Explore. Learn. Reflect.
Sometimes a book, podcast, article, or practical resource can offer a new perspective, help put words to an experience, or simply give us something meaningful to reflect on.
This collection brings together resources across mental health, relationships, trauma, grief, personal growth, cancer, and emotional wellbeing. Some have influenced Erica’s thinking and professional work; others are included as potentially helpful sources of information and reflection.
These resources are offered for general education and are not a substitute for individualized counselling, psychotherapy, medical care, or crisis support.
Support and reflection don’t have to end when a session does. These are the books, podcasts, tools and directories we return to — gathered so you always have something to turn to, between visits and beyond.
Books for Reflection & Exploration
Books can help us better understand ourselves, heal old wounds, strengthen our relationships, and live with greater purpose. Several of these great reads below have shaped both Erica’s personal journey and her clinical work. Whether you’re navigating trauma, anxiety, grief, relationships, or personal growth, we hope you’ll find something that meets you where you are.
A note about these resources
The resources shared here represent a range of perspectives on mental health, relationships, trauma, wellbeing, and personal growth. Inclusion does not mean that Rising Minds endorses every idea, claim, or approach presented by an author, speaker, organization, or resource.
Resources are provided for general information and reflection and should not be considered individualized clinical or medical recommendations. You are encouraged to consider what feels relevant and appropriate for your own circumstances.
Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing
A classic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) resource for anxiety and depression.
Trauma, Attachment & the Nervous System
Bessel van der Kolk — The Body Keeps the Score
An influential exploration of trauma and how it affects the brain and body.
Peter Levine — Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, In an Unspoken Voice
Foundational books exploring Somatic Experiencing® and the relationship between traumatic experiences, the nervous system and physiological responses.
Relationships & Family
Sue Johnson — Hold Me Tight, Love Sense, Attachment Theory in Practice
Explains how secure attachment forms the foundation of healthy, lasting relationships.
John & Julie Gottman — The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Fight Right, Eight Dates, The Relationship Cure, What Makes Love Last?
Evidence-based relationship strategies drawn from over four decades of research.
Grief, Loss & Life Transitions
Viktor Frankl — Man’s Search for Meaning
A timeless exploration of finding meaning, hope and purpose through suffering.
Personal Growth & Reflection
James Clear — Atomic Habits
A practical guide to creating meaningful, lasting behaviour change through small daily improvements.
The Happiness Trap — Russ Harris
One of the most accessible introductions to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It explores how struggling to eliminate difficult thoughts and emotions can sometimes intensify suffering, while helping readers clarify values and move toward a meaningful life. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science specifically identifies it as an accessible ACT book for the general public and notes its use by therapists and coaches. Contextual Science
A Liberated Mind — Steven C. Hayes, PhD
Written by one of ACT’s originators, this is excellent for psychological flexibility, values, difficult emotions, and learning to change one’s relationship with thoughts rather than trying to eliminate them. ACBS recommends it as a self-directed introductory resource. Contextual Science
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life — Steven C. Hayes, PhD & Spencer Smith
More workbook-like than A Liberated Mind. It combines ACT concepts with exercises around values, acceptance, mindfulness and meaningful action. ACBS describes it as a general-purpose ACT workbook and notes research supporting its use. Contextual Science
The Confidence Gap — Russ Harris
A very good fit for a personal-growth section because it reframes confidence as something that doesn’t necessarily have to arrive before meaningful action. It applies ACT to confidence, achievement and performance. Contextual Science
The Wisdom of Your Body — Hillary McBride, PhD
A thoughtful choice for self-awareness, embodiment, one’s relationship with the body and self-compassion. It appears on therapist/counselling-practice recommended-reading lists, including BC counselling resources. Eclipse Psychology
Set Boundaries, Find Peace — Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW
Accessible reading about identifying needs, communicating limits and developing healthier relationship patterns. It is commonly included on therapist-recommended reading lists. Eclipse Psychology
The Dance of Anger — Harriet Lerner, PhD
Despite the title, this is really about much more than anger. It explores relationships, recurring interpersonal patterns, self-definition and changing one’s own role within relationship dynamics. It also appears on counsellor-recommended reading lists. Embody Counselling
No Bad Parts — Richard Schwartz, PhD
An accessible introduction to the Internal Family Systems perspective and the idea of approaching different internal “parts” with curiosity rather than judgment. It can work particularly well under self-understanding rather than presenting it as a universal model of the mind.
Cancer & Serious Illness
Books for diagnosis and treatment, survivorship, and caregivers, partners, parents, teens, and children navigating a loved one’s illness as a family.
Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery — Linda E. Carlson, PhD & Michael Speca, PsyD: An evidence-based guide created specifically for people affected by cancer. Through mindfulness, meditation, and gentle mind-body practices, this book offers practical ways to navigate stress, uncertainty, difficult emotions, and the challenges of treatment and recovery.
Living with Cancer — Vicki A. Jackson, MD, MPH & David P. Ryan, MD: A compassionate and practical guide to navigating both the medical and emotional realities of cancer. It explores treatment, communication, changing relationships, difficult emotions, quality of life, and the many decisions that can arise throughout the cancer experience.
Taking Time: Support for People With Cancer — National Cancer Institute: A gentle, accessible resource for anyone adjusting to a cancer diagnosis. It explores common emotions, relationships, communication, family life, body changes, and ways of finding support while living with the uncertainty cancer can bring.
The Cancer Survivor’s Companion — Frances Goodhart, PhD & Lucy Atkins: Treatment may end while the emotional impact of cancer continues. This thoughtful guide explores fear of recurrence, anxiety, identity, relationships, confidence, and the often complicated process of finding your way forward after cancer.
Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment — National Cancer Institute: A supportive guide to the transition from active treatment into survivorship. It explores the emotional and physical changes that can follow cancer, including uncertainty, relationships, follow-up care, returning to work, intimacy, and adjusting to a new normal.
Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child When a Parent Is Sick — Paula K. Rauch, MD & Anna C. Muriel, MD: An resource for parents wondering how serious illness may affect their children. Grounded in child development and family psychology, it offers compassionate guidance for communicating honestly, understanding children’s reactions, and supporting their emotional wellbeing through uncertainty and change.
When a Parent Has Cancer: A Guide to Caring for Your Children — Wendy Schlessel Harpham, MD: A warm and practical guide for parents facing the difficult task of caring for their children while living with cancer themselves. It explores communication, reassurance, emotional reactions, family routines, and ways to help children feel secure and included.
How to Help Children Through a Parent’s Serious Illness — Kathleen McCue, MA, CCLS & Ron Bonn: A thoughtful guide to understanding how children at different developmental stages experience a parent’s serious illness. It helps parents recognize emotional and behavioural responses while offering practical ways to communicate, provide reassurance, and support children through change.
My Parent Has Cancer and It Really Sucks — Maya Silver & Marc Silver: Written especially for teens, this refreshingly honest book acknowledges how frightening, frustrating, confusing, and sometimes isolating a parent’s cancer can feel. It combines the experiences of other young people with practical ideas for coping, communicating, and navigating everyday life.
When Your Parent Has Cancer: A Guide for Teens — National Cancer Institute: A straightforward and supportive guide created specifically for teenagers whose parent has cancer. It helps teens understand cancer and treatment while addressing emotions, family changes, friendships, stress, communication, and the importance of seeking support.
The Year My Mother Was Bald — Ann Speltz: Told through the perspective of a young person experiencing her mother’s cancer treatment, this journal-style book explores the questions, emotions, and changes that can accompany parental cancer. It can help young readers feel less alone in experiences that are often difficult to put into words.
Wonder What It’s Like When a Parent Has Cancer: Max’s Story — Jacquelyn Rebecek, MS, CCLS: Created with children’s developmental and emotional needs in mind, Max’s story gently introduces what it can be like when a parent has cancer. It creates opportunities for children and caregivers to talk together about cancer, treatment, worries, questions, and feelings.
Let My Colors Out — Courtney Filigenzi: A gentle picture book that uses colours to help children identify and express the many emotions that can arise when a parent has cancer. It can be especially helpful for starting conversations with children who may not yet have the words to describe how they feel.
Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings — Ellen McVicker: A sensitive, child-friendly story designed to help explain cancer when someone a child loves becomes ill. Through simple language and gentle illustrations, it provides families with a starting point for conversations about illness, emotions, hope, and uncertainty.
Because… Someone I Love Has Cancer — American Cancer Society: An interactive activity book designed to help children explore what it means when someone they love has cancer. Drawing, writing, and other activities give children different ways to express feelings, ask questions, and make sense of changes happening within their family.
Cancer in the Family: Helping Children Cope with a Parent’s Illness — Sue P. Heiney, Joan F. Hermann, Katherine V. Bruss & Joy L. Fincannon: A family-focused resource for understanding how parental cancer can affect children emotionally and developmentally. It offers practical guidance for communication, coping, maintaining connection, and supporting children while the whole family adjusts to illness and treatment.
