Books for Relationships & Social Skills

For the individual and/or couple that wish to dig in and do the work, these resources will absolutely support healthy long-term changes. As always, each has their strengths and weaknesses. There’s never a single solution to our complex problems and lives. Please know that Wakeful does receive a small commission when you use the Amazon links to purchase a book. We really appreciate you doing this as it helps support Wakeful, its therapists and clients.

This book is for clients and therapists alike. At its foundation it uses neurological, psychological and systems findings, that means it’s a very solid Book. If you want to be a truly healthy partner or, as a psychotherapist, help individuals to become healthy partners then this is an amazing guide. If you’re a fan of Internal or Bowen Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and even Psychodynamic approaches you’ll enjoy this. At moments it might feel a little cheesy but don’t let that stop you from using it.

A classic with many concepts that are still very spot on, though the most updated version hasn’t been reviewed so we can’t speak to this one specifically. The classic version and its style is very dated (1936 publication date) so we do take issue with a few things, but overall it’s held up over time. If you’ve ever struggled, a little bit or a lot, with social interactions in any setting then this is a need-to-read for you. The tips are practical and they’re things you can attempt to implement immediately.

What a classic. So many of us struggle with codependent and dependent tendencies in all of our relationships. Consequently, every person will find what this book teaches is applicable to everyone to varying degrees. It doesn’t matter if this is a parent-child relationship or with a partner. Keep in mind that codependency has its home in addiction recovery so you’ll hear some about these subjects as well. If you keep an open mind you’ll find plenty of good things that can help you improve how you function and feel in your relationships. Better boundaries are ALWAYS a good thing.