Here are 100 books that The Zen of Therapy fans have personally recommended if you like The Zen of Therapy. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Rande Brown

From my list on karma and reincarnation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent the last 50 years exploring the intersection of Eastern and Western thought and spirituality. Along the way, I experientially learned the details of three of my former lifetimes: as a rabbi in 3rd-century Alexandria, as a tantric yogini and follower of Achi Chokyi Nyima in China, and as the legendary courtesan Lady Mori, who became the disciple and lover of the Zen master Ikkyu in 15th-century Japan. Studying the ways my previous incarnations are interconnected has taught me much about how the principles of karma and reincarnation function in real-time in the actual world, and I treasure the opportunity to share these insights with you.

Rande's book list on karma and reincarnation

Rande Brown Why Rande loves this book

When it was published in 1992, Rinpoche’s superior translation replaced the first English translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead from 1927. This has been a go-to for anyone preparing for their own death or that of a loved one, when the Western way of dying falls short. This book is an indispensable guide to the process of life and death. 

By Sogyal Rinpoche ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Explains the Tibetan understanding of what happens when a person dies, and how this can help in a person's daily life, in caring for the terminally ill and the bereaved, and to deepen one's understanding of life.


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Many Lives, Many Masters

CiiCii Author Of Show Up As Her

From my list on tap into your power and reclaim your reality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an intuitive channel and spiritual guide, deeply passionate about personal transformation. Over the years, I’ve worked with countless individuals to help them break through limiting beliefs, tap into their true potential, and live more empowered lives. My own journey of self-discovery has led me to explore topics like spirituality, psychology, self-concept, and energy work—areas that are all interconnected in creating lasting change. As a coach, content creator, and author of Show Up As Her, I’ve gained valuable insights that continue to shape my growth. These books have each had a profound impact on my journey, and I’m excited to share them with you.

CiiCii's book list on tap into your power and reclaim your reality

CiiCii Why CiiCii loves this book

I loved this book because it led me on a journey to discover my own past lives, something I never even knew was possible before reading this book! Once I read the words of Dr. Brian Weiss, I knew I had to do a regression myself.

Through this process, I realized there were things I hadn’t finished in past lifetimes and that I came back once again to complete my mission. It also helped me understand that some of the souls I know now are souls I’ve known before. After this book I felt a sense of oneness, not only with my mission, but with my friends, family and the Divine.

By Brian L. Weiss ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Many Lives, Many Masters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From author and psychotherapist Dr. Brian Weiss comes the classic New York Times bestseller on the true case of the past-life therapy that changed the lives of both the prominent psychiatrist and young patient involved-now featuring a new afterword by the author.

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the "space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss' family and…


Book cover of Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest Questions

Rande Brown

From my list on karma and reincarnation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent the last 50 years exploring the intersection of Eastern and Western thought and spirituality. Along the way, I experientially learned the details of three of my former lifetimes: as a rabbi in 3rd-century Alexandria, as a tantric yogini and follower of Achi Chokyi Nyima in China, and as the legendary courtesan Lady Mori, who became the disciple and lover of the Zen master Ikkyu in 15th-century Japan. Studying the ways my previous incarnations are interconnected has taught me much about how the principles of karma and reincarnation function in real-time in the actual world, and I treasure the opportunity to share these insights with you.

Rande's book list on karma and reincarnation

Rande Brown Why Rande loves this book

This New York Times hardcover bestseller by the quantum physicist explains the recent discovery from the Hubble telescope: More than 200 billion galaxies in space are aligned along thin threads, creating a cosmic web that looks much like the interconnection of neurons in the human brain. 

The conceptions of interconnectedness that are beginning to emerge in the world of science mirror the theory of interconnectedness so foundational to Buddhist thought. It beautifully illustrates the notion of oneness as manifested in paranormal phenomena and transcendent experiences. 

