For the holiday season this year, our therapists have compiled a list of our favorite therapy things. The list includes a variety of books, fidget toys, affirmation cards, and popular items our clients ask about or naturally gravitate toward when they come to therapy.
The first list includes therapy tools used to help soothe and calm clients during therapy session and some are recommended by our therapists to utilize outside of therapy sessions.
1) “Adult” coloring books are among some of our favorite things for mental health wellness.
Coloring and art increases mindfulness, decreases stress and anxiety, and more. And doing art in therapy sessions can help clients open up and express themselves more freely.
Having a good set of coloring pencils or markers is helpful to go along with the coloring books.
Purchase Link: Mandalas Coloring Book
2) This small sand tray is small enough to move around and not make a huge mess. 😉
It has numerous benefits such as creative expression, improving social skills, increased learning through play, processing trauma and crisis, reducing stress and anxiety, and lower aggression.
We use it with clients who have difficulty expressing feelings or communicating, those who are grieving, ADHD, autism, and more.
Clients have access to a wide variety of miniature toys and objects to use in the sand. They bury them, arrange them, play with them, etc. Pictured are just some of the objects that can be used.
3) Rubbing stones, worry stones, thumb stones, fidget stones, pocket palm stones, chakra stones.
Call them what you will but they have been used all around the world for centuries. Some call them the modern fidget toy, but maybe they are really one of the original fidget toys. 🤔
These smooth polished stones are oval and have a thumb-shaped indentation. Rubbing the stones between your fingers or in your palms stimulates nerve endings (pressure points) that stimulate your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins naturally create a calming and euphoric effect.
This stone is a client favorite! Clients of all ages naturally gravitate toward it and like to rub it while in therapy sessions.
They also make a good gift for fidget toy lovers & they are a quieter than some of the fidgets on the market.
Purchase Link: Rubbing Stone
4) “Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens” developed by Gina Biegel, MA, LMFT is one of our favorite things for TEENS.
From the Publisher:
Reduce Stress, Improve Self-Care and Find Focus
Mindfulness is noticing your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations in the present moment without judgment. Be Mindful cards offer you 50 ways to be present to your life as it is actually taking place. These cards help you be in the here and now with less thinking about the past or worrying about the future. You can use these daily mindfulness strategies when you’re feeling anxious, moody, angry, or just need to relax. Perfect to manage your everyday stressors: school pressures, worrying about your to-do list, problems with relationships, difficulties paying attention and focusing, time demands and feeling over-committed.
How to Use Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens:
The Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens gets you out of your head and into your life! These cards will help you to be mindful right now and throughout your day. There are no right or wrong ways to use these cards. You can use them with friends or by yourself. You can draw a card at random or pick cards from one section at a time. You can pick one or a handful each day to be more mindful of your life in this moment. Instead of being on autopilot to your day you can use these cards to be awake to your life.
Purchase Link: Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens
5) Art supplies hits our list of favorite things.
Markers, colored pens, colored pencils, paint, paint brushes, and modeling clay are all excellent choices to add to your shopping list. And having them displayed and accessible is a plus!
Art is helpful for all ages in managing behaviors, processing feelings, reducing stress and anxiety, and increasing self-esteem.
At Harvest our Play Therapist and Art Therapist use art therapy to improve the mental health of people who are dealing with anxiety, attention disorders, grief and loss, dementia, depression, eating disorders, physical illness, PTSD, trauma, relationship issues, and much more.
6) Aromatherapy (Essential Oil) Diffusers
Aromatherapy is a great way to create a calming and soothing environment. Enjoying a moment of peace, and relaxation in between the disturbances of modern living can be easily achieved with any diffuser. Fragrance from your favorite essential oils will lift your mood and relieve stress, while also humidifying your surroundings. Plus, many therapeutic grade oils can be healing to the body.
Purchase Link: Oil Diffuser
7) THINGS ARE LOOKING UP™️ Deck of 52 Cards (52 optimism prompt cards & 1 card with Directions) is mindfully created to inspire optimism and increase happiness.
