Tools That Held Me When Nothing Else Did
These are the tools that helped me feel seen, softened the fog of dissociation, and reminded me I was still here — even when I couldn’t feel it. I only recommend what I’ve personally read, loved, or gently wept through.
Anchored
This book is like a gentle nervous system companion. Anchored explains how we shift between states of safety, shutdown, and survival — and how to slowly come back to regulation. Deb Dana writes with softness and clarity, making complex polyvagal theory feel personal and deeply human.
For anyone healing from dissociation, trauma, or DPDR, this book offers language, tools, and compassion for the body you might feel disconnected from.
What My Bones Know
This is one of the most honest, beautifully written memoirs on living with Complex PTSD. Stephanie writes about growing up with emotional neglect, the fallout of trauma, and the long, non-linear path of healing — all with sharp insight and soft vulnerability.
It’s not just a story — it’s a mirror for anyone who has ever wondered, “Why am I like this?”
The Myth of Normal
Gabor Maté
This book shifted the way I see trauma. It helped me understand that so much of what I blamed myself for — my sensitivity, dissociation, emotional overwhelm — was actually a natural response to an unnatural world.
Dr. Maté speaks with compassion and truth. If you've ever felt like you were broken for not functioning like everyone else… this book will feel like being gently seen.
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel Van Der Kolk
This book changed everything for me. It helped me understand that trauma doesn’t just live in the mind — it stays in the body, the breath, the heartbeat, the stillness.
It’s not a light read, but it’s full of truth, science, and hope. Dr. van der Kolk brings compassion to trauma in a way that helps you feel less alone in your experience — and more empowered to begin reconnecting.