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Reading lists

The best self-help books for a positive change in the New Year

Books about mental health against a colourful background.

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Books that can help improve your mental health

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Interviews

Philippa Perry: I want to show people the truth about doing therapy

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Features

Books to read if you’re considering psychotherapy

The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)

'A wonderful book' Richard Osman 
 
'So clear and true ... Helpful for all relationships in life' Nigella Lawson 
 
'A fascinating read on the emotional baggage we all carry' Elizabeth Day 
______________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
How can we have better relationships? 
 
In this Sunday Times bestseller, leading psychotherapist Philippa Perry reveals the vital do's and don'ts of relationships. This is a book for us all. Whether you are interested in understanding how your upbringing has shaped you, looking to handle your child's feelings or wishing to support your partner, you will find indispensable information and realistic tips in these pages. Philippa Perry's sane, sage and judgement-free advice is an essential resource on how to have the best possible relationships with the people who matter to you most. 
 
Featuring exclusive new chapter on sibling relationships. 
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
'It gave me hope as a new parent' Babita Sharma 
 
'This has genuinely had such a positive impact on my life and my relationship with my daughter' Josh Widdicombe 
 
'She writes with an inquisitive elegance rarely found in parenting guides ... it is forgiving and persuasive' Hadley Freeman, the Guardian 
 
'Philippa Perry is one of the wisest, most sane and secure people I've ever met' Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Times Magazine 
 
 
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide since publication, BBVA March 2024 
Philippa Perry, Sunday Times bestseller, October 2023

The psychotherapist’s guide to raising happy, healthy children is one of the most practical and genuinely useful books out there. Warm and judgement-free, every parent should read this book

Made me think about me and who I am and my parents and who they are and maybe, hopefully, one day what sort of parent I might strive to be

I don't have kids but [this book] is a fascinating read on the emotional baggage we all carry

The Easter holidays were a complete joy because of your book - I feel about a trillion times more relaxed and connected as a parent and I have also found it very helpful for my sobriety and recovery

A fascinating insight into how the way you were brought up impacts your relationships with your children and partner, and how to manage the needs of children while showing compassion to yourself

EVERY parent should read this book, however old their child. In fact, any adult in a relationship should read it too. Distilled in less than 250 pages is a road map to healthy relationships. Required reading

Not got kids? It doesn't matter, as the wonderful psychotherapist Philippa Perry's latest book is actually about using our pasts to understand ourselves (...) it's also an excellent book for reminding yourself: life is hard and you're doing your best - so try not to beat yourself up for everyday mistakes

So clear and true ... can't stop recommending it to people ... helpful for all relationships in life, not just parent-child

Not got kids? It doesn't matter, as the wonderful psychotherapist Philippa Perry's latest book is actually about using our pasts to understand ourselves and how we react to situations that test our patience and emotions. She explains that these sharp reactions might well be down to what happened in our childhoods - and the flashpoints that these emotions can stir up makes for fascinating reading whether you're actively parenting or not. It's also an excellent book for reminding yourself: life is hard and you're doing your best - so try not to beat yourself up for everyday mistakes

If you're determinedly not a self-help kind of reader (like me), make an exception for [this book]. And if you're not a parent, don't dismiss it. The message is one of non-judgemental kindness. The sophisticated psychoanalytical version of my "count to ten and then say something kind" advice to my kids (and myself) when things start to fall apart

As a mother of a three year old, I have an aversion to the endless saccharine social-media posts about parenting. Perry's book is the antithesis of all that - practical and logical

Philippa Perry goes through each stage of parenthood, from pregnancy to the teen years, suggesting emotional techniques that will help you to have a strong and healthy relationship with your babies and yourself

It gave me hope as a new parent that whatever learnt behaviour you've got from your mum and dad (...) you can learn from that but it doesn't have to stay with you

In fact, I'd say Philippa Perry is one of the wisest, most sane and secure people I've ever met

she writes with an inquisitive elegance rarely found in parenting guides (...) the book is still firm with parents but also forgiving (...) it is forgiving and persuasive - God, it's persuasive. I've yet to meet a parent who hasn't altered their parenting to some degree after reading it, myself included

I'm going to be honest Philippa, this has genuinely had such a positive impact on my life and my relationship with my daughter - so thank you very much for that

The main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection

I've had the most wonderful feedback from this episode. People stopping me on the street to say how much they've love the book's advice. Philippa's wisdom and delivery has resonated with many parents out there. I can't thank her enough for her time and energy

It is like a letter from a wise friend who happens to have done years of research (...) I am grateful for it

A wise book on parents and children

The main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection

PHILIPPA PERRY, artist and psychotherapist, is an agony aunt for Observer Magazine, a freelance writer, and a TV and radio presenter. Her No.1 Sunday Times bestselling book The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read was published in 2019 and has been translated into over 40 languages. She has written two other books: Couch Fiction and How to Stay Sane. Lady Perry lives in London with her husband Sir Grayson and their cat The Honourable Kevin.