Each card has a holistic or science-based, mindfully constructed prompt or suggestion that inspires joy, developed by Dr. Deepika Chopra herself.
The front of each card is crafted by blending together abstract art forms & elements of nature, done this way to increase positive mood, creative flow & to shift thoughts upward.
The THINGS ARE LOOKING UP™️ brand cards are meant to be your friend, pull one out when you feel like you need a boost, or if you need someone to talk to, don’t worry about spilling your tea on them or keeping the deck complete- give one to a friend if you feel they might need the suggestion… keep them in your office drawer, in the glove compartment of your car, on your bedside table, or as conversations starters during a dinner party!
It’s a myth that it takes 21 days to formulate a new habit, research shows, on average it takes about 66 days and the first 33 days are the most challenging— take the THINGS ARE LOOKING UP 33 challenge and pull one every day for 33 days, around the same time each day!
Purchase Link: THINGS ARE LOOKING UP™️ Deck of 52 Cards
8) Handheld Sand Tray
Who doesn’t want to hold a small handful of the beach in one’s hand? Digging for small treasures and feeling the silky beach sand through your fingers can be relaxing and anxiety reducing especially when further combined with meditation, prayer or guided visualization. Consider this a small hand held sand tray, compact and easily portable.
This is a favorite for clients of all ages!
9) Pop It Fidget Toys
No matter your age, fidget and popping toys can help alleviate stress and strengthen one’s ability to concentrate, especially if you have ADHD, anxiety, autism, OCD, PTSD, or SAD.
Rubbing items (such as this👆Pop It) between your fingers or in your palms stimulates nerve endings (pressure points) that stimulate your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins naturally create a calming and euphoric effect.
Pop Its mimic the sensation of popping bubble wrap, but a lot quieter 😉. They are made of silicone and come in lots of different shapes and sizes.
Press the bubbles down and Pop It sensory fidget toys will make a slight popping sound “pop", then flip it over and start again. It’s a tactile and strategy game, that can decrease anxiety. It has two sides, respectively with different levels of sound.
Purchase Link: Pop It Fidget Toys
10) Snap Fidget Toys
It’s so satisfying and calming to make it snap!
—Great for relieving stress and anxiety
—Can help to increase levels of dopamine and norepinephrine
—Allow those who have ADHD to focus better, concentrate more
—Can help Improve cognitive performance
—Can help hand strength and dexterity
AND look at those colors!!!
Our therapists have this and other fidgets in our offices to help clients during therapy sessions.
Purchase Link: Snap Fidget Toy
11) “Colors of Loss and Healing: An Adult Coloring Book for Getting Through Tough Times” by Deborah Derman
Whether you are experiencing a significant loss, depression, anxiety, or another profound challenge, healing takes time and is often a multi-step process. That’s why grief counselor Deborah Derman created “Colors of Loss and Healing”, an adult coloring book that combines beautiful drawings with inspirational words to help you quiet your mind and contemplate your journey toward healing. With additional journal pages to express your thoughts and feelings as they arise, “Colors of Loss and Healing” provides guided meditation and a quiet contemplative activity to help you work through and heal from your personal grief.
Purchase Link: Colors of Loss and Healing
12) “Crazy Sexy Love Notes”, a card deck from New York Times best-selling author Kris Carr, featuring gorgeous illustrations by artist Lori Portka
It’s high time you gave yourself a healthy dose of self-love. The fact is, you deserve it. You are a magnificent, radiant being. You are divine. And you are awesome. The sooner you start embracing that and treating yourself accordingly, the sooner your life will begin to unfold with compassion, purpose, ease, health, and vitality.
In “Crazy Sexy Love Notes”, you’ll find gentle, yet powerful reminders to help you care for and appreciate yourself at the deepest level. Let these love notes guide you back home when you lose your way, and remind you to:
Choose love—extend your love to all beings, most importantly yourself.
Nourish yourself—choose healthy, wholesome foods prepared with love.
Notice the blessings—when we take stock of our blessings, we receive more of them.
Be gentle with yourself—you are precious.
Accept yourself unconditionally—let go of who you think you should be and fall madly in love with who you are in this moment.
