When Professional help seems out of reach, we recommend these organizations that have profoundly impacted the people we love or us.

Mental Health Support & Advocacy

Connecting individuals and families with leading national organizations dedicated to mental health education, community support, and specialized advocacy.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

NAMI offers free support groups for families and individuals affected by mental illness. Many who attend report that it is one of the most impactful and supportive steps they have ever taken.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)

Offers free support groups and resources for individuals navigating anxiety, depression, and co-occurring disorders.

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Provides specialized resources, community support, and education for individuals living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related disorders.

Emotions Anonymous (EA)

A 12-step program adapted for individuals seeking recovery from emotional difficulties. As noted in their preface, EA was formed by individuals who found a new way of life by adapting the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for emotional well-being.

Substance & Alcohol Recovery

Peer-led fellowships and community networks providing proven, structured support for individuals and families navigating alcohol recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

A widely recognized and highly effective fellowship focused on helping individuals recover from alcoholism through a structured 12-step program.

Al-Anon Family Groups

Highly recommended for individuals who have been affected by a relative or friend’s problem drinking. Al-Anon provides a supportive community to help families heal.

Buddhist-Based Recovery

Mindfulness-centered programs that utilize Buddhist principles and meditation practices to heal from substance and process addictions.

Recovery Dharma

A peer-led movement using Buddhist practices and principles to heal from all forms of addiction and process addictions—including substances, codependency, disordered eating, gambling, or technology.

Refuge Recovery

The original Buddhist-based recovery program utilizing mindfulness and meditation practice to ground recovery from addiction, utilizing similar core principles to Recovery Dharma.

Relationship & Family Dynamics

Support groups designed to help individuals heal from childhood dysfunction, overcome codependency, and build healthier relationships.

\Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA)

A fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. CoDA helps individuals who have learned to doubt their perceptions, discount their feelings, and overlook their own needs in an effort to comply with or avoid others.

Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families (ACA)

A program for individuals who grew up in dysfunctional homes (whether alcohol was present or not). ACA helps members identify and heal from "laundry list" traits that were developed as survival mechanisms in childhood but now disrupt adult life.

Eating & Food-Related Recovery

Compassionate communities offering structured programs and peer support for those seeking recovery from compulsive eating and food addiction.

Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

A community of individuals who support each other in recovering from compulsive eating and unhealthy food behaviors. OA welcomes anyone who feels they have a problematic relationship with food.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA)

A 12-step program based on the premise that food addiction is a biochemical disease occurring at a cellular level. FA focuses on managing addiction through the elimination of addictive foods, structured nutrition, and community support.

Reading list.

Writing is powerful. Get a journal, write down your thoughts and feelings, and be open and willing to the healing process as you choose a book that stands out to you.

Trauma, Healing & Mental Health. Powerful insights and evidence-based perspectives on how the mind and body process trauma, anxiety, and emotional pain.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD

A seminal work on how trauma reshapes both body and brain, and the innovative, somatic treatments (like yoga, neurofeedback, and theater) that help people reclaim their lives.

Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety by Dr. David Burns

An incredible, actionable guide that introduces rapid, powerful tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help readers identify and dismantle negative thought patterns.

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

A deeply compassionate shift from asking "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?", reframing how we view behavioral and emotional struggles.

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine

A groundbreaking look at how trauma is a physical, somatic experience trapped in the body, and how we can tap into our natural instincts to release it.

In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter Levine

An enrichment of Levine's somatic work, blending clinical psychology, neuroscience, and biology to show how the body holds the key to emotional recovery.

When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Dr. Gabor Maté

A profound exploration of the mind-body connection, demonstrating how chronic emotional stress and repressed emotions can manifest as physical illness.

Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy by Francine Shapiro

The creator of EMDR therapy shares practical, life-changing techniques to help readers understand why they overreact to certain triggers and how to rewire those pathways.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

A deeply relatable, humorous, and moving look behind the scenes of therapy, exploring the universal human struggles that bring us to healing.

Grief, Loss & Resilience

Compassionate and realistic companions for navigating the painful, nonlinear journey of losing a loved one or facing a major life transition.

It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine

A profound shift in how we view grief, offering validating advice for navigating loss in a culture that often tries to "fix" or rush sadness.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

A brilliantly written, intensely candid memoir detailing the chaos and quiet realities of sudden grief and mourning.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

A practical and touching blend of personal memoir and psychological research on how to find meaning and redefine life after a devastating loss.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodrön

An indispensable collection of Buddhist-inspired wisdom on how to find ground, courage, and unexpected joy when everything feels like it's unraveling.

How Good Do We Have to Be?: A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness by Harold S. Kushner

A deeply comforting look at human imperfection, offering a gentle pathway to self-forgiveness and relief from the exhausting pressure to be perfect.

Recovery, Addiction & Habits

Practical strategies and memoirs centered around breaking free from addiction, rewiring behavior, and finding everyday freedom.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Dr. Gabor Maté

A compassionate, groundbreaking look at addiction not as a moral failure or a simple disease, but as a deeply rooted response to trauma and environmental pain.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

While not strictly an addiction book, its framework on how tiny, daily habits shape our identity is incredibly powerful for anyone building a life in recovery.

We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life by Laura McKowen

A modern, deeply honest memoir about sobriety that reframes recovery not as a sad consequence of addiction, but as a profound privilege.

Relationship Dynamics & Codependency

Essential reading for understanding family systems, setting boundaries, and establishing self-worth.

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie

The definitive guide to understanding codependency, breaking free from controlling behaviors, and learning how to care for yourself first.

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

A life-changing book for understanding how parental emotional unavailability impacts adult relationships, and how to heal old childhood wounds.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

A practical guide on how to set healthy boundaries to protect your emotional energy and build mutually respectful relationships.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

A life-changing guide to wholehearted living that encourages readers to let go of who they think they're "supposed" to be and embrace who they actually are.

Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie

A revolutionary approach to mental freedom called "The Work," which uses a simple yet profound inquiry process to challenge and dismantle the thoughts that cause us suffering.

Communication & Parenting

Essential frameworks for practicing empathy, resolving conflict, and cultivating deep, respectful connections.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD

A transformative guide to speaking and listening with empathy, focusing on universal human needs to resolve conflicts peacefully. (Learn more at cnvc.org)

The Nonviolent Communication Companion Workbook by Lucy Leu

A practical, step-by-step workbook filled with exercises and ideas designed to help individuals or study groups integrate NVC principles into daily life.

Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids: 7 Keys to Turning Family Conflict into Cooperation by Sura Hart and Victoria Kindle Hodson

A beautiful adaptation of NVC principles specifically tailored for families, helping parents foster mutual respect and cooperation without relying on punishment or rewards.

The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene, PhD

A groundbreaking guide that reframes challenging behavior not as a behavioral choice or willful manipulation, but as a lack of crucial cognitive skills. Dr. Greene introduces a compassionate, collaborative approach to help parents and educators understand "explosive" episodes and work with children to solve problems before they happen.