How can we have better relationships? 
 
In this Sunday Times bestseller, leading psychotherapist Philippa Perry reveals the vital do's and don'ts of relationships. This is a book for us all. Whether you are interested in understanding how your upbringing has shaped you, looking to handle your child's feelings or wishing to support your partner, you will find indispensable information and realistic tips in these pages. Philippa Perry's sane, sage and judgement-free advice is an essential resource on how to have the best possible relationships with the people who matter to you most.

A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy

Couch Fiction

'A gem' - The Evening Standard 
'Pure book joy. Deep thinking made digestible &amp; doled up with lashings of wit' Bernardine Evaristo on Twitter 
 
'So smart and interesting!' Fearne Cotton on Instagram 
 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
 
Ever wanted to know what really happens in a therapist's consultation room? 
 
Bestselling author Philippa Perry (The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read) turns her keen insights to the power of therapy. This compelling study of psychotherapy in the form of a graphic novel vividly explores a year's therapy sessions as a search for understanding and truth. 
 
Beautifully illustrated by Flo Perry, author of How to Have Feminist Sex, and accompanied by succinct and illuminating footnotes, this book offers a witty and thought-provoking exploration of the therapeutic journey, considering a range of skills, insights and techniques along the way. 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
'I loved it. I smiled and laughed. And nodded. One to read' Susie Orbach, author of In Therapy 
 
'(Full of) wit and good sense (...) Philippa is a tonic' Rachel Cooke, Observer

Philippa is a tonic even if you're not her patient

Pure book joy. Deep thinking made digestible &amp; doled up with lashings of wit. How old habits hold us back. Perfect Xmas present.

If you've ever wondered whether therapy is for you, Mrs Grayson Perry's entertaining, insightful guide will give you an idea (...) This is a story about connection, honesty and opening up emotionally - things many of us find difficult. Charmingly illustrated by daughter Flo

Curl up with a fireside read (and) swot up with psychology

a gem (...) funny, engaging, enlightening

Perry offers a digestible, droll guide to the therapeutic process

This can help many of us to understand the therapeutic process better

BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind with Claudia Hammond

winningly illustrated (...) absolutely fascinating and very funny

Philippa Perry (Author) PHILIPPA PERRY, artist and psychotherapist, is an agony aunt for Observer Magazine, a freelance writer, and a TV and radio presenter. Her No.1 Sunday Times bestselling book The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read was published in 2019 and has been translated into over 40 languages. She has written two other books: Couch Fiction and How to Stay Sane. Lady Perry lives in London with her husband Sir Grayson and their cat The Honourable Kevin. Flo Perry (Illustrator) Flo Perry is a writer and illustrator, former BuzzFeed editor and expert on making illustrations go viral. She was born and raised in the wilds of North London and still lives there with two lovely homosexual housemates and a terrible cat. Her book How to Have Feminist Sex was published in 2019.

Ever wanted to know what really happens in a therapist's consultation room? 
 
Bestselling author Philippa Perry (The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read) turns her keen insights to the power of therapy. This compelling study of psychotherapy in the form of a graphic novel vividly explores a year's therapy sessions as a search for understanding and truth. 
 
Beautifully illustrated by Flo Perry, author of How to Have Feminist Sex, and accompanied by succinct and illuminating footnotes, this book offers a witty and thought-provoking exploration of the therapeutic journey, considering a range of skills, insights and techniques along the way. 
 
I loved it. I smiled and laughed. And nodded. One to read - Susie Orbach, author of 'In Therapy' 
 
(full of) wit and good sense (...) Philippa is a tonic even if you're not her patient - Rachel Cooke, Observer

Philippa Perry

As seen on ITV 'This Morning' 
 
'Brilliant . . . Very few self-help books are this wise' The Times 
 
'Life bible incoming: Philippa Perry's sage (and witty) advice will have you re-evaluating all the relationships in your life' Stylist 
 
'I LOVE Philippa Perry and think she's wise and brilliant' Bella Mackie 
 
Life is all about relationships and the quality of those connections, whether that's with family, partners, friends, colleagues or most importantly yourself. If you can get those relationships on a functional and even keel, then the other tricky stuff that life throws your way becomes easier to manage. 
 
In this warm, practical and witty book, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling psychotherapist Philippa Perry shows you how to approach life's big problems. 
 
How do you find and keep love? What can you do to manage conflict better? How can you get unstuck and cope with change and loss? What does it mean to you to be content? Are other people just annoying or are you the problem? 
 
With a healthy dose of sanity, Philippa Perry's compassionate advice could help you become a happier, wiser person. 
 
Includes some material adapted from the Ask Philippa columns in Observer Magazine.

Philippa Perry

Books by Philippa Perry

Articles featuring Philippa Perry

The best self-help books for a positive change in the New Year

Books that can help improve your mental health

Philippa Perry: I want to show people the truth about doing therapy

Books to read if you’re considering psychotherapy

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