books are helpful but the best starting point is “Atlas of the Heart” which I highly recommend in the hardcover.  Try reading a few of hers.

Cloud and Townsend Boundaries resources – Searching them on Amazon will get you a page of many of their resources and you can choose what age level as well. We tend to think that drawing boundaries is about telling other people what we want them to do or not do and those people following it.  But instead, they are about our determining for ourselves what our boundaries are and our maintaining them when others try to cross them.

Character Disturbance by George Simon – This book is a good overview of people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  It helps increase understanding.

In Sheep’s Clothing by George Simon – Have you known a person who initially seems like the best and most wonderful person but as you really get to know them, become close, perhaps intimate, it seems like they are a different and scary person?  That is what he writes about in this book.

Violence in Families by Reverend Al Miles – This book is written by a pastor for Christians to understand the issue of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence: What every pastor should know by Reverend Al Miles – This book is written to address issues pastors tend to struggle with when it comes to domestic violence.  This includes showing how divorce is biblical in these situations.

Parenting Books recommended by Dafna Lender, click here.  I highly recommend all of the books that Dafna recommends, she is looking at parenting from the lens of how to develop emotionally healthy kids.  There are needs that children and adolescents have and often our instincts as parents will steer us in the wrong direction.

Recommended products for helping the body on the road to healing

The Body Back Buddy – You can google this or search it on Amazon, I highly recommend the classic or elite body back buddy.  It provides trigger point massage that you can do to yourself and as intense as you choose.

TriggerPoint massage tools – The name of the company is “TriggerPoint”.  I highly recommend the foam rollers and contour massage cane stick though I would imagine all of their tools work very well.

Microwaveable Heating Pads – I started dancing at age 3 and received a B.S. in Dance Education.  Through my years dancing I learned a lot about healing sore muscles.  Did you know that dry heat that you get with electric heating pads tends to iron in your pain, not relieve it.  You need moist heat for healing and relief.  Microwaveable heating pads provide this.  Pick the one that looks best for your needs.

Triggerpoint massage ball – You can google “Triggerpoint tools” or search on Amazon.  For those of you who have seen me at my office, you know I have one of these in my chair and I will put it behind me in the chair and lean back on it.  Sometimes I put it under my scapula, sometimes I use it for a hip area or upper leg area but the point is, it works.  I highly recommend this for those who sit in chairs a lot.

Recommended Products to Help Parents 

My Spark Toolbox for Self-Regulation – This is a box of feelings and emotions cards that provide calming strategies for kids, excellent for teaching ways to calm their nervous systems.

Recommended Products for Migraines

Many people who have encountered trauma also struggle with migraines, I do as well.  I am including some items that help me.

The Headache Hat – This is an ice pack that you can refreeze.  It is easy to put on via velcro and it works well for me.  I don’t always have to take a medication if I do this fast enough.

DoTerra Deep Blue Oil – I have utilized a number of oils but nothing has helped my migraines better than DoTerra’s Deep Blue.  I put the oil in a roller bottle and I rub it at the base of my skull on the back of my neck.  It has a cooling feel to it and the scent helps my migraine.  I cannot handle man made scents but this oil is the one scent that actually makes me feel better.  I highly recommend it for catching the migraine early or in combination with a milder medication.  It truly is wonderful.