About the Author:
Kris Carr is a New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker, and wellness activist. She is the author of numerous books and the director and subject of the inspirational documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer—which chronicled her transformative journey from diagnosis to healthy living. Kris has appeared on Good Morning America, Today, The Early Show, CBS Evening News, Super Soul Sunday, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She regularly lectures at hospitals, wellness centers, corporations such as Whole Foods, and Harvard University.
Purchase Link: Crazy Sexy Love Notes
The next list includes therapy & self-help books used and recommended by our therapists. Part of the healing process is learning and deepening understanding of the self, others, and God. Some of these books are often recommended as homework assignments for clients who seek counseling and healing. In this list you will find parenting books, books for teens and children, a Bible study, self-care and motivational books, books for couples, and many more.
1) “Voice of the Heart” by Chip Dodd is a great book to gain understanding and wisdom in how we relate to people in our lives. We are all human and we all have feelings, but most of us have been conditioned in your youth to ignore or forget the meanings of our core 8 feelings.
This is a must read for those who struggle with the holidays.
Purchase Link: Voice of the Heart
2) “The Voice of the Heart Bible Study” by Jeff Schulte & Phil Herndon is a Harvest counselor recommended Bible study.
Looking for a new Bible study? This one is a great one! It’s a companion to the previous book recommendation— “Voice of the Heart” by Chip Dodd.
Purchase Link: The Voice of the Heart Bible Study
3) “Heart Talk” by Cleo Wade makes a great night read and gift. It features over one hundred and twenty of Cleo’s original poems, mantras, and affirmations. This book is a daily pep talk to keep you feeling empowered and motivated.
Purchase Link: Heart Talk
4) “The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd invites readers to explore the needs we are created to have so that we can live fully. Without knowing and expressing our needs, relationship with God and others suffers. This a complement to “The Voice of the Heart” also by Chip Dodd.
Counselors at Harvest highly recommend this book for those that are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, parenting and family issues, and work related issues.
Purchase Link: The Needs of the Heart
5) “On Sharing” by Andrew Barnett is a great book used in play therapy but also a great book for parents and teachers to read with their children/students. It’s an excellent conversation starter about friends and relationships.
This is not your typical children's book about sharing. This book is not going to tell you to share your things with others. This book is also not going to tell you that you are a bad person if you do not share, and at no time will this book attempt to convince you that you are a better person if you do share. Sharing can be difficult- and choosing who you want to share with, and what you want to share with them, is not easy. This book understands that, and wants to be there with you as you figure out for yourself the relationships you want to have with the people you know. This book is the first volume to be released in a child-centered book series focused on respecting children, and witnessing them in their difficult experiences.
Purchase Link: On Sharing
6) “I Get Mad: A Book About Anger” by Andrew Barnett is another one of our therapy faves.
It is a good learning tool for PARENTS and CHILDREN, giving them both a better understanding of the anger emotion. This is also a great gift idea for teachers.
FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK: Anger is important. It reminds us what we value, and gives us the strength to protect the people and things that we love. This book is a reminder of the importance of anger as a form of self respect, and asks that we do not underestimate the value of anger, both in ourselves, and in others. This book is part of a child-centered children's book series, focused on honoring children's feelings and perspectives, and witnessing them in their difficult experiences.
Purchase Link: I Get Mad: A Book About Anger
7) “The Self Love Workbook” by Shainna Ali is a great book to start before the holidays 😉 or to add to your wish list.
From the back of book:
You need love from yourself as much as from others. When you have low self-esteem, low confidence or even self-hatred, it’s impossible to live life to the fullest. It’s time to build your self-love and transform your attitude, emotions and overall outlook on life! This helpful workbook allows you to become aware of your own unique needs and goals while discovering how to better accept and love your true self. It includes a variety of constructive and actionable tips, tricks and exercises, including:
• Interactive Activities
explore a variety of fun and creative ways to love yourself
• Reflection Prompts
unpack your experiences and connect them to new lessons
• Helpful Advice
deepen your understanding of self-love and utilize it in the real world
Purchase Link: The Self Love Workbook
8) “The Self-Love Workbook for Teens: A Transformative Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Build a Healthy Mindset, and Embrace Your True Self”
by Shainna Ali is another counselor fave.
