Empowerment center

good nature

Healing resources

We believe that opportunities for healing and learning are everywhere, not just in a therapy room! We recommend checking out the following resources to supplement your journey in therapy.

Please be aware that all of these resources contain potentially triggering and mature material.
 
If you feel overwhelmed during your engagement with these resources, please check in with your therapist for additional support. 
​

Addiction

Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs&t=1s

In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts By Gabor Mate 
Discusses addiction, homelessness, trauma 
https://bookshop.org/books/in-the-realm-of-hungry-ghosts-close-encounters-with-addiction/9781556438806

"Addiction Poem" A Message Of Hope by IN-Q
Poem about healing from addiction
https://youtu.be/Fl1E1fVDt1s

Nuggets
Animation illustrating a metaphor for addiction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUngLgGRJpo

Antiracism

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
Explores how racialized trauma is stored in the bodies of all races and how to start healing from it.
https://bookshop.org/books/my-grandmother-s-hands-racialized-trauma-and-the-pathway-to-mending-our-hearts-and-bodies-9781942094470/9781942094470

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis
https://bookshop.org/p/books/freedom-is-a-constant-struggle-ferguson-palestine-and-the-foundations-of-a-movement-angela-y-davis/16711653?ean=9781608465644

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Explore the different aspects of white supremacy and how white supremacy has show up in your life.
https://bookshop.org/books/me-and-white-supremacy-combat-racism-change-the-world-and-become-a-good-ancestor/9781728209807

Antiracism Daily 
Daily newsletter that discusses various issues within BIPOC communities with various writers from many Communities of Color. Get the daily email or explore the archives. 
https://the-ard.com/
ARD suggested reads: https://bookshop.org/shop/anti-racism-daily

13th Documentary
Discusses Black History and its relation to Mass Incarceration
Available on Netflix and Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8

How To Be An Antiracist 
By Ibram X Kendi
Explores history of racism and how to actively challenge racism.
https://bookshop.org/books/how-to-be-an-antiracist/9780525509288

Explained | Racial Wealth Gap
Discusses racism in socioeconomic systems 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqrhn8khGLM​​​

Article: This app will show you what Indigenous land you're on 
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/22/us/native-land-app-trnd/index.html
https://native-land.ca/

Depression

This Could Be Why You're Depressed or Anxious TED Talk By Johann Hari
Discusses psycho-social factors for depression and anxiety
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB5IX-np5fE

Lost Connections By Johann Hari 
Discusses psycho-social factors for depression and anxiety and how to heal from them, elaborates more on Hari's TED talk above!
https://bookshop.org/books/lost-connections-why-you-re-depressed-and-how-to-find-hope/9781632868312

Grief

We Don’t Move On From Grief. We Move Forward With It TED Talk 
https://youtu.be/khkJkR-ipfw?si=4H8C8WdbaMiDOWsS

How do you help a grieving friend? Youtube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zLCCRT-nE

LGBTQIA+

Transgender Teen: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Teens
By Stephanie Brill and Lisa Kenney
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Transgender-Teen/Stephanie-Brill/9781627781749

Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender
By Kit Heyam
Explores the history of the spectrum of gender identity and gender roles that do not align with the gender binary
https://bookshop.org/p/books/before-we-were-trans-a-new-history-of-gender-kit-heyam/18687580?ean=9781541603080

The T Guide: Our Trans Experiences and a Celebration of Gender Expression--Man, Woman, Nonbinary, and Beyond
By Gigi Gorgeous and Gottmik
Fun, conversational guide on the trans experience
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-t-guide-our-trans-experiences-and-a-celebration-of-gender-expression-man-woman-nonbinary-and-beyond-gigi-gorgeous/19622575?ean=9780744070590

Disclosure Documentary
Trans representation in culture and media- available on Netflix
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysbX6JUlaEc

