Published on January 23, 2025 by Zencare Team.
We've pulled together some of our favorite mental health books we've read or been recommended in 2024. These suggestions come from mental health professionals, friends and fellow Zencare team members! With all recommendations, take these with a grain of salt. You might find that not every book on this list will be a good fit or good help to you, and you might find that even your own therapist doesn't recommend it — and that's totally fine!
Use this list to add some insightful reads to your TBR in 2025 (and beyond), especially if you've decided to focus on your mental health or therapy this year.
Happy reading!
1. Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Dr. Lindsay Gibson
Ever feel like your childhood left you with emotional baggage you didn’t ask for? This book helps you figure out how growing up with emotionally unavailable parents affects you today — and more importantly, how to break free from those patterns. It’s like having a wise friend guide you toward healthier relationships and self-acceptance. P.S. There's an accompanying workbook you can use with this book if you appreciate some exercises.
Review
I most loved how Gibson provides specific, tangible strategies for improving your ability to handle difficult emotions as well as techniques to develop healthy, reciprocal relationships. I believe that everyone could benefit from reading these sections - and this book as a whole - as Gibson's insights apply to handling all emotionally immature people, not just parents. For example, she provides a thorough list of traits and behaviors of emotionally mature people at the end of the book that amazed me with its accuracy and understanding of humans.
Ten out of five stars to this gem. I know I will come back to it both for my personal life and for my work as a mental health professional.
— Goodreads Review
2. Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller
Why do some relationships feel easy, and others feel like a total emotional rollercoaster? Attached breaks down how your attachment style shapes the way you love (and argue). Packed with simple tools and relatable examples, it’s basically Relationship 101 for anyone who wants to connect better with their partner.
Review
My psychiatrist recommended I read this book. I loved it. It helped me learn about myself, my boyfriend, and my friends. It helped me notice behaviors and such, and identify what I was doing and what I needed in a relationship.
It applies to those that are looking, and those that are in a relationship. It provides insight on your current relationship and talks you through learning to fix it, or ending it and how to have better ones. It was very helpful to understand myself and how to communicate my needs. It also gives great examples of what healthy relationships should look like.
— Amazon Review
3. Unf*ck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper
Ever feel like your brain is working against you? Dr. Faith Harper gets it — and she’s here with no-nonsense advice to help you tackle anxiety, depression, and all the other ways your brain might freak out. It’s science-based, super relatable, and honestly kind of funny. Think of it as tough love for your mental health. Just a heads up that there's a lot of swearing, and most people recommend the book vs. the audio book.
Review
I absolutely loved this book! I work in mental health, and recommend it all of the time. I found myself in a low point in life and knew that I had to do something. It took me shuffling it around “for another day” for months, and then a plant fell and the pot shattered, and it knocked this book down. I look at the mess on the floor and through the soil I see the title staring at me. If that wasn’t my sign that it was time, I don’t know what would have been! I read this book slowly, took notes. Took my time to really process each section. I wish that I knew there was a workbook! I essentially made my own, which was very helpful. But I would recommend buying the workbook! I loved the language used. The author is very intelligent and although she uses a lot of swearing, I felt that it made her more human and relatable. It was easy for me to understand the actual functions of the brain and to picture exactly what she was explaining. I’ve done trauma therapy in the past, but this is what worked for me. I’m FREE! Seriously. I really hope that this book works the same for others. I’m so so grateful.
— Amazon Review
4. Perfectly Hidden Depression by Margaret Robinson Rutherford, PhD, and Jennifer Marshall
Sometimes the most "put-together" people are the ones hiding the most pain. This book is here to help you unpack what’s really going on beneath the perfectionism and learn how to truly heal. It’s compassionate, relatable, and written for anyone who feels like they always have to "keep it together."
Review
I regret letting this book go unread for far too long. It is fantastic. A much needed resource for those struggling with perfectionism and depression, and the professionals that help them. The journaling reflections will be priceless to them!