By Sabine Hossenfelder ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Existential Physics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"An informed and entertaining guide to what science can and cannot tell us." -The Wall Street Journal

"Stimulating . . . encourage[s] readers to push past well-trod assumptions [...] and have fun doing so." -Science Magazine

From renowned physicist and creator of the YouTube series "Science without the Gobbledygook," a book that takes a no-nonsense approach to life's biggest questions, and wrestles with what physics really says about the human condition

Not only can we not currently explain the origin of the universe, it is questionable we will ever be able to explain it. The…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Creating Your Own Destiny

Rande Brown

From my list on karma and reincarnation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent the last 50 years exploring the intersection of Eastern and Western thought and spirituality. Along the way, I experientially learned the details of three of my former lifetimes: as a rabbi in 3rd-century Alexandria, as a tantric yogini and follower of Achi Chokyi Nyima in China, and as the legendary courtesan Lady Mori, who became the disciple and lover of the Zen master Ikkyu in 15th-century Japan. Studying the ways my previous incarnations are interconnected has taught me much about how the principles of karma and reincarnation function in real-time in the actual world, and I treasure the opportunity to share these insights with you.

Rande's book list on karma and reincarnation

Rande Brown Why Rande loves this book

Sadhguru has become an international star in the world of spirituality, with adherents ranging from Deepak Chopra to Tony Robbins to Tom Brady. In his New York Times bestseller, Sadhguru illuminates the meaning of karma—not as an external system of rewards and punishments but as an internal cycle generated by the individual.

This book helped me restore my understanding of karma to its original potential for freedom and empowerment instead of a source of entanglement. 

By Sadhguru ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Karma as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER 
“Full of valuable insights to guide you.”—WILL SMITH
“Thoughtful and life-affirming . . . a must-read.”—TONY ROBBINS
“This book will put you back in charge of your own life.”—TOM BRADY

A new perspective on the overused and misunderstood concept of “karma” that offers the key to happiness and enlightenment, from the world-renowned spiritual master Sadhguru.

What is karma? Most people understand karma as a balance sheet of good and bad deeds, virtues and sins. The mechanism that decrees that we cannot evade the consequences of our own actions. In reality, karma…


Book cover of The Couch and the Tree: Dialogues in Psychoanalysis and Buddhism

Alvin Raja Hornstein Author Of Working With the Dying: Compassion, Shame, and the Illusion of Loss

From my list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a meditator for fifty years, learning from many teachers. I've been a psychotherapist for twenty years. The connections between meditation and psychotherapy are subtle and powerful. When I started my psychology studies, I went to my Zen teacher and asked for his guidance. I knew I couldn't survive the academic path without more depth in my meditation practice. There were two professors who captured my attention: one, the most psychoanalytic teacher at my school, and one, a student of the same Zen master who taught Leonard Cohen. They guided my research. If you're a psychotherapist, are in psychotherapy yourself, or are a meditator, you will love these books.

Alvin's book list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together

Alvin Raja Hornstein Why Alvin loves this book

This collection of essays contains pieces by many of the same authors in my first recommendation. But this begins with the historical roots, including early psychoanalytic arguments that meditation was an attempt to return to the womb. Also, there are Buddhist writers emphasizing that in meditating you're trying to get to a state of "no mind," so what good was psychotherapy? But the book moves to a conversation between a Japanese Zen teacher and C.G. Jung, and then towards the Dalai Lama's thoughts about the unconscious. It even includes a writer who is both a psychoanalyst and a Zen priest.

By Anthony Molino (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Couch and the Tree as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this new collection of writings, psychoanalyst Anthony Molino offers a bold new conjunction of the two major disciplines. This book spans and documents a unique cross-fertilisation of Eastern and Western thought.'


Book cover of Zen Therapy: Transcending the Sorrows of the Human Mind

Alvin Raja Hornstein Author Of Working With the Dying: Compassion, Shame, and the Illusion of Loss

From my list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a meditator for fifty years, learning from many teachers. I've been a psychotherapist for twenty years. The connections between meditation and psychotherapy are subtle and powerful. When I started my psychology studies, I went to my Zen teacher and asked for his guidance. I knew I couldn't survive the academic path without more depth in my meditation practice. There were two professors who captured my attention: one, the most psychoanalytic teacher at my school, and one, a student of the same Zen master who taught Leonard Cohen. They guided my research. If you're a psychotherapist, are in psychotherapy yourself, or are a meditator, you will love these books.