Paris is Burning
1990 Documentary on the New York drag and ball scene in the 1980s that is a pivotal part of drag, queer and trans history
Content warning: outdated queer language, some of which is now considered derogatory or inaccurate
https://watchdocumentaries.com/paris-is-burning/​

The way we think about biological sex is wrong TED Talk
By Emily Quinn
Discusses biological sex existing on a spectrum and importance of advocating for Intersex visibility
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUl_OapUso

Gender Spectrum
Resources to help understand gender diversity
https://genderspectrum.org/

Effective Allyship: A Transgender Take on Intersectionality | Ashlee Marie Preston | TEDxPasadena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EcuDfDjUd8&feature=emb_logo

Interviewing LGBT High Schoolers 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haPXxFLQhJI

Transgender Children Talk About Being Raised By Their Families | them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLNdExzuKwc

Your words have the power to end suffering of LGBTQ youth | Kat Clark | TEDxTauranga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zuqUpiM26c&feature=emb_logo

Pronouns | Trans | One Word | Cut
Discusses importance of personal pronouns 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn1TC7VEpf4&feature=emb_logo

Them Youtube Channel
All things queer 
https://www.youtube.com/c/watchthem/videos

5 Tips For Parents of LGBT Kids | Queer 101 | The Advocate
A pastor and mom gives advice to parents of LGBTQ+ children from a faith based perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Ev2QG0W9M

Everywhere Is Queer
App to find queer owned businesses near you!
everywhereisqueer.com

Gender Unicorn
Adorable graphic that breaks down gender identity vs sex vs sexual orientation
https://transstudent.org/gender/

>>> QUEER & TRANS AFFIRMATIVE SERVICES

UCLA Gender Health Center
Gender Affirmative Medical Care 
https://www.uclahealth.org/gender-health/

Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Center for Transyouth Health and Development
Gender Affirmative Medical Care for ages up to 25 and peer support groups
https://www.chla.org/the-center-transyouth-health-and-development

Refuge Restrooms
Ranking site for how safe public bathrooms are for gender expansive individuals, search by location.
https://www.refugerestrooms.org/

PFLAG
Organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ people and their loved ones. Visit their website to find your local chapter!
https://pflag.org/

Strands for Trans
Director for trans affirmative hairstylists and barbers.
https://strandsfortrans.org


Mind / Body Connection

When The Body Says No by Gabor Maté
Explores the stress disease connection and correlations between specific life experiences / emotional regulation styles in connection to major diseases such as Cancer, ALS, Asthma, etc.
https://bookshop.org/books/when-the-body-says-no-understanding-the-stress-disease-connection/9780470923351

Commune Podcast: Dr. Gabor Mate: The Latest on Trauma, Mental Illness, Disease, and More
Explores how the conditions of modern society increase illness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwHpK3Jsr3U

Body of Money
Explores how trauma and self limiting beliefs effects our relationship with money.
https://somaticfinance.com/book/

Self Awareness

Polysecure by Jessica Fern
An amazing explanation of attachment styles and how these types impact our romantic & sexual partnerships. Written with the poly community in mind, but also an incredible resource for monogamous folks.
https://www.jessicafern.com/books

Inquire Within by IN-Q
Book of poetry on various subjects including self examination and society examination by IN-Q
https://www.in-q.com/inquire-within-book
​
Fear Is Just A Four-Letter Word By Tracy Tutor
A real estate agent's take on building confidence and success in business and beyond 
https://www.tracytutor.com/book/

16 Personalities Test
Online version of the Meyers Briggs Type Inventory. Learn how your personality type functions in relationships, at work, in problem solving, etc. Learn more about your strengths and areas of growth.
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Non-Violent Communication Lectures with Marshall Rosenberg
Reimagine your communication style with this compassionate, needs based approach to communication.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZnXBnz2kwk&list=PLPNVcESwoWu4lI9C3bhkYIWB8-dphbzJ3&index=1

Identity: A Journey Back to You
By Brian Loveless LMFT
LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC inclusive guided journal written by a queer therapist.
https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Journey-Back-Brian-Loveless/dp/B0CXBPDK3D


Social Justice

For resources specifically on race, see our Antiracist section.


