Resources

Suggested Readings & Programs

Welcome to our Book List Page
We are happy to suggest books that we have used, recommended, and have informed us for many years. You will find some that are classics, others that are more for the hands-on experience of a “workbook”, and others that are the newest and most innovative.

Looking at each link will provide you an overview that helps further define our program and the areas that interest us. Stay tuned. Our reading and research and suggestions are regularly evolving.

For Clients

ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

ACT With Love: Stop Struggling, Reconcile Differences, and Strengthen Your Relationship with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

The Dialectical Behavior Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation & Distress Tolerance by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley

Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions by Pema Chodron

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes, PhD with Spencer Smith

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix, PhD and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD

Getting Unstuck by Pema Chodron

Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment—and How to Get Help that Works by Anne M. Fletcher

Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps by Charlotte Davis Kasl, PhD

Mind and Emotions: A Universal Treatment for Emotional Disorders by Matthew McKay PhD, Patrick Fanning, and Patrica E. Zurita Ona, PsyD

Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cognitive-Behavioral Tradition by Steven C. Hayes, Victoria M. Follette, and Marsha M. Linehan

Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Origin of Everyday Moods: Managing Energy, Tension, and Stress by Robert E. Thayer, PhD

The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Self-Healing by Anne Weiser Cornell, PhD

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis PhD, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, MSW and Matthew McKay, PhD

Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocalate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by Dr. A Thomas Horvath

Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems- Advice from Those Who Have Succeeded by Anne M. Fletcher

The Solo Partner- Repairing Your Relationship On Your Own by Phil Deluca, MSW

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron

The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner, PhD

The Pocket Pema Chodron by Pema Chodron

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman, PhD

The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond by Patricia Evans

When Anger Hurts: Quieting the Storm Within by Matthew McKay, PhD, Peter D. Rogers, PhD, and Judith McKay, RN

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

For Family

ACT With Love: Stop Struggling, Reconcile Differences, and Strengthen Your Relationship with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions by Pema Chodron

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes, PhD with Spencer Smith

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix PhD and Helen LaKelly Hunt PhD

Getting Unstuck by Pema Chodron

Getting Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening by Robert J. Meyers, PhD and Brenda L. Wolfe, PhD

Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cognitive-Behavioral Tradition by Steven C. Hayes, Victoria M. Follette, and Marsha M. Linehan

The Origin of Everyday Moods: Managing Energy, Tension, and Stress by Robert E. Thayer, PhD

The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Self-Healing by Anne Weiser Cornell, PhD

Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocalate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by Dr. A Thomas Horvath

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems- Advice from Those Who Have Succeeded by Anne M. Fletcher

The Solo Partner—Repairing Your Relationship On Your Own by Phil Deluca, MSW

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron

The Pocket Pema Chodron by Pema Chodron

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman, PhD

Train Your Brain to Get Happy: The Simple Program That Primes Your Grey Cells for Joy, Optimism, and Serenity by Teresa Aubele PhD, Stan Wenck, EdD and Susan Reynolds

The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond by Patricia Evans

When Anger Hurts: Quieting the Storm Within by Matthew McKay, PhD, Peter D. Rogers, PhD, and Judith McKay, RN

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

For Professionals

ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

ACT With Love: Stop Struggling, Reconcile Differences, and Strengthen Your Relationship with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

Addiction and the Vulnerable Self: Modified Dynamic Group Therapy for Substance Abusers by Edward J. Khantzian, William E. McAuliffe, and Kurt S. Halliday

The Dialectical Behavior Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation & Distress Tolerance by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley

Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions by Pema Chodron

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes, PhD with Spencer Smith

Getting Unstuck by Pema Chodron

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate, MD

Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment- and How to Get Help that Works by Anne M. Fletcher

Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps by Charlotte Davis Kasl, PhD

Mind and Emotions: A Universal Treatment for Emotional Disorders by Matthew McKay PhD, Patrick Fanning, and Patrica E. Zurita Ona, PsyD

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Addictive Behaviors by Sarah Bowen, Neha Chawla, and G. Alan Marlatt

Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cognitive-Behavioral Tradition by Steven C. Hayes, Victoria M. Follette, and Marsha M. Linehan

Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Motivating Substance Abusers to Enter Treatment: Working With Family Members by Jane Ellen Smith and Rober J. Meyers

The Origin of Everyday Moods: Managing Energy, Tension, and Stress by Robert E. Thayer, PhD

The Pocket Pema Chodron by Pema Chodron

The Procrastinator’s Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now by Rita Emmett

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by Dr. A. Thomas Horvath

Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems- Advice from Those Who Have Succeeded by Anne M. Fletcher

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron

Train Your Brain to Get Happy: The Simple Program That Primes Your Grey Cells for Joy, Optimism, and Serenity by Teresa Aubele PhD, Stan Wenck, EdD and Susan Reynolds

Treating Addiction as a Human Process by Edward J. Khantzian

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Our Favorites

Addiction and the Vulnerable Self: Modified Dynamic Group Therapy for Substance Abusers by Edward J. Khantzian, William E. McAuliffe, and Kurt S. Halliday

More than any other, this book is the single most important to us for inspiring our treatment philosophy and building the foundation for the first elements of our program. Highly recommended for professionals.

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Addictive Behaviors by Sarah Bowen, Neha Chawla, and G. Alan Marlatt

This book provides clinicians a practical guide for teaching relapse prevention. Clients at A Positive Alternative were given the opportunity to participate in this valuable research at its early stages. Participants gained valuable skills and began to immediately incorporate mindfulness as a part of their recovery. Following this success, we included it as a vital part of our program.

ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

Harris takes the concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and offers explanations, exercises and examples and truly makes ACT simple and user friendly. ACT is closely aligned with our treatment philosophy. Highly recommended for professionals and clients alike.

Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems—Advice from Those Who Have Succeeded by Anne Fletcher

Anne Fletcher took a survey of hundreds who resolved their drinking problem. By telling their stories, she opens up the discussion about how people go about this resolution. She discovers a “vital truth: no single path to sobriety is right for every individual”.

Many of our clients have found this to be encoraging and supportive, particularly when they have had questions about approaches to sobriety that did not seem to fit their own philosophy.

The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner, PhD

This book is a classic. Of all the books written about personal relationships, this book stands out offering wise and constructive tools and concepts for honoring feelings and developing healthy boundaries.

Two workbooks clients have found useful…

Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions

Recovery by Choice: A Workbook

“I enjoyed the person-specific focus that empowers the individual; flexible time frame; great group support and excellent staff.”

— Male, 54

“I enjoyed the person-specific focus that empowers the individual; flexible time frame; great group support and excellent staff.”

— Male, 54