Depression isn’t just feeling sad—it can be a deep, heavy fog that makes even the simplest tasks feel impossible.
And while traditional treatments like therapy and medication are incredibly valuable, many people find that a more holistic approach—one that considers the mind, body, and spirit—can make a world of difference. But with so much information out there, where do you even start?
That’s where this list comes in! I’ve gathered 12 insightful books that explore holistic ways to manage and heal from depression, from nutrition and movement to mindfulness, energy work, and beyond. These books don’t promise overnight miracles (because let’s be real, healing doesn’t work that way), but they do offer practical, science-backed, and soul-nourishing approaches to help you take back your well-being—one small step at a time.
So, whether you’re looking to supplement traditional treatments or completely rethink how you care for your mental health, there’s something here for you. Take a deep breath, open your mind to new possibilities, and let’s dive into some books that just might help light the way forward.
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12 Books for Learning Holistic Methods to Treat Depression
These selections are based on my own opinions and experiences, and they’re listed in no particular order.
A Mind of Your Own
The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives
by Kelly Brogan, MD
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Depression is not a disease. It is a symptom.
In this groundbreaking, science-based and holistic approach, Dr. Brogan shatters the mythology conventional medicine has built around the causes and treatment of depression. Based on her expert interpretation of published medical findings, combined with years of experience from her clinical practice, Dr. Brogan illuminates the true cause of depression: it is not simply a chemical imbalance, but a lifestyle crisis that demands a reset. It is a signal that the interconnected systems in the body are out of balance – from blood sugar, to gut health, to thyroid function– and inflammation is at the root.
A Mind of Your Own offers an achievable, step-by-step 30-day action plan—including powerful dietary interventions, targeted nutrient support, detoxification, sleep, and stress reframing techniques—women can use to heal their bodies, alleviate inflammation, and feel like themselves again without a single prescription.
Bold, brave, and revolutionary, A Mind of Your Own takes readers on a journey of self-empowerment for radical transformation that goes far beyond symptom relief.
The Ultramind Solution
Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First
by Mark Hyman
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
—Do you find it next to impossible to focus or concentrate?
—Have you ever experienced instant clarity after exercise? Alertness after drinking coffee?
—Does your brain inexplicably slow down during stress, while multitasking, or when meeting a deadline?
—Do you get anxious, worried, or stressed-out frequently?
In The UltraMind Solution, Dr. Mark Hyman explains that to fix your broken brain, you must heal your body first. Through his simple six-week plan, Dr. Hyman shows us how to correct imbalances caused by nutritional deficiencies, allergens, infections, toxins, and stress, restoring our health and gaining an UltraMind—one that’s highly focused, able to pay attention at will, has a strong memory, and leaves us feeling calm, confident, in control, and in good spirits.
The Nervous System Reset
Heal Trauma, Resolve Chronic Pain, and Regulate Your Emotions with the Power of the Vagus Nerve
by Jessica Macguire
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Most of us have heard of the mind-body connection, but did you know that there is a physical structure that connects the mind and body? That connection is the Vagus nerve, and it’s singularly responsible for maintaining balance in our mental and physical health.
In The Nervous System Reset, Jessica Maguire shares the wisdom of her popular Nervous System School masterclasses and shows readers how to unlock the power of their Vagus nerve.
Drawing on the science of polyvagal theory and drawing on decades of her own study and coaching experience, Jessica teaches readers neural exercises, breathwork, and somatic practices to widen their window of tolerance in order to…
- Regulate their emotions
- Resolve trauma and PTSD symptoms
- Overcome mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or burnout
- Improve symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, and autoimmune conditions
- Heal digestive disorders like IBS and SIBO
Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety
Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks
by Drew Ramsey, MD
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Drew Ramsey helps us forge a path toward greater mental health through food. Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety breaks down the science of nutritional psychiatry and explains what foods positively affect brain health and improve mental wellness.
