All of Our Favorites

Here are some of the resources we most frequently recommend.

Please note, All of You Counseling earns a small commission from qualifying purchases on the All of Our Favorites page.

For Adults

All For Adults Favorites
BeingMortal book

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

By Atul Gawande
Why we recommend this book:
  • This is an amazing resource to help people reflect on their own aging, or the aging and changing needs of elders they care about, or care for
  • Helps us consider our life choices and values, and whether “more medicine” is always the right choice
  • Clearly and compassionately written
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
PeaceIsEveryStep book

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

By Thich Nhat Hanh
Why we recommend this book:
  • While this was published over 30 years ago, the general advice for pausing in small moments, and using every day opportunities to breathe and reframe, are timeless
  • Clearly written for anyone to read – no previous experience with mindfulness required
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
The Black Friend

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

By Frederick Joseph
Why we recommend this book:
  • Frederick Joseph’s memoir/guide talks directly to the reader, and shares real experiences from his past as well as current perspectives from artists and activists.
  • The clear language and engaging tone make this book accessible to teens and young adults, who may see some of themselves in Mr. Joseph’s descriptions of his own adolescence.
  • A beautiful blend of empathy-inspiring examples and concrete tools for personal – and societal – growth and change.
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

For Parents

All Parents Favorites
HowtoTalkSoLittleKidsWillListen book

How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7

By Joanna Faber and Julie King
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for parents and caregivers
  • The authors sympathize with parents’ difficulties communicating with their little kids, and in a supportive, no-blame way offer strategies for parents to improve that communication.
  • An updated take on the How to Talk… strategies, written by a new generation of authors
  • I read this as a parent because I needed it, and I found it helpful
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
TheFamilyFirm

The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years (The ParentData Series)

By Emily Oster
Why we recommend this book:
  • Written by the economist who gave us “Expecting Better” and “Cribsheet”

 

Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
WorkingwithWorry workbook

Working with Worry: A Workbook for Parents on How to Support Anxious Children

By Melissa L. Kilbride, LICSW and Samantha C. Sweeney, PhD
Why we recommend this book:
  • A couple members of our team used to work with Dr. Sweeney, and she’s awesome!
  • This workbook was written during the height of COVID-19, so addresses a deeper than average experience of child and parent worry
  • Intelligent, accessible, with lots of tips parents can start to use right away
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

For Expectant Parents

All Expectant Parents Favorites

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: (Updated in 2024)

By Heidi Murkoff
Why we recommend this book:
  • It’s full of information (some people think too much)
  • There’s a reason it’s been around for so many years
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong–and What You Really Need to Know (The ParentData Series)

By Emily Oster
Why we recommend this book:
  • It provides information about some of the common gray areas of pregnancy
  • Written by an economist who got tired of “we don’t know why, that’s just what we tell pregnant people to do” advice
  • She clearly has a pro-coffee bias, but otherwise this seems pretty objective
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
GirlfriendsGuidetoPregnancy

The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy [second edition]

By Vicki Iovine
Why we recommend this book:
  • The original edition is almost 20 years old, but still this is a nice short, funny guide to pregnancy
  • She can’t possibly actually have this many girlfriends, but if you ignore that, there is some good advice in here, as well as some empathy for the pregnant person’s experience
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS

All Teen & Young Adult Favorites

The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens: Easy and Practical CBT and DBT Tools to Manage your Stress Anxiety Worry and Panic

By Teen Thrive
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for teens
  • Each tool is legit, and clearly described, with illustrations to help keep attention
  • A lot of this is the same stuff your therapist would teach you – now you can try to learn it on your own
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
HowtoAdult book

How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World

By Jake Cousineau
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for teens and young adults
  • Written in small, digestible sections
  • Because they are not teaching this in school, and you NEED to know this stuff
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
The Black Friend

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

By Frederick Joseph
Why we recommend this book:
  • Frederick Joseph’s memoir/guide talks directly to the reader, and shares real experiences from his past as well as current perspectives from artists and activists.
  • The clear language and engaging tone make this book accessible to teens and young adults, who may see some of themselves in Mr. Joseph’s descriptions of his own adolescence.
  • A beautiful blend of empathy-inspiring examples and concrete tools for personal – and societal – growth and change.
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

ADHD

All ADHD Favorites
SmartbutScattered kids

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential Second Edition

By Peg Dawson, EdD; Richard Guare, PhD; Colin Guare, MS
Why we recommend this book:
  • Not just for ADHD, but to help anyone understand more about executive functioning
  • Can help parents and kids understand and compare their relative strengths and challenges in the different areas of executive functioning
  • Offers some practical tools for managing executive functioning challenges
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
SmartbutScatteredandStalled youngadults

Smart but Scattered–and Stalled: 10 Steps to Help Young Adults Use Their Executive Skills to Set Goals, Make a Plan, and Successfully Leave the Nest

By Richard Guare, PhD; Colin Guare, BCBA; Peg Dawson, EdD
Why we recommend this book:
  • Not just for ADHD, but to help anyone understand more about executive functioning
  • Discusses some of the specific executive functioning challenges young adults cope with
  • Can help young adults learn more about their relative strengths and challenges in the different areas of executive functioning
  • Offers some practical tools for managing executive functioning challenges
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
SmartbutScatteredGuidetoSuccess adults

