by Dr Joseph S Weiss

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through a link on this page, it costs you nothing extra and helps support this site.

A good book won’t replace therapy, but it can meet you where you are. It can help you understand what’s happening, try a few tools on your own, and feel less alone with it. Over the years, clients have asked me again and again what they should read, so I put together this guide.

Every book here is one I’d feel comfortable handing to a client. They’re grounded in approaches with real research behind them, mostly cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure, and mindfulness, and they’re written by clinicians and researchers who know their subject. I’ve grouped them by what they help with. Each title links to a fuller review, and to its page on Amazon.

Books for anxiety

Broad, practical guides for worry and everyday anxiety.

• Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine Pittman and Elizabeth Karle. View on Amazon
• The Anxiety and Worry Workbook by David A. Clark and Aaron T. Beck. View on Amazon
• The Worry Trick by David A. Carbonell. View on Amazon
• The Anxiety Toolkit by Alice Boyes. View on Amazon
• The CBT Anxiety Solution Workbook by Matthew McKay, Michelle Skeen, and Patrick Fanning. View on Amazon
• Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. View on Amazon

Books for insomnia

Cognitive behavioral approaches to sleep, the kind sleep specialists recommend first.

• Say Good Night to Insomnia by Gregg D. Jacobs. View on Amazon
• Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep by Colleen Carney and Rachel Manber. View on Amazon
• End the Insomnia Struggle by Colleen Ehrnstrom and Alisha Brosse. View on Amazon
• The Insomnia Workbook by Stephanie Silberman. View on Amazon

Books for OCD

Guides built on exposure and response prevention, the most effective approach for OCD.

• Brain Lock by Jeffrey M. Schwartz. View on Amazon
• The OCD Workbook by Bruce Hyman and Cherlene Pedrick. View on Amazon
• Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Jonathan Grayson. View on Amazon
• Getting Over OCD by Jonathan Abramowitz. View on Amazon
• The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy. View on Amazon

Books for panic

Help for panic attacks and the fear of the sensations themselves.

• When Panic Attacks by David D. Burns. View on Amazon
• Don’t Panic by R. Reid Wilson. View on Amazon
• Dare by Barry McDonagh. View on Amazon
• Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic by David Barlow and Michelle Craske. View on Amazon
• Panic Attacks Workbook by David Carbonell. View on Amazon

Books for phobias

Exposure-based guides for facing specific fears, step by step.

• The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne. View on Amazon
• Face Your Fears by David F. Tolin. View on Amazon
• The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety by William J. Knaus. View on Amazon
• The Anti-Anxiety Program by Peter J. Norton and Martin M. Antony. View on Amazon
• Living with Fear by Isaac M. Marks. View on Amazon

Books for social anxiety

Tools for the fear of judgment, and for stepping back into social life.

• The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook by Martin M. Antony and Richard P. Swinson. View on Amazon
• How to Be Yourself by Ellen Hendriksen. View on Amazon
• Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler. View on Amazon
• Dying of Embarrassment by Barbara Markway and colleagues. View on Amazon
• Managing Social Anxiety: Workbook by Debra Hope, Richard Heimberg, and Cynthia Turk. View on Amazon

Books for test anxiety

Practical help for students and adults who freeze under exam pressure.

• Test Success! by Ben Bernstein. View on Amazon
• Crush Your Test Anxiety by Ben Bernstein. View on Amazon

A word before you start

Reading is a fine first step, and for some people it’s enough to get real traction. For others it’s the beginning of a longer path, and that’s just as valid. If your symptoms are severe, if they’re keeping you from work, sleep, or the people you love, or if you’re feeling hopeless, please reach out to a professional who can build a plan around you.

The books and information on this page are for general education and aren’t a substitute for professional care. If you’re struggling, a licensed mental health professional can help you find the right next step.