The Top Holistic Mental Health Resources of 2023
Throughout the year, there were many moments when I listened to, or read something and thought, "I wish I could share this with all my clients!"
I feel silly that it took creating a best-of-2023 list to do that.
I love sharing resources. It's part of my natural make-up, a desire to share and help people engage with critical thinking that might be out of their day-to-day wheelhouse.
So, here's a list of some of my most shared resources (or things I wish I shared) of 2023. Perhaps in 2024, I'll make this a monthly list as a way to really indulge myself.
I hope you enjoy it; thanks for indulging me!
Tara Brach - Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness
If you know me at all, you know I’m sort of (okay, VERY) obsessed with Tara Brach. I think of her as one of my “North Stars.” Her lens on mindfulness and healing guides much of the work that I do.
This episode on trauma and mindfulness is spot on for explaining complex brain and nervous system responses in a way that is digestable. If you’re looking to understand trauma, or even just want a peek into how I work with clients in therapy, give this a listen.
Yuval Noah Harai - Lex Friedman
I find Yuval, an Israeli Historian, to be one of the truth-tellers of our time. I learned so much from this episode. Two things though:
(1) If you haven’t been following what’s going on in the AI world, you might find yourself in a bit of an existential crisis after listening to this.
(2) During the episode, he shares that he meditates TWO HOURS every day and goes on a silent retreat for 60 days every year. I’ve been thinking about this a ton. Is this what is required of the conscious leaders of our time? And if yes, is this even feasible?
After listening I jotted these words down:
How to stay well in an unwell world:
Limit time reading the news
Spend time in hope
Connect with peace
Bridge the divide
Remember love
Diary of a CEO - No. 1 Neuroscientist
A bit of a woo-woo meets Western world episode, Dr Tara Swart Beiber explains so much of what I talk about with clients from a scientific perspective. It's hopeful to me that science is finally starting to catch up to the holistic healing that so many of us know works. I even found myself crying gentle tears of joy and gratitude throughout the interview.
Tara Brach - How Do We Bridge The Divides?
Since October 7th, I have been deep in learning and personal reflection mode around my Jewish heritage and the conflict in Israel and Palestine. This episode gave me a much-needed reprieve and reconnection toward true peace, care, and love (which is the reason the world has been captivated by this conflict in the first place).
Diary of a CEO - The Relationships Professor
Ahhhhh, sigh. Talking about men’s difficulty with emotions does not mean I dislike men. I repeat. It actually means I have deep empathy and understanding for the lack of emotional attunement and connection provided in the world to boys growing up. I thought this interviewer did a great job going deep into the research of men and offering alternatives to make the world a more integrated place for both the masculine and feminine.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
A great book! I’m late to the game on this one, but if you are looking for a good read this winter break, I highly recommend it. It’s not going to change your life; it’s not going to make you have deep existential talks with friends; but, it is going to give you the joy of sinking into the couch and being totally absorbed in a good book. What a joy! Embrace it!
Soul Retrieval, Mending the Fragmented Self
I listened to this book on Audible and kept thinking, “Yes! This is me as a therapist! This is my work in the world as a healer!” And then, I had a pretty profound experience in a breathwork class after finishing it. Maybe you will too. Who knows.
It’s quick. It’s to the point. It’s spiritual and beautiful. I feel like it’s what all the leading trauma experts talk about now in 2023, but from the perspective of the Shamanic healing world. Pro-tip: speed it up if you’re listening on Audible.
UNCUT - Business Mentorship Podcast
This past year has been filled with a lot of deep learning around what it means to be a business owner. From graduate school to countless trainings, I’ve gotten A LOT of training as a therapist, but never received much training on how to actually run a business. Which is why UNCUT was my most listened-to podcast this past year.
I know so many of you are interested in working for yourself or already do, and I can’t recommend Naomi enough for business support. It’s like having a business mentor in your pocket with insider information on running a soul-aligned business. She’s the real deal - integrates the nervous system with meaningful systems in a way that makes you feel more alive - because that’s the whole point of running a business in the first place!
The Bravest Conversation We’ve Ever Had
I have mixed feelings about Glennon Doyle, to say the least (happy to chat more about them…), but she does have some major expanders on the show at times, and this episode with Andrea Gibson is one of them. If you’ve struggled with a major health issue or are dealing with grief, this episode is one of the most beautiful things I have ever listened to. I mean it.
The Unpublishable, Beauty Substack
I LOVE reading this Substack each week. It’s all about the behind-the-scenes of the beauty industry and the terrible mixed messages we receive as women. To me, navigating the questions of botox/fillers/etc. in both my personal and professional world is more complex than just “support women to do what they want with their bodies,” and Jessica DeFino does a great job articulating those complexities. She is a professional beauty journalist, after all!
Stay in Touch
If you like or disliked anything you engaged with, let me know! Don’t be afraid to connect. I’m here and deeply cherish real dialogue with you all. If you want to get next month’s dose of the Love List, just subscribe below and I’ll add you!
JULIE GOLDBERG is the founder of Third Nature Therapy, a virtual therapy group offering holistic mental health care for people seeking a different perspective on wellbeing.