The complete mental fitness toolkit by Dr Alex GeorgeLearn how to assess your mental health today and understand what's normal for you.This is the mental health toolkit that will help you thrive.'How are you? No really, how are you?'The Mind Manual is broken down into four parts with each one building on the last. The goal is to help you to establish your baseline, to know what peace feels like to you. And then to offer advice and tools to help you maintain that as much as possible.Part 1 looks at how to figure out where your baseline is and what normal feels like for you. It's all about recognising your own needs so that you can best support yourself when issues arise.Part 2 explores the seven universal truths and how they can support you when you mind is telling you lies.Part 3 focuses on the foundations of mental fitness and explores the five different areas of life.Part 4 is your mental health toolkit, where you'll find a wide range of worksheets and activity tools to use in your day-to-day life to check in on how you're coping. Read more

'People affected by depression tell me this is the most powerful and helpful book ever written on the topic. I keep meeting people who say this book changed their lives.' - Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2Do you have depression?Firstly, stop blaming yourself.Secondly, don't struggle on alone - read this book instead. It has helped thousands of people just like you.Dr Tim Cantopher knows two essential truths about depression and depressive illness. One: it's strong people who are most vulnerable to it; people whose standards are high, whose ethics are powerful, who want their lives to be meaningful. Strong people, like you.Two: depression is a physical illness, and this book explains just that. Depressive Illness will explain all the above in detail, and more importantly, give you effective ways to get well and stay well. It covers symptoms, what to do when you get ill, medication, recovery, lifestyle changes, psychotherapy and problem-solving skills, including mindfulness. Most of all, take heart - people recover from depressive illness and remain mentally well, and you can, too. Read more

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from 'the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now' (New York Times)What are the most valuable things that everyone should know? Acclaimed clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson has influenced the modern understanding of personality, and now he has become one of the world's most popular public thinkers, with his lectures on topics from the Bible to romantic relationships to mythology drawing tens of millions of viewers. In an era of unprecedented change and polarizing politics, his frank and refreshing message about the value of individual responsibility and ancient wisdom has resonated around the world.In this book, he provides twelve profound and practical principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Happiness is a pointless goal, he shows us. Instead we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defence against the suffering that is intrinsic to our existence. Drawing on vivid examples from the author's clinical practice and personal life, cutting edge psychology and philosophy, and lessons from humanity's oldest myths and stories, 12 Rules for Life offers a deeply rewarding antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to our modern problems. Read more

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 BMA MEDICAL BOOK AWARDS One of the world's leading neurologists reveals the extraordinary stories behind some of the brain disorders that he and his staff at the Harvard Medical School endeavour to treat.What is it like to try to heal the body when the mind is under attack? In this gripping and illuminating book, Dr Allan Ropper reveals the extraordinary stories behind some of the life-altering afflictions that he and his staff are confronted with at the Neurology Unit of Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Like Alice in Wonderland, Dr Ropper inhabits a place where absurdities abound: a sportsman who starts spouting gibberish; an undergraduate who suddenly becomes psychotic; a mother who has to decide whether a life locked inside her own head is worth living. How does one begin to treat such cases, to counsel people whose lives may be changed forever? Dr Ropper answers these questions by taking the reader into a world where lives and minds hang in the balance. Read more

In this pioneering, practical book for parents, neuroscientist Daniel J. Siegel and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures. Different parts of a child's brain develop at different speeds and understanding these differences can help you turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child's brain and raise calmer, happier children. Featuring clear explanations, age-appropriate strategies and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child will help your children to lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives using twelve key strategies, including:Name It to Tame It: Corral raging right-brain behavior through left-brain storytelling, appealing to the left brain's affinity for words and reasoning to calm emotional storms and bodily tension.Engage, Don't Enrage: Keep your child thinking and listening, instead of purely reacting.Move It or Lose It: Use physical activities to shift your child's emotional state.Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By: Guide your children when they are stuck on a negative emotion, and help them understand that feelings come and go.SIFT: Help children pay attention to the Sensations, Images, Feelings, and Thoughts within them so that they can make better decisions and be more flexible.Connect Through Conflict: Use discord to encourage empathy and greater social success. Read more

What is psychology?When did it begin? Where did it come from? How does psychology compare with related subjects such as psychiatry and psychotherapy? To what extent is it scientific?Introducing Psychology answers all these questions and more, explaining what the subject has been in the past and what it is now. The main "schools" of thought and the sections within psychology are described, including Introspection, Biopsychology, Psychoanalysis, Behaviourism, Comparative (Animal) Psychology, Cognitive Approaches (including the Gestalt movement), Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Humanism. The key figures covered include: Freud, Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura, Piaget, Bowlby, Maslow and Rogers, as well as many lesser-known but important psychologists. Read more