Alvin's book list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together

Alvin Raja Hornstein Why Alvin loves this book

Brazier begins with his own experience of Zen training, and then continues on to a survey of Buddhist ideas and how each of them relates to the practice of psychotherapy. For example he takes the profound and mysterious concept of karma and then shows us how this is related to the process of helping a patient understand their repetitive psychological patterns. He addresses the topic that was central to my own path of merging psychotherapy and meditation: how loss and death are teachers. He explains the main lesson they teach: what is lost is our illusion of how the world is put together.

By David Brazier ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Zen Therapy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Buddhism, from Abhidharma to Zen, offers a practical path to harmony of head and heart. For over 2,000 years Buddhists have been developing sophisticated psychologies to guide the work of achieving freedom from mental suffering. Now East and West are beginning to learn from each other.

In a readable and practical manner, this book challenges basic assumptions of Western psychology, demystifies Buddhist psychology and presents Zen as a therapy. Giving examples of its effectiveness in psychotherapeutic practice, the author shows how Zen derives from the Buddhist theory of the mind and throws new light upon the Buddhist theory of relations…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion

Aliza Sherman Author Of The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout

From my list on self-care to heal deep wounds.

Why am I passionate about this?

Everyone experiences stress, loss, grief, and disconnection in life. We often feel isolated and alone in our sorrow and pain. For many years, I’ve shared openly about my personal challenges, starting in 2003 with my Babyfruit blog about my multiple miscarriages to the speeches I’ve given around the world in the 90s, to several of the books I’ve written. Through storytelling, I try to turn my heartbreak into lessons—to turn my pain into tangible steps that can help others navigate hard things and feel less alone. Helping others is part of my healing process.

Aliza's book list on self-care to heal deep wounds

Aliza Sherman Why Aliza loves this book

Regardless of your religious beliefs, anyone who feels they are suffering mentally, emotionally, physically, or even spiritually can gain benefits from this book that is rooted in Buddhist teachings. I have always found solace in the teachings of Zen Buddhism.

The author, a psychotherapist, and Zen teacher shares eight “roads” one can take to transform one’s life, creating change within and without. The combination of both Eastern and Western wisdom makes this book accessible to anyone seeking to feel more connected and content.

By Koshin Paley Ellison ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Untangled as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Though we are seemingly more connected to our world than ever before, many of us cannot ignore a nagging sense of loneliness and isolation. To keep this anxiety and discontentment at bay, we can search for connection through unhealthy distractions, believing these will bring us true nourishment. And yet, loneliness is on the rise, exacting detrimental effects on our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Even those of us who have succeeded in the ways that society applauds, often feel unanchored, disengaged, and purposeless. If true pleasure is what we desire, how do we look past the surface, to discover…


Book cover of Repetition: Past Lives, Life, and Rebirth

Tina Proffitt Author Of Come Back: How Past Lives with Animals Changed the Way I Think about Death

From my list on reincarnation.

Why am I passionate about this?

Tina Proffitt is a former educator in love with writing romance novels, who believes there’s nothing more romantic than reincarnating with those she loves. After her first one-on-one past life reading with Dr. Doris E. Cohen, she was hooked and has never looked back. (Pun intended) She wants to share her passion for living a life free from fear and full of love. She writes reincarnation romance novels in the genres of mystery, science fiction, contemporary, and YA.

Tina's book list on reincarnation

Tina Proffitt Why Tina loves this book

Finally, Repetition: Past Lives, Life, and Rebirth written by clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Doris Eliana Cohen, Ph.D. is a book focused on healing. Whether the reader is interested in learning how to heal from past-life traumas that are hindering their growth or move on from dysfunctional relationships, this book offers professional help and support. It also illuminates the nuts and bolts of different ways a soul can reincarnate. Most surprising of all may be how much free will is involved in the process, not at all the never-ending cycle of death and rebirth or the mislabeled karma of punishment for previous wrong-doings. This book offers the hope of taking responsibility for one’s life and the possibility of healing many past lives in one’s own current lifetime.

