Below you will find lists to what we believe are the best books on a particular counseling category.   

The books listed on these pages are ones we use in our classes or with our students.

In our experience the following books are the best on abuse and abuse recovery.    

Transformation:  Contains two chapters on Bible models for abusers and recovery

Alternatives of Domestic Violence:  Workbook for Domestic Violence Groups (Secular)

Anger is a choice: A basic book about anger by a Christian author

The Anger Workbook:  The core underlying issues that cause long-term anger

Battered into Submission:  Covers Christian domestic violence issues

Boundaries:  The classical Christian book on establishing personal boundaries 

The boundaries workbook:  The companion workbook for Boundaries 

Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse:  A more general book about sexual abuse

The wounded heart:  The most in-depth clinical Christian book on childhood sexual abuse 

The wounded heart workbook:  The companion workbook for the Wounded Heart

In our experience the following books are the best on codependency and recovery from different types of codependency. 

Transformation:  This book has the most in-depth overview of codependency, six chapters on the different types of codependency and biblical models for each. 

Conquering Codependency:  This is the classical 12 steps program for codependency with associated Bible verses and is the best for support groups.  It is the best for the  Dependent Rescuer and the Independent Worldly Success types of codependency. (This book may be purchased cheaper directly from the publisher at www.mcgeeandme.net.)

Untangling Relationships:  This book delves deeper into the relation aspects of codependency and is the best alternative for Dependent Rescuers.

Love is a Choice:  This is the classic book on codependency and is best for the Dependent Passive type. 

Love is a choice workbook: This is the companion workbook for the Love is a Choice book.

Boundaries:  This is the classic method for addressing the extremes of codependency.

Boundaries Workbook:  This is the companion workbook for the Boundaries Book.

Experiencing God Workbook:  Although this is a spiritual growth work book it is the best treatment for the Responsibility Avoidant type of codependency. 

Codependent No More:  This is the classic first secular book on codependency.

 In our experience the following books are the best on handling emotions 

Transformation:  Book has four chapters on Bible models for overcoming dominating emotions including Hurts, wounds, and scares, depression, grief, and suicide.

The Freedom from Depression Workbook:  Has a excellent quick survey and methods for treating depression.

The Battlefield of the Mind:  Classic by Joyce Meyers.

Be Anxious for Nothing:  Also by Joyce but for dealing with anxiety.

Living Beyond Feelings:  Feelings do not have to dominate you. 

Managing Your Emotions:  You can manage your emotions. 

Do yourself a Favor...Forgive:  You can learn to forgive:

Helping People Through Grief:  You will live through grief. 

Choosing to Forgive Workbook:  Forgiveness is a Choice.

The Power of Right Believing: Overcoming fear, guilt and addiction by understanding the unmerited favor and love of God for us based on what Christ has already accomplished on the cross.

In our experience the following books are the best on Christian life coaching.  

Christian Coaching:  Gives an overview of the field of Christian Life Coaching.

Christian Life Coaching Handbook:  By one of the top coaches in the U.S

Leadership Coaching:  One of the best books on coaching skills.

The Business and Practice of Coaching:  How to get started (Secular)

The Call Journey:  The map of how God works with people to achieve their calling.

Believe That You Can:  Finding your dream and call in God.

In our experience the following books are the best on marriage and family counseling.

Transformation:  Chapters on the dysfunctional family and boundaries. 

Hidden Keys:  Classic book on gender differences; half of him and half for her. 

Love and Respect:  Women need love and men respect or you end in the crazy cycle. 

The DNA of Relationships:  Classic book on taking responsibility of for yourself. 

Attachment:  Classic Christian book on attachment that determine how you attach.  

Safe Haven Marriage:  Application of attachment to marriage. 

His Needs Her Needs:  Classic book on gender needs and basis of the "love bank theory." 

Love Busters:  Identifying and removing the negative in the marriage.

The 5 Languages of Love:  The five ways we want to give and receive love.

Boundaries for Teens:  How to set boundaries for your teens. 

Boundaries in Marriage:  How to set boundaries in your Marriage.

Boundaries for Kids:  How to set boundaries with younger children. 

Parenting with Love and logic:  How to parent with both love and consequences.

Parenting Teens with Love and Logic:  How to parent teens.  Many unique ideas.

Before a Bad Goodbye:  Why marriages fail and how to save them.

In our experience the following books are the best on Christian counseling.  

AACC Ethics Code:  The Ethical Code of the American Association of Christian Counselors can be downloaded for free at http://www.aacc.net/about-us/code-of-ethics/. 

Faith Therapy: Discusses the need, place, and structure of Christian counseling in the church derived from the Bible and based on the process of salvation by faith, how to overcome self-worth, significance, love and security, and how to treat common problems through faith.

Transformation: This book contains a comprehensive plan for Christian counseling derived directly from the Bible, in-depth biblical answers for complex psychological problems, models and quick reference guides for counseling 20 of the most difficult problems in the church today. 

Principles for Life:  Teaches 44 biblical principles and how to use them to construct Christian counseling plans to resolve problems not directly covered in the Bible. 

Christian Counseling: An overview of Christian counseling. 

Competent Christian Counseling:  A counseling manual by the president of AACC.

How People Grow: Analysis of the counseling process by the authors of Boundaries.

Effective Biblical Counseling:  The classic book on counseling by Dr. Crabb.

Basic Attending Skills: Discusses the basic listening skills. (Secular)

Basic Influencing Skills: A second skills book on basic influencing skills. (Secular)

Private Practice Made Simple:  How to start your private practice.  (Secular)

The Clinical Documentation Sourcebook: Forms on CD for your private practice. (Secular) 

In our experience the following books are the best on self-worth and significance issues.

Faith Therapy:  Probably the most specific book on overcoming self-worth and significance issues.

Transformation:  Has a complete chapters on overcoming inferiority and feelings of abandonment.

Root of rejection:  The effects of rejection and the answers for recovery.

Approval Addiction:  The trap of basing one's worth on the approval of others. 

The Power of Right Believing: Overcoming fear, guilt and addiction by understanding the unmerited favor and love of God for us based on what Christ has already accomplished on the cross.

Destined to Reign:  Our ability to reign in life is not based on our performance but on what Jesus had done on the cross and has freely given us and the gifts of righteousness and of no condemnation.

Unmerited favor:  All that is required to receive God's unmerited favor is to receive his free gift of grace and realize that we do not merit it.  He loves us unconditionally and has already forgiven us based on the fact that Jesus took the punishment for all of our sin and given us the gift of His righteousness without works on our part.

Search for Significance:  The classical book on this issue. 

In our experience the following books are the best on spiritual issues and growth.   

Revelations That Will Set You Free:  The eight steps of spiritual growth according to 2 Peter Chapter 1 provide a road map to spiritual maturity. 

The Pursuit of God:  A classic on getting to know God. 

Experiencing God:  One of the best known workbooks on learning to know God.  

Knowing God:  Another classic on getting to know God. 

The God Chasers:  The experience of pursuing God. 

God Attachment:  Recent research on attachment theory as it applies to God.

The Christians Secret to a Happy Life:  A classic on the protection of God. 

The Spiritual Man:  One of the deepest books ever on understanding the spirit. 

Destined to Reign:  Recent best seller on the covenant, grace, and love of God. 

Unmerited Favor:  Explains the grace of God in a way that sets you free.

The Power of Right Believing: Overcoming fear, guilt and addiction by understanding the unmerited favor and love of God for us based on what Christ has already accomplished on the cross.