Explore in your own time
I’m collating my favourite books, articles and podcasts exploring compassion, trauma, wellbeing and playfulness here for you, if you’re curious to know what inspires us, or to delve further into these themes.
cultivating compassion
the compassionate mind - paul gilbert
A compendium for understanding compassion and its relationship to our emotional wellbeing, alongside simple steps to cultivate more compassion for ourselves and others.
all about love - bell hooks
An impassioned manifesto for cultivating love at every level of personal, social and political experience.
the way of tenderness: awakening through race, sexuality & gender - zenju earthlyn manuel
A buddhist take on identity, and the power of warmth and compassion in healing political, social and personal hatred.
radical acceptance - tara brach
A story-rich, practical guide to developing self-acceptance.
the wild edge of sorrow - francis weller
A poetic exploration of the different forms of grief we experience, and ways of working with our grief.
compassion: listening to the cries of the world - christina feldman
Exploring ways of holding pain, loss and suffering for oneself and others, without burning out.
Understanding Trauma
the body keeps the score - bessel van der kolk
An encyclopedic exploration of how our brains and bodies are impacted by trauma, and what we can do about it.
trauma and recovery - judith herman
A seminal work on trauma, Herman explores the surrounding political context alongside the personal impact of trauma on war veterans and survivors of abuse.
my grandmother’s hands: racialised trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies - resmaa menakem
A profound invitation to heal the racial trauma that lives in our bodies, offering practical guidance alongside compassionate cultural critique.
waking the tiger: healing trauma - peter levine
Exploring how humans as animals respond to trauma, and what we can learn from the animal kingdom about managing and healing trauma.
When the body says no: the cost of hidden stress - gabor maté
Exploring the relationship between emotional and physical stress, particularly when stress manifests in physical ailments and disease.
trauma stewardship - laura van dernoot lipsky & connie burk
A friendly, comprehensive guide to self-care for anyone working with traumatised people, traumatised animals or the traumatised planet.