Browsing the Shelves
Browsing the Shelves is a blog series dedicated to revisiting previously read books — from clinical texts and memoirs to popular psychology and personal development — and reflecting on them with the benefit of hindsight, training, and years of therapeutic work.
Before Kindle highlights and therapy Tok, there were post-it notes, dog-eared pages, and long afternoons spent wandering Half Price Books. Browsing the Shelves revisits texts, both old and new, that have shaped me and my practice — now re-read with fifteen years of experience and a sharper therapeutic lens.
What to Expect
This won’t be a clinical book review — no dry summaries or academic jargon. I won’t be rating or summarizing every chapter. Instead, each post explores how these books intersect with my work as a therapist specializing in behavioral and relational addictions — and how their meaning has shifted over time.
Some insights come from the therapy room, shaped by patterns I’ve seen across clients. Others emerge from my own evolving questions, values, and growth — both personal and professional.
I’ll focus on:
Why I chose this book
Who might find it helpful — or harmful
What’s worth keeping and what deserves a critical eye
Personal and clinical reflections
Favorite quotes that stuck with me (or now land differently)
How I may use this in therapy
Have a book you think belongs on the shelf? I’d love to hear from you. Whether it challenged your thinking, deepened your self-understanding, or left you with more questions than answers — your suggestions are welcome.
Let’s keep the conversation going, one book at a time. heather@hslcounseling.com