- Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, by Marsha Linehan
Unfortunately, this book is still targeted towards people with BPD, but it's actually a training manual for a therapeutic program called Dialectic Behavior Therapy. The entire premise of Dialectic Behavior Therapy is replacing old, unhealthy coping skills with new ones, and this book can be a great for self-help, or for people who are interested in starting Dialectic Behavior Therapy. It is by far one of the most effective therapeutic programs available today.
- Stop Walking on Eggshells; Coping When Someone You Care about Has Borderline Personality Disorder, by Randi Kreger
This is a very good resource for anyone who is involved with someone with emotional difficulties. Among other things, it helps with building and maintaining boundaries, healing from a difficult past, and rebuilding self esteem.
- Surviving a Borderline Parent: How to Heal Your Childhood Wounds & Build Trust, Boundaries, and Self-Esteem, by Kimberlee Roth
This is specifically for children of a parent with emotional difficulties. By far the best book on the subject. Terrific for recovering from old hurt and resentment, and learning to move on.
-Messages: The Communication Skills Book, by Matthew Mckay
A wonderful resource for improving communication. Discusses diplomacy, body language, assertiveness, negotiation, public speaking, self-disclosure, active listening, and influencing others.
-Self Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem, by Matthew Mckway
Further info on the inner critic, building confidence, assertiveness, learning how to accept and embrace mistakes, having compassion for yourself and others, etc. Extremely valuable tool- if you only look at one book on this list, I would recommend this one.
-Traits of a Healthy Family, by Dolores Curran
Sometimes it's hard to know what 'normal' or 'healthy' are. This book is a great way to run a check on your current situation, and it's also a terrific preparatory tool for raising your own family.