The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté
Discusses the toxic aspects of our society that have been normalized that are causing nervous system dysregulation.
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-myth-of-normal-trauma-illness-and-healing-in-a-toxic-culture-gabor-mate/17446136?ean=9780593083888 

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 
Explores the history of humans as a species and how modern human culture came to be.
https://bookshop.org/books/sapiens-a-brief-history-of-humankind-9781467601573/9780062316110

Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress by Christopher Ryan
Explores ways civilization goes against what is innately healthy for humans as a species.
https://bookshop.org/p/books/civilized-to-death-the-price-of-progress-christopher-ryan/6701308?ean=9781451659115

They Call Us Monsters 
Discusses teens with juvenile life charges and juvenile legal system 
Available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_d3qIGPasY​

The Social Dilemma Documentary 
Discusses how social media and the internet is designed to be addictive, how the internet effects self esteem, how algorithms are contributing to divide, misinformation and chaos in society 
Available on Netflix
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaC57tcci0

Implicit Association Tests (Harvard)
Test your unconscious biases towards different groups of people
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Step Inside the Circle: Compassion Prison Project
People incarcerated connect over having shared traumas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVxjuTkWQiE

Honor Yard: Compassion Prison Project
Explores the mental health symptoms that many people who are incarcerated struggle with. Those incarcerated are some of the most traumatized members of society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo_RUSuk4s8

Halsey's 2017 Women's March Speech
Trigger warning: explicit language and mention of assault.
Explores oppression and violence women experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HyLtDiRDLs​

Compassion In Action with Fritzi Horstman and Gabor Maté
Gabor and Fritzi discuss our traumatized culture, trauma as the root to both addiction and incarceration, and how important it is for society to become more trauma informed. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A496QC-BMBc

The Social Change Ecosystem Map & Roles Definitions
"The Social Change Ecosystem Map is a framework that can help individuals, networks, and organizations align with social change values, individual roles, and the broader ecosystem."
https://buildingmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ecosystem-Guide-2020.pdf
https://buildingmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ecosystem-Roles-2020.pdf

Ten Reasons Why Your Mental Health Provider Stopped (or Never Started) Taking Your Health Insurance
Behind the scenes information on the issues of insurance coverage for mental health services
https://medium.com/@karen_90828/ten-reasons-why-your-mental-health-provider-stopped-or-never-started-taking-your-health-insurance-4d7f23236483

Trauma

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz
https://bookshop.org/books/no-bad-parts-healing-trauma-and-restoring-wholeness-with-the-internal-family-systems-model-9781683646686/9781683646686​

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
https://www.newharbinger.com/9781626251700/adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents/

This is Paris Documentary
Paris Hilton and friends share traumatic experiences in abusive boarding schools and the issues with the "Troubled Teen Industry"
Full documentary available for free on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOg0TY1jG3w​

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine
Discussed the components of trauma and how trauma stores itself in your body.
https://bookshop.org/books/waking-the-tiger-healing-trauma-the-innate-capacity-to-transform-overwhelming-experiences/9781556432330

Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal
Book by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Connects childhood adversity to later mental health and physical health concerns.
https://bookshop.org/books/childhood-disrupted-how-your-biography-becomes-your-biology-and-how-you-can-heal/9781476748368?aid=10388​​

Move Over, Love Languages: Do You Know Your ‘Route of Safety’?
Discusses different kinds of support for those healing from trauma. 
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/routes-of-safety-model

The Choice: Embrace the Possible
Psychologist Dr Edith Eger shares her wisdom and insight after surviving the Holocaust as a teenager. 
https://bookshop.org/books/the-choice-embrace-the-possible/9781501130793