'A thrilling new talent' PETER JAMES'Creepy, twisted and gripping' SUN'Dark, compelling and expertly paced' M. W. CRAVEN ___________________On a cold winter's morning, the body of a young boy is discovered in Epping Forest. The body is pristine and peaceful, his head resting gently on a pillow, an angel pendant clenched in his small fist. It is a murder as carefully planned as it is brutal, and there's one person DI Bishop needs back on his team to help solve such a calculated crime. Holly Wakefield, criminal psychologist for the Met Police, is better than anyone Bishop knows at getting inside the brains of psychopaths. But with the body count rising, it's going to take all their strength and resolve to stop the serial killer before any more angels are put to their rest . . .A breathtaking, page-turning thriller perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride and Robert Bryndza.___________________What readers are saying:'Wow . . . An astonishingly gripping novel that grabbed me by the throat from the get-go''Awestruck, I finished this book with shaking hands and a pounding heart. Edge-of-your-seat stuff. Simply brilliant''A dark, riveting and absolutely compulsive must-read''I read it in one sitting as I couldn't wait to find out how it would end''Absolute must read . . . you won't be disappointed''Total page turner from start to finish''An immensely satisfying read and an absolutely gripping thriller''Unputdownable . . . would highly recommend''Amazing . . . I read it in a day''What a brilliant read, full of tension as the investigation gains pace, great characters, dark humour, and grips you right from the start to the end''Mark Griffin strikes again. Phenomenal''The writing is more expertly crafted, drawing you deeper into the darkness and walking with the characters as the desperate events unfold''Another masterpiece from Mark Griffin''Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down''Tightly plotted, intricate twists and turns, very human characters' Read more

'Wise and perceptive. [It] teaches self-compassion and the consolations of kindness. I recommend it.' SALLY BRAMPTON, author of Shoot the Damn DogDEVELOP YOUR FEELINGS OF COMPASSION AND INCREASE YOUR SENSE OF WELL-BEING In societies that encourage us to compete with each other, compassion is often seen as a weakness. Striving to get ahead, self-criticism, fear, and hostility towards others seem to come more naturally to us.The Compassionate Mind explains the evolutionary and social reasons why our brains react so readily to threats - and reveals how our brains are also hardwired to respond to kindness and compassion.Research has found that developing kindness and compassion for ourselves and others builds our confidence, helps us create meaningful, caring relationships and promotes physical and mental health. Far from fostering emotional weakness, practical exercises focusing on developing compassion have been found to subdue our anger and increase our courage and resilience to depression and anxiety. 'As one of Britain's most insightful psychologists, Gilbert illuminates the power of compassion in our lives.' OLIVER JAMES, AUTHOR OF AFFLUENZA Read more

The Book That Puts Words to What You Have Always FeltYou have always known you were different. You have spent years masking, pushing yourself to fit in, wondering why things that seem effortless for others take so much out of you. Maybe you have heard the words high-functioning, quirky, or too sensitive. Maybe you have been called intelligent but lazy, creative but inconsistent, capable but unreliableMaybe you were never given the full picture of who you are.For many, discovering AuDHD (Autism and ADHD) feels like a missing puzzle piece finally clicking into place. But what comes next? Understanding yourself fully—beyond clinical checklists and surface-level traits. This book is the guide to the lived experience of AuDHD, validating the struggles, explaining the contradictions, and helping you see yourself clearly—perhaps for the first time.Do you struggle with time blindness, executive dysfunction, and productivity?Do you feel misunderstood in social settings, even when you are trying your best?Do you experience burnout, overwhelm, and the need to withdraw but find it hard to explain why?Have you spent years masking without realising it, trying to meet expectations that never felt natural?You are not alone. And you are not broken.This is not a self-help book. It is a self-recognition book.A deep dive into AuDHD traits beyond stereotypes and surface-level explanationsAn exploration of the emotional, sensory, and cognitive experiences unique to AuDHDersThe impact of masking, burnout, and societal expectations and how to reclaim your energyA neuroaffirming perspective that prioritises self-awareness over fixingIf you have been searching for the words to describe your experience, this book may be the reflection you need. Read more

OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLDJoe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to "speed-read" people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You'll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. Read this book and send your nonverbal intelligence soaring. You will discover:The ancient survival instincts that drive body languageWhy the face is the least likely place to gauge a person's true feelingsWhat thumbs, feet, and eyelids reveal about moods and motivesThe most powerful behaviors that reveal our confidence and true sentimentsSimple nonverbals that instantly establish trustSimple nonverbals that instantly communicate authorityFilled with examples from Navarro's professional experience, this definitive book offers a powerful new way to navigate your world. Read more

