Book Recommendations from a Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Meet Brandi Winters, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW):

I am truly blessed to get to work with Children and Adults. As a lover and collector of children's books, I have several that have deep impact regardless of age. My favorites include The Little Engine that Could, Just in Case, How Full is Your Bucket, and Ish.

Aside from these general recommendations, I frequently make more specific recommendations depending on the individual and their needs.

Some of my favorite books for kiddos include My Body's Mine and I Can Do Thatby Kayla Marnach. Her third book in this series, My Actions Matter, is due to come out in the new year. I use these books in sessions regularly, and they are great for 3-7 year olds.
For parents, I enjoy recommending The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis. This book talks about a child's deep need for connection and how to balance structure and nurture to help children feel safe and begin healing from their hurts.
With teen girls, I frequently recommend the American Girl books since they cover a variety of topics including, yet not limited to, boys, sticky situations, caring for my body, family, and sticking up for friends.
Boys and girls typically respond well to Dave Pelzer's Help Yourself for Teens & Sean Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens...the workbook that accompanies this book is great!
Lastly, when working with adults, I frequently recommend books including Brene Brown's Daring Greatly, Kendricks' The Love Dare, and Dr. Harriet Lerner's The Dance of Anger.

I believe that books and stories can be enlightening, supportive, inspiring, and healing. Cheers to all of the good books out there and the time gifts used for reading.

Brandi Winters, LCSW

Sandra Bravo, LPC