If you don’t struggle with perfectly hidden depression, this book can give you insight and compassion for someone you know that does. Depression doesn’t have the same characteristics in everyone. That woman you know that seems to do everything effortlessly may be barely keeping it together inside.
While I would say that this book may be geared towards mothers and/or career women, the information is invaluable to all.
— Goodreads Review
5. The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care by Maybell Eequay
This adorable little book takes you on a self-care journey — frog style! Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need a reminder to slow down, this charming guide is full of gentle wisdom to help you take better care of yourself. This book is not a traditional self-help book, it's full of whimsical illustrations paired with practical tips for when you're down bad. It’s as cute as it is calming.
Review
I'm a grown-ass man going through trauma therapy and bought this on a whim after seeing the frog on social media. Reading it, I cried like a not-so-grown-ass man...then immediately purchased more copies to give to loved ones.
— Amazon Review
6. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith
Ever wish someone had just told you how to handle life’s toughest moments? Dr. Julie Smith has you covered. This book is packed with practical tips and easy-to-understand advice for managing emotions, building resilience, and taking care of your mental health. It’s like having a therapist cheering you on.
Review
I found this book to be wonderful. It lifted me up and accompanied me on a journey of regaining my independence. Julie Smith is educated and seemingly unbiased in terms of different therapeutical approaches. It’s clear she just wants to educate and help her readers, with all the different variations of approaches and self-help methods that exist. I will be referring back to different exercises in the book, especially the values chapter, when I need to reconnect with myself. This book takes a great approach on helping oneself and is empowering altogether.
— Amazon Review
7. When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest
Healing is messy, but Brianna Wiest makes it feel a little less overwhelming. In this beautiful collection of essays, she gently walks you through finding clarity, embracing growth, and transforming your pain into something meaningful. It’s warm, inspiring, and perfect for anyone on a healing journey.
Review
Overall, it is an insightful and empowering book that offers practical guidance for healing and personal growth. Brianna's compassionate approach and practical exercises make it a valuable resource for anyone seeking guidance and support on their healing journey. The book covers a wide range of topics related to healing and I think it's really important to approach the book with an open mind and choose the sections that resonate most with your own healing journey!
— Goodreads Review
8. It’s On Me: Accept Hard Truths, Discover Your Self, and Change Your Life by Sara Kuburic
Tired of feeling stuck? Sara Kuburic’s book is all about getting honest with yourself and taking back control of your life. With a mix of tough love and encouragement, this guide helps you own your choices, face the hard stuff, and start creating a life you actually love.
Review
I have been in counseling due to many life events that left me feeling lost in my life. My counselor recommended this book. This book has forced me to dig deep and I have learned so much about my past and why I deal with things the way I have for the past 67 years of my life. I’m not sure it would have been as beneficial if I was reading it on my own. You don’t have to be a millennial to gain insight from this book.
Update…I just finished this book with my counselor. It took 11 months to get through it. I am amazed how much this book has changed my life! Once you get through the first couple of chapters it gets better. It has helped me understand why I was the anxious person I was and where it came from. Inner child work is the best way to get to the root of your anxiety. I can’t thank Sara enough for her insight.
— Amazon Review
9. It’s Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel and Diana Fosha
Anxiety? Depression? What if there’s something deeper going on? This book introduces you to the idea of core emotions — like sadness, anger, and joy — and how understanding them can lead to real healing. It’s a compassionate, easy-to-read guide that shows you how to feel your feelings and actually start feeling better.
Review
Well, this is a book I'll have to do my best remembering because it's gonna leave my bookshelf, into the hands of my friends just to have the warm feeling of being accepted as a whole by the way Hilary writes, while at the same time being empowered and educated to look into yourself, diving deep until your core emotions. In a world where emotional education is definitely not a priority, there are big and small traumas hiding behind everybody's daily behaviour which will explode in a way or another, there's no way around it. And unfortunately, it's us having to deal with it all: ignoring, defending, exploding & recovering. With practical examples on the therapeutic process of dealing with things, with exercises that you can do to dig into your soul, with mindset shifts and an overall bubble of acceptance, this book is the first step on the road of healing.
— Goodreads Review