Reading Recommendations
“Books are often far more than just books.”
“When I was a child and I was dealing with sexual assault, reading showed me language for what I had been through, and that I wasn’t alone, and that perhaps I would get to the other side of it.”
— Roxane Gay
SLUT! LETTING GO OF SHAME SURROUNDING SEX AND SEXUALITY
By Natasha Wilson, LMSW
Clinical Social Worker Natasha Wilson takes her readers on a guided exploration of sex, sexuality, and self-acceptance. SLUT! Letting Go of Shame Surrounding Sex and Sexuality is structured as a workbook so the reader can make their way through each chapter at their own pace. The intent of the workbook is to assist anyone struggling with being able to accept themselves as a sexual being. Throughout these explorations, the author includes; historical and societal context for how beliefs develop, fascinating interviews with people whose personal stories share individual experiences related to sex and sexuality, as well as exercises, meditations and reflective questions that prompt the reader towards a deeper understanding of the self.
The Black Woman’s Guide to Coping With Stress
Mindfulness and Self-compassion Skills to Create a Life of Joy and Well-being
by Cheryl L. Woods Giscombe, Phd, RN
forward by Rhonda R. Magee
If you are a Black woman who feels pressure to be everything to everyone, equates vulnerability with weakness, and never asks for help no matter how badly you need it, then this book is a must read. The unrealistic expectations of the “strong Black woman” often results in intense stress, anxiety, and depression. In The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress, Black psychologist and registered nurse Cheryl Woods Giscombe, introduces the research-based superwoman schema (SWS) framework--five core beliefs that drive Black women's stress--and provides self-care practices grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help Black women live a less stressful and more joyful life.