My Resource Shelf

By Stephenie Craig

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and focus on gratitude, this can be a time of reflection about how you’ve lived during 2026 and how you might want to focus on growth in the coming year. I find myself grateful for the many helpful resources along my journey. This month I’m sharing some of my favorite resources that have positively impacted me, my friends, and many of my clients.

If you’ve struggled with feeling guilty when you say “no,” overcommitting, an overfocus on the problems of those close to you, and not being able to separate your emotional experience from others, I recommend the following books:

“Boundaries” by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend (Christian)

“Codependent No More” by Melody Beattie

“The New Codependency” by Melody Beattie

If you struggle with feelings of shame (consistently feeling like something is wrong with or about you) or difficulty expressing vulnerability or making space for the vulnerable expression of others, I recommend the following books:

“I Thought It Was Just Me, But It Isn’t” by Brene Brown

“Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown

If you often feel like the world or other people are making your life hard and victimizing you in some way or you feel powerless to change difficult situations in your life, I recommend the following books:

“The Power of TED” by David Emerald

“The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins

If you struggle to work through mistakes and failure without spiraling into shame, I recommend the following book:

“Rising Strong” by Brene Brown

If you you find it difficulty to choose healthy people and relationships in your life, I recommend the following book: “Safe People” by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend (Christian)

If you have a feeling you need to end some kind of relationship or circumstance in your life and want help sorting through confusing feelings, I recommend the following book:

“Necessary Endings” by Dr. Henry Cloud (Christian)

If you struggle with overperforming, perfectionism, feeling you have to get everything right all of the time, and judging yourself/others harshly for mistakes, I recommend the following book:

“The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown

If you want to parent your children with respect for recent brain development research, connection, and healthy boundaries, I recommend the following books:

“Good Inside” by Dr. Becky Kennedy

“Good Inside with Dr. Becky” podcast

“The Whole Brain Child” by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne “Bryson No Drama Discipline” by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson

“The Connected Child” by Dr. Karyn Purvis, Dr. David Cross, Wendy Lyons Sunshine (This book is specifically written regarding children who have experienced hard things in early childhood such as trauma, foster care, etc. but great reading for any parent with a child that might be struggling.)

If you want to understand your behavior, personality, motivations and those of others better to improve your insight and relationships, I recommend the following resources:

“The Road Back to You” by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile (Enneagram Book) (Christian) Your Enneagram Coach, the Podcast (Christian)

If you want to work on connection and increased understanding in your marriage or couple relationship, I recommend the following resources:

The Secure Relationship Instagram with Julie Mennano @thesecurerelationship “Secure Love” by Julie Mennano

“Hold Me Tight” by Sue Johnson

“Safe Haven Marriage” by Dr Archibald D. Hart and Dr. Sharon May (Christian)

If you want to explore historical roots of behaviors that are causing you trouble in the present such as anger issues, avoidance, putting up walls, people pleasing, and approval seeking, I recommend the following books:

“The Internal Family Systems Therapy Workbook” by Richard Schwartz

“Boundaries for Your Soul” by Dr. Alison Cook and Kimberly June Miller (Christian)

“The Search For Significance” by Robert S. McGee (Christian)

If you are working through spiritual wounds or are working to balance spiritual and emotional health, I recommend the following book:

“Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” by Peter Scazzero (Christian)

If you are a Christian person who also struggles with Anxiety or Depression, or works with others who might struggle with Anxiety or Depression, I recommend the following book: “Hope for the Anxious and Depressed” by Hope A. Blanton and Christine B. Gordon

I recommend all of these books highly and consider them to be important reading for all humans. Try picking one that seems to apply to your current space in life and read or listen to the audiobook. Give yourself some time to integrate and apply your learnings into daily life.

Then, pick another and keep going. I hope you find something helpful in this list as you seek to grow and love others well. Find us at Journeybravely.com for counseling and coaching support along your journey.