My brilliant publisher JKP sent me The Queer Mental Health Workbook: A Creative Self-Help Guide Using CBT, CFT and DBT by Dr Brendan J. Dunlop (he/him) when we were in discussion about my second book.
Whilst I am not LGBTQIA+, many people I love and admire are, and I try to be the best ally that I can by listening as best as I can and trying to learn. I know that many of my blog and book readers are LGBTQIA+, or perhaps they have loved ones who are. With that in mind, I would absolutely love to recommend this gem of a book to you if you don't know about it already.
Dr Brendan J. Dunlop (he/him) is a Principal Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, as well as the author of this beautiful book. Dr Dunlop has clearly worked his socks off (!) to produce this in-depth, vastly comprehensive yet highly-readable resource. It is clear, compassionate and easy-to-use from start to finish as the glowing Amazon reviews attest (I've not seen an author with a 4.9 out of 5 star review average for a long time!). The testimonials aren't too shabby either:
'A privilege to read, a pleasure to endorse' PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
'This book completely bowled me over' DOMINIC DAVIES
'A super comprehensive book' MEG-JOHN BARKER
Whilst my review is written with the awareness that I am not the intended audience because I am not LGBTQ+, The Queer Mental Health Workbook seems to have empathy woven throughout. It speaks in an empowering and validating way to the challenges that LGBTQ+ people may face at some point in their lives with their mental health and offers ways to 'flourish as a queer person and begin to overcome any challenge.' The ways in which the book does this are various, including illustrations of concepts, diagrams, tables, space to write and reflective questions. As Dominic Davies, Founder of Pink Therapy attests: 'If you can't afford therapy right now, then this would be a great investment. If you are in treatment, this book can help you maximise your progress.'
I love the tone that Dr Dunlop strikes throughout this book. He is authoritative, but not so much that it's overpowering or off-putting. Kindness and a deep understanding shines through at all times. The exercises within the book have been designed with LGBTQIA+ people in mind of course, however I will (cheekily?) admit that as a person who has experienced much stigma, discrimination, othering and exclusion as a result of my BPD diagnosis, these exercises resonate with me.
If you are LGBTQIA+ and are facing any difficulties with your mental health, regardless of how big or small they feel, I highly recommend this book. One look at the heartfelt reviews evidencing the impact of this book will convince you more than I ever can. As someone working on my own (very different) workbook, I can only imagine how much work and thought has gone into this beauty of a book. I can only imagine how many people it is supporting every day.
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