When Someone You Love Is Being Treated for Cancer — National Cancer Institute: Cancer affects those who love and care for the person diagnosed, too. This compassionate resource explores caregiver stress, difficult emotions, changing relationships, communication, asking for help, and caring for yourself while caring for someone you love.
Caring for the Caregiver — National Cancer Institute: A brief and reassuring resource for those supporting someone through cancer. It offers practical guidance around caregiver wellbeing, emotions, family communication, medical appointments, accepting support, and making room for your own needs along the way.
Facing Cancer with Your Spouse or Partner — National Cancer Institute: Cancer can reshape roles, routines, intimacy, communication, and the future a couple imagined together. This resource offers thoughtful guidance for partners navigating these changes while finding ways to stay connected and care for one another.
Cancer affects more than the person receiving the diagnosis. It can reshape relationships, family roles, parenting, identity, daily life, and the way we think about the future.
The resources below have been selected for people living with cancer, survivors, caregivers, partners, parents, teens, children, and families. They offer different perspectives on the emotional, relational, and practical experiences that can accompany cancer and serious illness.
Podcasts to Explore
Whether you’re commuting, exercising, or simply looking to deepen your understanding of mental health, these podcasts offer practical strategies, expert interviews, and compassionate conversations on healing, relationships, resilience, and personal growth.
Mental Health & Psychology Podcasts
Being Well — Dr. Rick Hanson & Forrest Hanson
Evidence-based discussions on happiness, resilience, anxiety, trauma, attachment, relationships and emotional well-being.
The Happiness Lab — Dr. Laurie Santos
Evidence-based psychology exploring happiness, habits, well-being and flourishing.
Thoughtful discussions on relationships, attachment, personality, couples therapy and mental health.
Real couples therapy sessions (shared with permission) exploring intimacy, communication, conflict, infidelity and connection.
Broader Wellbeing & Personal Growth
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Practical advice on confidence, boundaries, habits, motivation, relationships and emotional wellness.
The Tim Ferriss Show
Long-form conversations with world-leading psychologists, physicians, neuroscientists, athletes and resilience experts.
On Purpose — Jay Shetty
Mindfulness, relationships, emotional intelligence, purpose and personal growth through interviews with leading experts.
Online Resources
Crisis Support
Kids Help Phone
Free, confidential support for children, youth and young adults.
Free skills and videos for managing suicidal thoughts, emotional pain and self-harm urges using DBT principles.
Need immediate support?
Rising Minds is NOT an emergency or crisis service.
If you are in immediate danger or concerned about your safety, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
In Canada, you can call or text 988 for suicide crisis support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Additional crisis and support resources are available below.
Mental Health Education
Educational articles on anxiety, depression, stress, burnout and mental wellness.
Canada’s leading mental health teaching hospital, with extensive information on mental illness, addiction and recovery.
Self-help tools, worksheets, videos and anxiety management strategies for adults, youth and parents.
British Columbia-based mental health resources covering anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use and wellness.
Trauma & Nervous System
Educational resources on childhood trauma, PTSD, attachment and resilience.
Educational resources on Polyvagal Theory, nervous system regulation and trauma recovery.
Expert interviews, webinars and educational resources featuring leading trauma researchers including Bessel van der Kolk, Janina Fisher, Stephen Porges and Pat Ogden.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Free guided mindfulness meditations and evidence-based mindfulness education.
Thousands of free guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing exercises and relaxation practices.
Relationship Resources
Evidence-based articles, relationship tools, parenting resources and couples exercises from over 40 years of research.
Attachment-informed articles and content focused on building secure relationships.
Tools for reflection, mindfulness & emotional wellbeing
Anxiety & Mental Health
CBT tools for anxiety, worry, panic, perfectionism and social anxiety.
Education and coping tools developed for individuals living with PTSD.
Meditation, sleep, relaxation and stress reduction.
Free guided meditations and mindfulness practices.
Personalised meditation and mindfulness exercises.
Mindfulness, sleep, focus and emotional well-being.
A gentle self-care app that encourages healthy habits through a virtual companion.
Finding a therapist
If you’re looking for additional support, these professional directories can help you find a qualified therapist who fits your needs.
Professional directories
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
Find a Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia.
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Find a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario.
Psychology Today
Search by location, specialty, insurance and therapeutic approach.
One of British Columbia’s largest online directories of mental health professionals.
Keep learning. Keep becoming. Keep rising.
Resources can offer information, perspective, and a place for reflection. Sometimes, you may also want a space to explore what you’re experiencing with another person.
If you’re considering counselling and would like to learn more about working with Erica, you’re welcome to begin with a complimentary 15-minute consultation.