The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success: How to Use Your Brain’s Executive Skills to Keep Up, Stay Calm, and Get Organized at Work and at Home

By Peg Dawson, EdD; Richard Guare, PhD
Why we recommend this book:
  • Not just for ADHD, but to help anyone understand more about executive functioning
  • Discusses some of the specific executive functioning challenges adults cope with
  • Can help adults learn more about their relative strengths and challenges in the different areas of executive functioning
  • Offers some practical tools for managing executive functioning challenges
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

Autism

All Autism Favorites
Diary of a Social Detective

Diary of a Social Detective: Real-Life Tales of Mystery, Intrigue and Interpersonal Adventure 

By Jeffrey E. Jessum
Why we recommend this book:
  • This award-winning book (Teacher’s Choice Award, Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, Mom’s Choice Award) works at putting good social advice into accessible kid language.
  • The social struggle “mysteries” are based on real examples from the author’s years of working with children and youth in social skills groups.
  • While some of the explanations can start to sound a little like “how to” therapy-speak, that’s balanced with tween-friendly gems like, “…trying to solve a mystery without getting the facts straight is like trying to pee in the dark.  There is a good chance you’re gonna miss and make a mess of things…”
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
WhatDidIDoWrong book

“What Did I Do Wrong?”: An Accessible Guide to Preventing Traumatic Misunderstandings Between You and Your Autistic Loved One

By Jaime A. Heidel
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written, by a beautiful AuDHD mind
  • Consistent format, with each scenario getting exactly one page
  • There’s no need to read front-to-back – look up the challenge scenario you need, and read about why misunderstandings happen, and what to do about them
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
AsperkidsSecretBook book

The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules

By Jennifer Cook
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for teens and young adults
  • Includes illustrations and examples that help keep it relevant and interesting
  • Highly recommended, including by Temple Grandin, who said: “When I was a teen, I was bullied in school and called names. If this book had been available, my teenage years would have been less difficult.”
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

LGBTQIA+

All LGBTQIA+​ Favorites
LGBTQSurvivalGuideTeens book

LGBTQ: The Survival Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens

By Kelly Huegel Madrone
Why we recommend this book:
  • A few years old now, but still a great resource
  • A lot of information, but clearly written for teens, young adults, and concerned parents and adult caregivers
  • Has numerous vetted, recommended resources throughout
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

Antiracism

All Antiracism​ Favorites
Race Cars

Race Cars: A children’s book about white privilege

By Jenny Devenny, LMSW
Why we recommend this book:
  • Through the experiences of two race cars who are friends, the story helps explain in a kid-friendly way the unfairness of white privilege.
  • The story is a little repetitive, and is written more for adults to read to children than for independent children to read on their own.
  • This can be a very helpful opening for important family conversations about privilege
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
The Black Friend

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

By Frederick Joseph
Why we recommend this book:
  • Frederick Joseph’s memoir/guide talks directly to the reader, and shares real experiences from his past as well as current perspectives from artists and activists.
  • The clear language and engaging tone make this book accessible to teens and young adults, who may see some of themselves in Mr. Joseph’s descriptions of his own adolescence.
  • A beautiful blend of empathy-inspiring examples and concrete tools for personal – and societal – growth and change.
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
White Fragility

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

By Robin DiAngelo
Why we recommend this book:
  • This book uses clear language to name and describe white privilege, and the all-too-common defensiveness that many white people reflexively experience when asked to consider and discuss racism.
  • Many people we know have cited this book as a part of their own journeys of growth and understanding.
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel

Other Items​

All Other Favorites
pinwheel

Pinwheel

Why we recommend this item:
  • A smartphone for kids and teens with its own operating system, rather than a standard operating system and “parent control app” (that many kids learn to bypass).
  • Pinwheel has no internet browser or social media. Parents approve all contacts, monitor all texts, and decide what apps can be downloaded.
  • Developed by therapists, technologists, and parents.
  • You can add this phone to your existing cellular plan.

Affiliate link: https://pinwheelkidsandteensphone.pxf.io/jeeKo5

Recommended by: All of You Counseling staff
Adulting To Do List

Adulting To-Do Lists

Why we recommend this item:
  • When we start to feel overwhelmed, writing things down can help (it’s often MUCH better than letting things swirl in our head)
  • Electronics can be convenient, but hand-writing information can help improve memory
  • Humor often helps!

https://amzn.to/3FJKea8 (humorous Adulting To-Do List)

https://amzn.to/4hN4Dbx (Carpe F*cking Diem! version)

https://amzn.to/4hN4RPV (6-pack, different designs)

Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
Vagus Nerve Deck

Vagus Nerve Deck

Why we recommend this item:
  • Contains suggestions for simple but effective ways to calm or activate the vagus nerve (which helps improve our mood and how our body feels).
  • Provides ways to soothe yourself, or help someone you love when they need support.
  • This is the same deck we often use in sessions – you can now have it at home!

Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3QPlZd1 

Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
Please note, All of You Counseling earns a small commission from qualifying purchases on the All of Our Favorites page.
Do you know a book or other resource you think should be added to our list? If so, please email your recommendation (with an explanation of why you think we should add it), to info@allofyoucounseling.com.