As a teen, life can be stressful, whether from worrying about looks, performance in school, relationships with friends and family, or societal pressures. It is easy for you to lose focus and feel like you’re not good enough. The Self-Love Workbook for Teens gives you the tools to conquer self-doubt and develop a healthy mindset. It includes fun, creative, and research-backed exercises, lessons, and tips.
The workbook could be used in a group setting with a counselor leading the discussion and activities. It could be done individually or by a parent and teen to facilitate discussion.
Purchase Link: The Self-Love Workbook for Teens: A Transformative Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Build a Healthy Mindset, and Embrace Your True Self
9) “You Matter” by Dhiman is a gentle reminder book of hope, bravery and courage on discovering and embracing the inner beauty that exists within us. It is a letter to a weary heart, searching for hope in the uncertain. An assurance that better days are ahead.
Purchase Link: You Matter
10) “The Teen Girl's Survival Guide: Ten Tips for Making Friends, Avoiding Drama, and Coping with Social Stress” (The Instant Help Solutions Series) by Lucie Hemmen PhD is our next recommendation for teen girls.
Book description:
As a teen girl, you are likely feeling pressure and stress from every direction. Having good, healthy relationships with friends you can count on makes all the difference. In this guide, psychologist and teen expert Lucie Hemmen offers ten tips to guide you toward creating and maintaining the social life you want. Even better, the real experts that make this guide special are older teen girls who have recently been where you are now—and have plenty to say about it.
As you move through this fun and engaging guide, you will get a sense of who you are as a friend, appreciate authentic qualities you can share with others, and get moving toward expanding the quality and quantity of your social connections. Before you know it, small steps will lead to big changes and you will find yourself more confident, connected, and happy.
Grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the ten tips guide you in developing yourself in both simple and significant ways. You will engage in thought-provoking exercises and take fun quizzes spaced between tips to get you thinking more deeply about yourself and others. If you’re ready to get going on your social life, this book will show you the way.
Purchase Link: The Teen Girl's Survival Guide: Ten Tips for Making Friends, Avoiding Drama, and Coping with Social Stress
11) “Parenting with Love & Logic” by Foster W. Cline, M.D & Jim Fay shows you how to raise self-confident, motivated children who are ready for the real world. Learn how to parent effectively while teaching your children responsibility and growing their character.
Establish healthy control through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles.
Purchase Link: Parenting with Love & Logic
12) “You, Me and Empathy” by Jayneen Sanders teaches children about empathy, feelings, kindness, compassion, tolerance and recognizing bullying behaviors.
One of the most important social skills a child can learn is empathy. Being able to understand how another person is feeling and recognizing their needs helps people to connect to one another across race, culture and the diversity that is ever-present and so important to our world. This charming story uses verse, beautiful illustrations and a little person called Quinn to model the meaning of empathy. Throughout the story, Quinn shows an abundance of understanding, compassion and kindness towards others. Showing empathy towards others is a learnt trait, and one to nurture and cherish with the children in our care.
Also included are discussion questions for parents, caregivers and educators, and suggested activities to promote empathy and kindness.
Purchase Link: You, Me and Empathy
13) “Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks” by Carissa Gustafson, PsyD is the next item we are adding to our favorite therapy things list.
Thoughts are simply a normal part of being human, but we’ve all had them disrupt our lives. Reclaim Your Life teaches you to accept and manage your thoughts with evidence-based principles and strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Discover ways to increase your flexibility in thinking, get some distance from your thoughts, and work toward a life full of values and purpose.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you get a handle on your emotions and find more adaptive responses from difficulties like panic attacks and low self-esteem. When strategies like labeling, visualizing, chatting with your mind, and others are implemented, they bring a positive change in your life.
The program―Apply the six core processes to each week and then bring them all together during the seventh and final week.
Broad array of issues―Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help with mental health issues like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Hands-on―Use the six chapter lessons, worksheets, and exercises to learn each step of the process.
