Helpful resources

I’m always reading and viewing and adding to this list of resources. Please let me know if there’s a particularly helpful book, article, or video that you recommend!

Dr. Elain Aron’s Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) self-test

This is a wonderful place to start for anyone wondering why they seem to notice things others don’t, or why they seem to be more deeply affected (both positively and negatively) by their environment and internal landscape.

Recommended reading

One of the foundational texts on the nature of trauma and trauma recovery, this book is informative in a really accessible way. I reach for it, refer to it, cite it, and recommend it!

Another foundational text, this one on the HSP trait. Dr. Aron is the psychologist and researcher and who put the HSP trait on the map with her first paper on the subject in 1996. This book expands on her original research in-depth (but without the dry research language).

A newer entry in the self-help/psychoeducation pantheon, this book was written from the perspective of an HSP, for HSPs. It contains concrete guidance on how to find your way back to a regulated nervous system.

Dr. Saks is a world-renowned professor of law, psychology, and psychiatry at USC who writes movingly about her experiences developing and living (and thriving) with schizophrenia. She is a passionate advocate for those with mental health needs.

A great read for anyone who identifies as female and has Had It Up to Here (TM). This book dissects the mental load of emotional labor in a very validating way and gives you tools for recovery.

Dr. Jamison is an American psychologist, professor, and writer who details her experience of living with bipolar disorder here. Bipolar disorder has also been the focus of her research, which she expands on in additional titles.

Recommended TedTalks and other videos