Created by Alex Norvell
Cultural awareness, empathy, and understanding of someone's lived experiences are just one part of understanding a client's mental health struggles. My project aims to curate a list of books that helps bridge that gap between counselor and client by providing firsthand accounts and reliable sources on mental health struggles within diverse communities. All the books below can help counselors understand and explore the unique mental health challenges many people face in different cultural groups. The list includes stories from Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, Romani, and Pacific Islander communities. These books will help offer counselors insight into different cultures' ideas on mental health, the systemic barriers they face, the historical trauma, and their personal healing journeys. These resources could help a counselor understand the clients' culture better without placing the burden of education on the client. These books can help the counselor contextualize the client's experience within a larger societal and historical framework and help to offer a more culturally competent and effective counseling approach. These books may benefit both the counselor and the client. These books could help the client see their struggles reflected in other people's stories, as well as validate their feelings and burdens. Research in the Journal of Counseling Psychology shows that bibliotherapy works, and using literature as a therapeutic tool helps clients process emotions, develop coping strategies, and feel connected. When using bibliotherapy in counseling, counselors can use books to help with having a healing conversation that encourages the clients to explore and understand mental health through a multicultural lens (Byrd et al., 2021). By using books like the ones curated in this list, counselors can practice a more empathetic and educated approach to mental health care and make their sessions a more supportive and validating space for clients of all backgrounds.
Isabel Fonseca
A cultural studies book that explores the Romani culture and history, covering the marginalization, cultural survival, and psychological impact of discrimination on their community.
Dr. Edith Eva Eger
A memoir and self-help book that covers a woman's survival and personal healing from trauma. A Holocaust survivor and psychologist shares her journey and offers insights into resilience, forgiveness, and the power of choice in healing.
Mark Long
A graphic novel that follows the story of a Black activist and white journalist during the Civil Rights Movement. Provides a look at the psychological impact of racism and activism, helping to understand racial trauma and resilience.
Lani Wendt Young
A book of short stories that shows the struggles of Samoan and mixed-race women. Explores identity, gender expectations, and emotional resilience.
Valerie Luiselli
A nonfiction book that sheds light on the mental and emotional toll of migration, particularly on Latin American children who have to navigate the U.S. immigration system.
Erika L. Sanchez
A young adult fiction novel that follows a Mexican American teen who is struggling with depression, grief, and the pressures of cultural expectations.
Ahed Tamimi & Dena Takruri
A memoir that tells the story of a Palestinian activist and shows the trauma of political oppression and the psychological toll of conflict and resilience in the face of systemic violence.
Rupi Kaur
A self-help book told through poetry that guides and explores healing through creative expression, addressing trauma, self-worth, and emotional resilience. Helpful for South Asia and immigrant communities.
Eduardo Duran
A psychology book that helps bridge the gap between Indigenous healing traditions and Western psychology. Discusses historical trauma, generational grief, and cultrually sensitive therapy for Native American communities.
Stan Grant
A memoir that reflects on Indigenous Australian identity, racism, and the psychological impact of historical injustice.
Bessel van der Kolk
A foundational book about trauma's impact on the body and brain, which covers PTSD, healing through therapy, and the mind-body connection.
Anne Fadiman
A nonfiction book that explores the intersection of Hmong culture and Western medicine and focuses on cultural misunderstandings in mental health and healthcare.
Monica A. Coleman
A memoir that shares the deeply personal story of a Black women navigating bipolar disorder, depression, and the intersection of mental health and spirituality.
Linda Villarosa
A nonfiction that investigates the devastating health consequences of systemic racism in the U.S. Covers issues such as stress, healthcare disparities, and racial trauma.
Rheeda Walker
A nonfiction, self-help book that addressed the unique mental health struggles faced by Black Americans. Explores the impact of systemic racism, stigma, and generational trauma.
Sophia Al-Maria
A memoir that narrates the experience of a biracial Arab American woman who is trying to navigate her cultural identity, belonging, and self-discovery.
Eva Hoffman
A memoir that delves into the Polish-Jewish immigrant experience in North America and the struggles with identity crisis, cultural displacement, and the emotional struggles of addapting to a new language and environment.
Adib Khorram
A young adult fiction novel that follows an Iranian American teen's journey with depression, identity, and family expectations.
Cathy Park Hong
A memoir told in essays that examines the racial trauma, identity struggles, and psychological toll of being Asian American in a society that often ignores their existence.
Thenmozhi Soundararajan
A nonfiction book that examines the mental and emotional toll of caste oppression in South Asian communities. Covers intergenerational trauma, discrimination, and different ways to heal.