By Doris Eliana Cohen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Repetition as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This fascinating book by Doris Eliana Cohen was written to help us create a shift in our own consciousness as well as that of humanity. In order to heal from traumas, we unknowingly repeat the stories of our lives again and again, reliving them in different scenarios in this life as well as in other lifetimes. This repetition of our behaviour patterns is neither neurotic nor pathological. It is absolutely necessary, because painful though it may be, repetition offers us multiple opportunities for facing our issues, making new choices, and healing ourselves at last. All of us have a God-given…


Book cover of Psychotherapy Without the Self: A Buddhist Perspective

Alvin Raja Hornstein Author Of Working With the Dying: Compassion, Shame, and the Illusion of Loss

From my list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been a meditator for fifty years, learning from many teachers. I've been a psychotherapist for twenty years. The connections between meditation and psychotherapy are subtle and powerful. When I started my psychology studies, I went to my Zen teacher and asked for his guidance. I knew I couldn't survive the academic path without more depth in my meditation practice. There were two professors who captured my attention: one, the most psychoanalytic teacher at my school, and one, a student of the same Zen master who taught Leonard Cohen. They guided my research. If you're a psychotherapist, are in psychotherapy yourself, or are a meditator, you will love these books.

Alvin's book list on how psychotherapy and meditation work together

Alvin Raja Hornstein Why Alvin loves this book

I had to choose one of Mark Epstein's many books on this topic. I remember sitting on a meditation cushion and listening to him address a large group of meditators and psychotherapists. In this book he addresses Freud's view of meditation as a regressive quest for the "oceanic feeling" of the infant, but he also points out how Freud suggested an almost Zen-like method for how the psychoanalyst should pay attention to the patient. As a photographer, I was eager to read his discussion about art, meditation and the unconscious. Like all of Epstein's books, this is deeply examined and beautifully written.

By Mark Epstein ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Psychotherapy Without the Self as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Insights on the interface between Buddhist teachings and Western psychotherapy by the best-selling author of Thoughts without a Thinker

Immersed in Buddhist psychology prior to studying Western psychiatry, Dr. Mark Epstein first viewed Western therapeutic approaches through the lens of the East. This posed something of a challenge. Although both systems promise liberation through self-awareness, the central tenet of Buddha's wisdom is the notion of no-self, while the central focus of Western psychotherapy is the self. This book, which includes writings from the past twenty-five years, wrestles with the complex relationship between Buddhism and psychotherapy and offers nuanced reflections on…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective

Rande Brown Author Of Geisha: A Life

From my list on what the West can learn from the East.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American Jewish girl who was born knowing that I had been Japanese in my previous lifetime. After graduating with a degree in Japanese studies from Princeton University, I moved to Japan at 21 and became a well-known translator. One day the Geisha Mineko Iwasaki, the inspiration behind Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, asked me to co-author the story of her life. Published in 2002, Geisha, a Life became a bestseller. Writing Geisha awakened memories of my past life as a courtesan in fourteenth-century Kyoto. I began a deep study of reincarnation, which has led me to study the intersection of Buddhism and Psychoanalysis. Please look out for my forthcoming book, Reincarnation Karma.

Rande's book list on what the West can learn from the East

Rande Brown Why Rande loves this book

This is one of the first, and still one of the best, comparisons of Buddhist thought and Western psychology. In contemporary times, the lines between psychology and spirituality have become indistinct, and many seekers are finding benefit within both disciplines (a subject I discuss in my article "When Mindfulness is Not Enough"). Dr. Epstein illustrates how tools learned from Buddhism and psychotherapy can be used together to create a “healthy emotional life.”

By Mark Epstein ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thoughts Without a Thinker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The line between psychology and spirituality has blurred, as clinicians, their patients, and religious seekers explore new perspectives on the self. A landmark contribution to the field of psychoanalysis, Thoughts Without a Thinker describes the unique psychological contributions offered by the teachings of Buddhism. Drawing upon his own experiences as a psychotherapist and meditator, New York-based psychiatrist Mark Epstein lays out the path to meditation-inspired healing, and offers a revolutionary new understanding of what constitutes a healthy emotional life.


Book cover of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Book cover of Many Lives, Many Masters
Book cover of Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest Questions

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Interested in Psychotherapy, Buddhism, and karma?

Psychotherapy 116 books
Buddhism 323 books
Karma 18 books