Reclaim Your Life is everything an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy book should be. It allows you to live the good life you deserve.
Purchase Link: Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks
14) “Experiencing Grief” by H Norman Wright is another therapist fave.
At one time or another, we will all find ourselves facing a dark journey—the passage through grief. Experiencing Grief is written for a person who is in the wake of despair grief leaves. This brief but powerful book will help lead readers out of their grief experience through five stages of grief. At the end of the journey is peace and a seasoned, more mature faith.
Purchase Link: Experiencing Grief
15) “Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs” by Emerson Eggerichs is another one of our Favorite Therapy Things to add to your wish list this year.
Based on over three decades of counseling, as well as scientific and biblical research the Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is changing the way couples talk to, think about, and treat each other. What do you want for your marriage? Want some peace? Want to feel close? Want to feel valued? Want to experience marriage the way God intended? Love & Respect reveals why spouses react negatively to each other, and how they can deal with such conflict quickly, easily, and biblically.
Purchase Link: Love & Respect
16) “Codependent No More” by Melody Beattie
Is someone else's problem your problem? If, like so many others, you've lost sight of your own life in the drama of tending to someone else's, you may be codependent--and you may find yourself in this book.
The healing touchstone of millions, this modern classic by one of America's best-loved and most inspirational authors holds the key to understanding codependency and to unlocking its stultifying hold on your life.
With instructive life stories, personal reflections, exercises, and self-tests, “Codependent No More” is a simple, straightforward, readable map of the perplexing world of codependency--charting the path to freedom and a lifetime of healing, hope, and happiness.
Purchase Link: Codependent No More
17) Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend is the book that's helped over 4 million people learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of their lives.
Does your life feel like it's out of control? Perhaps you feel like you have to say yes to everyone's requests. Maybe you find yourself readily taking responsibility for others' feelings and problems. Or perhaps you focus so much on being loving and unselfish that you've forgotten your own limits and limitations. Or maybe it's all of the above.
This New York Times bestseller will help you learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of your life and set healthy, biblical boundaries with your spouse, children, friends, parents, co-workers, and even yourself.
Now updated and expanded for the digital age, this book continues to help millions of people around the world answer these tough questions:
• Can I set limits and still be a loving person?
• What are legitimate boundaries?
• How do I effectively manage my digital life so that it doesn't control me?
• What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries?
• How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money?
• Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries?
• How do boundaries relate to mutual submission within marriage?
• Aren’t boundaries selfish?
You don’t have to let your life spiral out of control. Discover how boundaries make life better today!
Purchase Link: Boundaries
18) “Asanas for Autism and Special Needs” by Shawnee Thornton Hardy can be used for ANYONE wanting to learn yoga poses and how to self-regulate when stressed. The poses have fun, easy to remember & pronounce names such as “dragons breath”, “rabbit” and “rag doll”.😄
It’s a kid friendly way to teach yoga and mindfulness. Other benefits include: greater awareness and understanding of the body, learning to self-regulate the nervous system, and developing coping skills to work through difficult emotions such as anger and anxiety.
It’s great for children with ADHD, as well as other learning differences!
Doing a few yoga flows (poses) a day with deep breaths helps with being mindful & is a great way to cope and physically reduce stress and anxiety. Try it for just 5 minutes a day!👍🏼 Which can be helpful in redirecting self-defeating thoughts and changing them into positives, as well as self-regulation.
Side note: Yoga is one of the fun things our play therapist does with some of her clients.
Purchase Link: Asanas for Autism and Special Needs on Amazon
Final Thoughts
We hope you find this list helpful. If you need any additional help, please feel free to contact us.
Harvest Counseling & Wellness is a mental health counseling practice in Argyle, Texas. We provide therapy for couples, individuals, and families are struggling with issues related to codependency, anxiety, depression, abuse, and grief. Our office is located near Denton, Highland Village, Flower Mound, Lantana, Roanoke, & Justin. If you are looking for a therapist in Denton or surrounding areas, contact us today for a complimentary phone consultation, 940-294-7061.
