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Kris Yi, Ph.D.
PSYCHOTHERAPY & CONSULTING
(323)819-4181
RECOMMENDED READINGS
A curated selection of books and articles that have shaped my thinking about psychoanalysis, attachment, trauma, culture, child development, and the emotional life of human being. I have also included helpful guides on a number of issues such as depression, anxiety, LGBTQ, sleep, work and productivity.
Psychotherapy & Contemporary Psychoanalysis
Contexts of Being
Robert D. Stolorow & George Atwood
A foundational text in intersubjective psychoanalysis that explores teh relational origins of psychological life
Attachment in Psychotherapy
David J. Wallin
A comprehensive guide to using attachment theory in clinical practice
Revolution in Mind
George Malaki
The remarkable history of psychoanalysis during the turbulent times in Europe and the personalities who shaped its development.
Attached
Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller
Explores adult attachment and its impact on relationships and emotional well-being
Standing in the Spaces
Philip Bromberg
A groundbreaking exploration of dissociation and the capacity to hold multiple emotional realities within a coherent sense of self.
Playing and Reality
Donald W. Winnicott
Winnicott's classic work introduces the concept of transitional space where play & allow the self to develop and flourish.
Power of Emotional Understanding
The Shame Family
Robert D. Stolorow
Blog post: Many emotional states have shame at their core.
On Valorizing Shame
Robert D. Stolorow
Blog post: Empathy and emotional understanding as the true foundations of psychological development.
Empathic Civilization in the Age of Trauma
Robert D. Stolorow
Blog post: In an age of collective trauma our greatest hope lies in cultivating empathic relationships that help us bear suffering together.
Human Beings Shining
Robert Stolorow
Blog post: Therapy as a deeply human practice that is grounded in understanding of each person's unique emotional world.
Introspection, Empathy, and Psychoanalysis
Heinz Kohut
Kohut's seminal work that empathy is the essential method of psychoanalysis and the foundation for understanding another person's inner experience
Emotional Understanding: Studies in Psychoanalytic Epistemology
Donna Orange
Emotional understanding as an intersubjective process in which meaning emerges through dialogue, empathy, and mutual recognition.
Trauma
Trauma and Human Existence
Robert D. Stolorow
A profound inquiry into the effects of trauma on human existence and the search for meaning and connection.
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel Van Der Kolk
Explains how trauma is held in the body and brain, and how healing involves reconnecting mind, body, and relationships.
Trauma and Recovery
Judith Herman
A landmark work tracing the psychological impact of trauma and outlining a compassionate framework for recovery through safety, remembrance, and reconnection.
The Complex PTSD Workbook
Arielle Schartz.
A practical guide offering evidence-based exercises to help survivors understand trauma, regulate emotions, and rebuild a more connected life.
How to Rewire Your Traumatized Brain
Conception de Leon, The New York Times
A thoughtful reflection on how trauma alters the brain and body, and how compassionate, relational healing can gradually restore vitality and connection.
World, Affectivity, Trauma
Robert D. Stolorow
Explores the interconnections between world, self, and trauma through philosophical and psychoanalytic lenses.
Relationships, Parenting, and Friendships.
Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
John Gottman
Draws on decades of research to identify the habits and skills that foster lasting, emotionally connected relationships
The Whole Brain Child
Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
A practical guidebook to parents with 12 strategies to nurture a child's developing mind
The 36 Questions That Lead to Love
Daniel Jones, The New York Times
Fun questions to get to know partner, friend, or family member.
Mating n Captivity
Esther Perel
Examines the tension between intimacy and desire, exploring how long-term couples can sustain both love and erotic vitality.
Parenting from the Inside Out
Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
Posits that deeper self-understanding can help you raise children who thrive.
Attached
Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller
Explores adult attachment and its impact on relationships and emotional well-being
How to Have Closer Friendships
Emma Pattee, The New York Times
It is not always easy to make truly close friendships. This article offers tips.
The Friendship Advise Experts Swear By
Catherine Pearson
Making friends as an adult is hard. Here are some expert tips.
Anxiety, Stress, ADHD, and Depression
Scattered Minds
Gabor Mate
Expels the myth that ADHD is genetic and addresses the environmental factors contribution to the condition.
Stress May Impar Memory & Thinking Skills
Nicholars Bakalar, The New York Times
Discusses impact stress hormones has on cognition.
The Mentalization Workbook
Anthony Bateman, Peter Fonagy, & Patrick Luyten
Self-help book to understand yourself and others when your thoughts and emotions get in your way.
Affect Regulation, Mentalizatoin,& the Development of the Self
Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, & Target
Offers a mentalization model for affect regulation.
Feeling Good
David Burns
Classic text that identifies common cognitive errors associated with depression.
Race, Culture, and Asian American Experience
Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation
David Eng and Shinhee Han
Landmark work exploring the psychic predicaments of Asian Americans.
The Trauma of Racism
Beverly Stout and Michael Slevin
Offers reflections by clinicians on the impact of racism on us all.
Orientalism
Edward Said
This landmark book explores the West's false assumptions towards the East.
Psychoanalytic Theory & Cultural Competence
Pratyusha Tummala-Narra
Offers set of core principles to guide culturally competent psychotherapy practice
Color of Success
Ellen Wu
Explores the transformation of Asian Americans from Yellow Peril to Model Minority
The Fire Next Time
James Baldwin
A powerful evocation of racism that galvanized Civil Rights Movement. Baldwin's insights are still applicable in contemporary America.
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Coming Out to My Parents in China by Video
Ania Bartkowiak and Mengwen Cao
Moving Video of a woman coming out to her parents in China who struggle to understand while being loving.
Gender Without Identity
Avgi Saketopoulou and Anne Pellegrini
Argues that the role of trauma impacts individuals' gender identity, whether cis- trans-, or non-binary. Gender identity is not fixed, but might evolve over a person's life.
Productivity, Procrastination, and Insomnia
Parenting
Procrastinate Much? Manage Your Emotions, Not Your Time
Adam Grant, the New York Times
Posits that we procrastinate when a task stirs up feelings such as anxiety, confusion, or boredom.
Why You Procrastinate (It has Nothing to Do With Self-Control
Charlotte Lieberman, The New York Times
Argues that procrastination is not about being lazy. It has to do with challenging emotions.
Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker
Neuroscientist explores sleep, examing how it affects our physical and mental well-being.
Productivity Isn't About Time Management: It's About Attention Management
Adam Grant, the New York Times
Argues that productivity results from directing attention to intrinsically interesting activities.
Deep Work
Cal Newport
Rules for focused success in a distracted world.
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