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
Fight Right book

Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection

By Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD and John Gottman, PhD
Why we recommend this book:
  • The latest book written by the couple who developed The Gottman Institute
  • Clearly written for people to read on their own (no therapist interpretation needed)
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
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
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
Whole BrainChild book

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind

By Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for parents and caregivers
  • A good blend of theory about how the mind works, combined with real action steps you can start taking right away
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
RaisingKidsWithBigBafflingBehaviors book

Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work

By Robyn Gobbel
Why we recommend this book:
  • Offers sympathetic guidance and tools for parents who are struggling with their child(ren)’s “big, baffling” behaviors.
  • Describes the Owl (wise), Watchdog (fight/flight) and Possum (freeze/fawn) reactions that all humans experience.
  • Helps parents learn ways they can think and react differently, to help reduce their child(ren)’s behavior.
  • Author Robyn Gobbel has a website that includes a podcast and a parent support club
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
HowtoStopLosingYourShtwithYourKids book

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent

By Carla Naumburg, PhD
Why we recommend this book:
  • Clearly written for parents and caregivers
  • The author sympathizes with parents, and shares some of her own weaker parenting moments
  • A good blend of theory about how the mind and nervous system work, combined with real action steps you can start taking right away – to improve your self-care, and to react better with your kids
  • Because sometimes cussing helps 🙂
  • I read this as a parent because I needed it, and I found it helpful
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
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
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

ADHD

All ADHD Favorites
ADHDNon MedicationTreatments book

ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children and Teens

By Debra Burdick, LCSWR, BCN
Why we recommend this book:
  • Written for both therapists and parents
  • Clear format, practical information and strategies
Recommended by: Megan Adair Casteel
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

Autism

All Autism Favorites
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
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

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/44h2fXC

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.