Best Psychotherapy Books of 2025

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Psychotherapy books are a valuable resource for anyone interested in improving their mental health and well-being. These books cover a wide range of topics, including anxiety, depression, relationships, and mindfulness. They offer practical advice, tips, and exercises to help readers work through their issues and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Whether someone is seeking professional help or trying to manage their mental health on their own, psychotherapy books can provide valuable insights and guidance. With a variety of authors and approaches, there's a psychotherapy book out there for everyone.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Psychotherapy Books
DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition
The "DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition" is a valuable resource for clients who are learning dialectical behavior therapy skills, and those who treat them. This updated manual provides more than 225 user-friendly handouts and worksheets, which have been demonstrated effective in treating a wide range of psychological and emotional problems. The book's flexible approach allows practitioners and treatment adopters to tailor the skills to meet their clients' specific needs. Mental health professionals will also benefit from the author's DBT® Skills Training Manual, Second Edition, which provides complete instructions for teaching the skills. Overall, this book is an essential tool for anyone interested in learning and implementing DBT skills.
The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner (PracticePlanners)
The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner is a valuable resource for mental health professionals who need to develop evidence-based treatment plans quickly and efficiently. The sixth edition has been updated with new client objectives and clinician interventions grounded in research, as well as two new presenting problem chapters. The book contains over 3,000 prewritten treatment symptoms, goals, objectives, and interventions to select from, making it a comprehensive guide for those working with adult clients. Overall, this book is a must-have for clinicians looking to streamline their treatment planning process and improve the quality of care they provide.
Encyclopedia of Counseling: Master Review and Tutorial for the National Counselor Examination, State Counseling Exams, and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination
The Encyclopedia of Counseling, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive guide for anyone preparing for the NCE, CPCE, and other counseling exams. Dr. Rosenthal's engaging and easy-to-understand writing style, combined with new and updated material on a range of vital topics, makes this book an invaluable resource. The book covers all eight areas of counselor competency, providing past exam questions, answers, and explanations. The reviewer highly recommends this book and considers it the only resource needed to prepare for counseling exams.
Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief
Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief is a cutting-edge work that explores the connection between modern neuropsychology and religious stories. Jordan Peterson, the author of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, presents a rich theory that makes the wisdom and meaning of myth accessible to the critical modern mind. The book reflects Peterson's vast erudition in areas ranging from clinical psychology to scripture and his personal soul-searching. The unique and brilliant new synthesis of the meaning of mythologies makes this book a beautiful work that should be read at leisure and employed as a stimulus and reference to expand one's own maps of meaning.
The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy is a classic work that has been the standard text in the field for decades. In its completely updated sixth edition, Dr. Yalom and Dr. Leszcz present the most up-to-date, incisive, and comprehensive text available on the practice of group psychotherapy. The material is suitable for mental health professionals across disciplines who want to build their knowledge and expertise for leading psychotherapy groups. The book covers new sections throughout, including online group therapy, modern analytic and relational approaches, and measurement-based care. Overall, this book is an essential resource for learning and enhancing group leadership skills for all types of groups.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond
This revised edition of "Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond" is a must-read for clinicians and graduate students seeking to learn the fundamentals of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The book covers core cognitive, behavioral, and experiential techniques, and includes extended cases that illustrate how a skilled therapist delivers CBT and troubleshoots common difficulties. The third edition includes new chapters on the therapeutic relationship and integrating mindfulness into treatment, as well as recovery-oriented cognitive therapy (CT-R) and strategies from other modalities. The companion website features downloadable worksheets and videos of therapy sessions. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in CBT and its applications.
Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change, 3rd Edition (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)
This book is an authoritative presentation of motivational interviewing (MI), a powerful approach to facilitating change. The book elaborates on the four processes of MI and demonstrates what they look like in action through a wealth of vignettes and interview examples. Highly accessible, the book is infused with respect and compassion for clients. The companion webpage provides additional helpful resources. The book reviews the growing evidence base and covers ways to assess MI fidelity. A superb, readable guide to theory and practice, this book has fundamentally changed the way we think about working with less motivated clients.
The DBT Deck for Clients and Therapists: 101 Mindful Practices to Manage Distress, Regulate Emotions & Build Better Relationships
The DBT Deck for Clients and Therapists is a valuable resource for individuals seeking to manage distress, regulate emotions, and build better relationships. The deck contains 101 mindful practices, coping strategies, conflict resolution tips, and self-soothing practices. Author Lane Pederson, a real-world practitioner, has provided DBT training and consultation to over 10,000 professionals in various countries. The deck offers brief exercises, tips, and calls to action that will be a daily go-to as readers learn the skills needed to navigate real-world life. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to improve their emotional regulation and enhance their relationships.
Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice
The ninth edition of Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice is an excellent resource for mental health researchers and practitioners who work with diverse populations. The book covers a range of relevant topics, including cultural humility, social justice counseling, and microaggressions. The authors provide real-world examples and reflection questions to help readers engage with the material. Additionally, the instructor's website offers valuable resources such as PowerPoint decks and sample syllabi. Overall, this book is a comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of multicultural counseling that is well-suited for social workers and psychiatrists.
Internal Family Systems Therapy
This revised edition of Internal Family Systems Therapy by Richard Schwartz and Martha Sweezy provides an authoritative presentation of the IFS therapy, which is practiced worldwide. The book explains how the subpersonalities or “parts” of each individual's psyche relate to each other, and how polarization among parts can lead to emotional suffering. The book is an essential guide for implementing IFS with clients struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and other behavioral problems. The authors provide practical guidelines for treating families and couples, making the book a valuable resource for clinicians. Overall, the book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about IFS therapy and its practical applications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the 4 major forms of psychotherapy?
To help you get familiar with the different therapeutic approaches, here's a quick guide to four of the most widely-practiced forms.. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Psychodynamic Therapy.Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Humanistic/Experiential Therapy.
2. What books do therapists recommend?
25 Top Therapist-Recommended Books for Self-Improvement. 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success (2017) ... Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (2018)
During our psychotherapy book research, we found 1,200+ psychotherapy book products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 52,638 customer reviews through our big data system to write the psychotherapy books list. We found that most customers choose psychotherapy books with an average price of $29.66.

Wilson Cook is a talented writer who has an MFA in creative writing from Williams College and has published more than 50 books acquired by hundreds of thousands of people from various countries by now. He is an inveterate reading lover as he has read a vast amount of books since childhood.