Celebrating Fifty Years of Picador BooksIf a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self – himself – he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. In this extraordinary book, Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the stories of patients struggling to adapt to often bizarre worlds of neurological disorder. Here are people who can no longer recognize everyday objects or those they love; who are stricken with violent tics or shout involuntary obscenities, and yet are gifted with unusually acute artistic or mathematical talents. If sometimes beyond our surface comprehension, these brilliant tales illuminate what it means to be human. A provocative exploration of the mysteries of the human mind, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is a million-copy bestseller by the twentieth century's greatest neurologist.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature. Read more

‘Exhilarating… Wise and compassionate’ New Statesman An expert, empathetic guide to the science, psychology and physiology of breaking, from the acclaimed author of How We AreWhat happens when our minds and bodies are pushed beyond their limits? Vincent Deary is a health psychologist who has spent years helping his patients cope with whatever life has thrown at them. In How We Break, he has written a book for all of us who sometimes feel we have reached our breaking point.Drawing on clinical case studies, cutting-edge scientific research, intimate personal stories and references from philosophy, literature and film, How We Break offers a consoling new vision of everyday human struggle. The big traumas in life, Deary points out, are relatively rare. More common is when too many things go wrong at once, or we are exposed to prolonged periods of difficulty or precarity. When the world shrinks to nothing but our daily coping, we become unhappy, worried, hopeless, exhausted. In other words, we break. Breaking, he shows us, happens when the same systems that enable us to navigate through life become dysregulated. But if we understand how the wear and tear of life affects us, then we have a better chance of navigating through times of burnout, stress, fatigue and despair.By equipping us with a better understanding of what happens to us when we're struggling to cope, and making a bold case for the power of rest and recuperation, How We Break helps chart a path through difficult times. Read more

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**OUT NOW: WHAT LIES BURIED. THE SENSATIONAL NEW BOOK BY KERRY DAYNES**'Enthralling and terrifying. The Dark Side of the Mind is a chilling glimpse into a world of miscreants, monsters and the misunderstood.' Professor Dame Sue Black, author of the Sunday Times bestseller All That Remains'A stunning, insightful, provocative piece of work. Wonderfully written and full of honesty. A powerful excavation of the world of a forensic psychologist.' Barbara Machin, creator and writer of Waking The Dead 'Kerry Daynes delves into the minds of psychopaths in a fascinating memoir.' Katya Edwards, Daily Mail 'Daynes offers fascinating insights into what makes criminals tick and how they might be more effectively treated. Her book is funny, wise and thoroughly gripping.' Jake Kerridge, writer and critic 'Grimly fascinating - a timely and gripping exploration of mental health issues in the criminal justice system from an author intimately acquainted with its dark heart.' Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange 'Kerry Daynes writes with knowledgeable insight on a side of people - and the criminal system that purports to treat them - that many would prefer to leave alone. The humour and psychological skills that have enabled her survival shine through.' Jessica Fellowes, author of The Mitford Murders Welcome to the world of the forensic psychologist, where the people you meet are wildly unpredictable and often frightening. The job: to delve into the psyche of convicted men and women to try to understand what lies behind their often brutal actions. Follow in the footsteps of Kerry Daynes, one of the most sought-after forensic psychologists in the business and consultant on major police investigations. Kerry's job has taken her to the cells of maximum-security prisons, police interview rooms, the wards of secure hospitals and the witness box of the court room. Her work has helped solve a cold case, convict the guilty and prevent a vicious attack. Spending every moment of your life staring into the darker side of life comes with a price. Kerry's frank memoir gives an unforgettable insight into the personal and professional dangers in store for a female psychologist working with some of the most disturbing men and women. If you enjoyed Unnatural Causes, When the Dogs Don't Bark andPrison Doctor you'll love Kerry's gripping account of her experience as a forensic psychologist. Read more

In this book, one of America's most distinguished psychologists describes his experiences in helping people to discover the path to personal growth through an understanding of their own limitations and potential. What is personal growth? Under what conditions is it possible? How can one person help another? What is creativity, and how can it be fostered? These are some of the issues raised, which challenge many concepts of traditional psychology.Contemporary psychology derives largely from the experimental laboratory, or from Freudian theory. It is preoccupied with minute aspects of animal and human behaviour, or with the mentally ill. But there are rebels, of whom the author counts himself as one, along with Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow and Rollo May, who feel that psychology and psychiatry should be aiming higher, and be more concerned with growth and potentiality in man. The interest of such a psychology is in the production of harmoniously mature individuals, given that we all have qualities and possibilities infinitely capable of development. Successful development makes us more flexible in relationships, more creative, and less open to suggestion and control.This book, philosophical and provocative, summarizes Dr Rogers' experience. Non-technical in its language, it is not only for psychologists and psychiatrists, but for teachers and counsellors, religious and social workers, labour-management specialists and anyone interested in 'becoming'. Read more

