Best Dissociative Disorders Books of 2026

The Complex PTSD Workbook is a practical guide for those who have experienced childhood trauma. The book provides valuable insight into the types of symptoms associated with unresolved childhood trauma and offers strategies to help integrate positive beliefs and behaviors. The author, Dr. Arielle Schwartz, combines simplicity, compassion, humility, and deep knowledge of the field in this book for sufferers of Complex PTSD. The book is an immensely useful guide to negotiating the turbulent waters of this all too common human malady. Highly recommended for those seeking to regain emotional control and become whole.

Dissociation Made Simple is a guide that helps readers understand dissociative disorders and heal from trauma-related dissociation. Written by clinical counselor Jamie Marich, who herself lives with a dissociative disorder, the book provides practical exercises to help readers work with their unique emotional and behavioral profiles. It also guides readers on how to choose a therapist and offers foundational elements of healing from trauma. The book is written without stigma, judgment, or shame, making it a refreshing and necessary addition to the clinical discussion of trauma and dissociation.

One Day At A Time: Mood Tracking Journal is a practical diary and tracker designed to help women and teens stay on top of their mental health. The journal features daily prompts to record emotions, positive and negative events, food and water intake, and notes of gratitude. The beautiful floral design, premium matte cover, and perfectly sized 6x9 inches make it an excellent tool for daily use. Overall, this book is a helpful guide for those struggling with dissociative disorders and a unique way to keep track of one's mental health journey.

The Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapists is an excellent training manual designed for patients with a trauma-related dissociative disorder. It provides a comprehensive guide on how dissociation can interfere with essential emotional and life skills, and how to support communication and collaboration with dissociative parts of the personality. The book includes short educational pieces, homework sheets, and exercises that can be used in individual therapy or structured groups. The authors' decades of experience make this book practical, hands-on, and a valuable tool for both therapists and clients. It is the first of its kind, making it unique and highly recommended for anyone working with individuals with complex trauma.

This book is an extensive guide to three of the most common approaches to psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Divided into seven parts, it covers a range of topics including PTSD, Polyvagal Theory, EMDR, and Somatic Psychotherapy. The author emphasizes the importance of psychotherapy in mental health treatment and explains how these different approaches can be combined to achieve optimal results. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about these specific types of therapy and how they can be used to treat a variety of mental health conditions.

The "EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation" is a highly rated book that offers a comprehensive set of EMDR-based tools for therapists dealing with clients who have complex emotional issues. The second edition includes new discoveries and strategies to extend the therapeutic power of Adaptive Information Processing model-based methods. The book provides an overview of the principal issues in treating complex emotional problems and describes highly effective methodologies with a wide variety of clinical presentations. This EMDR book is bolstered by supporting theory and current research, making it a valuable resource for therapists.

Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems is a transformative book that offers a comprehensive map to complex trauma treatment. Frank Anderson, MD, masterfully details an IFS path to therapy that allows clients to access their inherent capacity for healing while also helping them welcome the extreme emotions frequently associated with trauma. The book includes clinical case examples, summary charts, current neuroscience research, and personal stories that will enable clients to reclaim self-connection, experience self-love, and regain the ability to connect with and love others. This is an essential read for clinicians who want to help their clients overcome the challenges of healing and releasing the pain of relational trauma.

This extensive guide, titled "Trauma and Dissociation Informed Internal Family Systems," provides in-depth information on how to diagnose and successfully treat people with complex trauma and dissociative disorders using Internal Family Systems (IFS). The book offers strategies to support managers' ability to manage, integrate the powerful treatment modality of IFS, coping skills and affect management for all parts, and basic hypnotic language to enhance the impact of the IFS process. The author provides helpful ways of conceptualizing this therapy, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to treat C-PTSD and dissociative disorders safely and successfully.

This book provides a comprehensive approach for clinicians dealing with the effects of early trauma and neglect in the attachment period. Although it presumes EMDR training, the book has considerable application for other clinicians as well. The author integrates several treatment strategies based on the seminal contributions of Katie O'Shea and draws upon the somatic therapy traditions of Peter Levine and others. The book has over a hundred original drawings by the author, making it a quicker read than would be expected from its complexity. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for clinicians dealing with early trauma and neglect.