BONES is a candid account of life with crippling anorexia and OCD and survival against all odds. This true story explores the complex interaction between nature and nurture that leads to Jen’s talent for self-destruction.The all-consuming obsessions that surface in Jen’s early childhood make anorexia seem like an escape from the torture of constant compulsions. Anorexia’s seduction leads to a dark freefall into an underworld of bingeing and purging, end-stage starvation, bankruptcy, and career implosion.BONES follows Jen into the abyss, where anorexia no longer keeps the compulsions at bay but instead fuels them, turning her into a neurotic young woman held hostage by her now-entrenched diseases.BONES is a story of suffering and survival, but devoid of self-pity and attenuated with a dry sense of humor. It is an uncensored account of the gritty and sometimes repulsive aspects of mental illness that get less exposure than the more socially acceptable symptoms. Anyone who wants to read a survivor story, has a loved one struggling with mental illness, or seeks to avoid the pitfalls themselves will find BONES a delicious read. Read more

Why do so many go through so much disruption in their middle years? Why then? Why do we consider it a crisis?The Middle Passage presents us with an opportunity to reexamine our lives and to ask: "Who am I apart from my history and the roles I have played?" It is an occasion for redefining and reorienting the personality, a necessary rite of passage between the extended adolescence of the first adulthood and our inevitable appointment with old age and mortality.The Middle Passage addresses the following issues:How did we acquire our original sense of self? What are the changes that herald the Middle Passage? How does one revision the sense of self? What is the relationship between Jung's concept of individuation and our commitment to others? What attitudes and behavior support individuation and help us to move from misery to meaning?This book shows how we may travel the Middle Passage consciously, thereby rendering our lives more meaningful and the second half of life immeasurably richer. Read more

This book is a comprehensive guide to setting up, running and growing a successful private therapy practice that resonates with your values and professional goals.Guiding you through every detail, from making the initial decision to set up your own private therapy practice to scaling your practice, this guide will support you in overcoming the common challenges you may encounter. It is filled with practical exercises, templates and checklists, including business planning actions at the end of each chapter so you can craft your first business plan. Ensuring you have a solid foundation and can shape a private therapy practice that meets your financial and personal needs while reflecting the passion that led you to your profession.A motivational and inspiring read for therapists, psychotherapists, coaches, and counselors. Get ready to turn your dream into reality and create something profoundly impactful and uniquely yours. Read more

Terrible events are very hard to deal with and those who go through a trauma often feel permanently changed by it. Grief, numbness, anger, anxiety and shame are all very common emotional reactions to traumatic incidents such as an accident or death of a loved one, and ongoing traumatic events such as domestic abuse. How we deal with the aftermath of trauma and our own emotional response can determine how quickly we are able to 'move on' and get back to 'normality' once more. An integral part of the recovery process is not only recognising and accepting how our lives may have been changed but also learning to deal with feelings of shame - an extremely common reaction to trauma.'Recovering from Trauma' uses the groundbreaking Compassion Focused Therapy to help the reader to not only develop a fuller understanding of how we react to trauma, but also to deal with any feelings of shame and start to overcome any trauma-related difficulties. Read more

Overcoming app now available.Fully updated edition of the bestselling self-help book, now recommended on the national Books on Prescription scheme. This ever-popular guide offers a self-help programme, written by one of the UK's leading authorities on anxiety and based on CBT, for those suffering from anxiety problems. A whole range of anxieties and fears are explained, from panic attacks and phobias to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and generalised anxiety. It includes an introduction to the nature of anxiety and stress and a complete self-help programme with monitoring sheets based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The following websites may offer useful further information on anxiety disorders: www.social-anxiety.org.uk www.stress.org.uk www.triumphoverphobia.com Read more

The business of cognitive therapy is to transform meanings. What better way to achieve this than through a metaphor? Metaphors straddle two different domains at once, providing a conceptual bridge from a problematic interpretation to a fresh new perspective that can cast one's experiences in a new light. Even the simplest metaphor can be used again and again with different clients, yet still achieve the desired effect. One such example is the 'broken leg' metaphor for depression. Clients with depression are understandably frustrated with their symptoms. They may often push themselves to get better or tell themselves that they should be better by now. As a therapist, it is fair to ask, would the client be so harsh and demanding on herself after getting a broken leg? A broken leg needs time to heal and you need to begin to walk on it gradually as it builds up in strength. "You can't run before you can walk", and if you try, you are likely to make it worse. For many clients this simple metaphor is enlightening, changing their view of their symptoms as a sign of their own laziness and worthlessness, to a view of them as part of an understandable illness, that while open to improvement, cannot get better over night. This book shows just how metaphors can be used productively in CBT as an integral part of the treatment. It describes the use of metaphors for a wide range of problems, including anxiety and depression, and provides countless examples of metaphors that have been used by others in CBT. It brings together in one place hundreds of metaphors that experienced therapists have used to great success. It will be a valuable sourcebook for all cognitive behaviour therapists, as well as those training in CBT. Read more