Dr. Ramsey distills the most cutting-edge research on nutrition and the brain into actionable tips you can start using today to improve brain-cell health and growth, reduce inflammation, and cultivate a healthy microbiome, all of which contribute to our mental well-being. He explores the twelve essential vitamins and minerals most critical to your brain and body and outlines which anti-inflammatory foods feed the gut.
He helps readers assess barriers to self-nourishment and offers techniques for enhancing motivation. To help us begin, he provides a kick-starter six-week mental health food plan designed to mitigate depression and anxiety, incorporating key food categories like leafy greens and seafood, along with simple, delicious, brain nutrient–rich recipes.
By following the methods Dr. Ramsey uses with his patients, you can confidently choose foods to help you on your journey to full mental health.
Healing Depression
A Holistic Guide
by Catherine Carrigan
Foreword by William G. Crook, MD
Amazon Rating: 4.8/5 stars
Catherine Carrigan overcame her own depression and, in the process, devoted several years to researching every possible avenue for healing. In Healing Depression, she presents 38 questions and answers that encourage depression sufferers to take control of their lives by addressing the issues most critical for them.
Separate sections each focus on a major treatment avenue: finding a healthcare professional who is capable of treating mind, body, and spirit; identifying medical factors that may be causing a biochemical imbalance; making the connection between stress and depression; adopting an antidepression diet; assessing the need for extra vitamins and minerals; developing positive habits; and learning new exercises.
Embrace the Sunlight
Strategies for Overcoming Depression
by Richard Lee Kennedy
Amazon Rating: 5/5 stars
This essential guide empowers you to reclaim joy and balance in your life through a unique blend of expert insights and practical strategies.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by depression? This book offers a holistic approach, combining evidence-based knowledge on medication, therapy, and self-care practices. Inside, you’ll find:
– Expert Guidance: Written by a seasoned psychiatric nurse practitioner with over twenty-seven years of experience, this book provides compassionate insights tailored to your journey.
– Practical Tools: Each chapter includes actionable strategies that empower you to confront your challenges head-on and foster lasting change.
– Holistic Techniques: Explore a variety of therapeutic practices, mindfulness exercises, and self-care routines designed to nurture your mental and emotional well-being.
– Real-Life Success Stories: Gain inspiration from powerful personal accounts that illustrate the effectiveness of the strategies shared.
With Embrace the Sunlight, you are not just reading a book—you are taking a proactive step toward transforming your mindset and embracing a brighter future. Whether you’re seeking immediate relief or long-term strategies, this comprehensive guide is your companion on the journey to overcoming depression.
Beyond the Label
10 Steps to Improve Your Mental Health with Naturopathic Medicine
by Dr. Christina Bjorndal
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 stars
An inspiring and empowering guide to emotional freedom, from a Naturopathic Doctor who took charge of her own life and mental health.
For years, Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND, endured debilitating depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety and battled bulimia, addiction, and a range of other mental health challenges. Finally, feeling terrorized by her own thoughts, she attempted to take her life. This devastating low point led to a deep reckoning. She began to take back control of her life.
Today she is the owner of a thriving naturopathic clinic, living her life’s purpose and passion in the most authentic way. In Beyond the Label, Bjorndal outlines, step-by-step, how you can move from the current mental health “label” you have been given to optimal health on all levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Dr. Chris’s book will give you the courage, support, confidence, and guidance you need to take your own steps to mental wellness.
The Depression Cure
The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs
by Stephen S. Ilardi
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 stars
In the past decade, depression rates have skyrocketed, and one in four Americans suffer from major depression at some point in their lives. Where have we gone wrong? Dr. Stephen Ilardi sheds light on our current predicament and reminds us that our bodies were never designed for the sleep-deprived, poorly nourished, frenzied pace of twenty-first century life.
Inspired by the extraordinary resilience of aboriginal groups like the Kaluli of Papua New Guinea, Dr. Ilardi prescribes an easy-to-follow, clinically proven program that harks back to what our bodies were originally made for and what they continue to need with these six components:
- Brain Food
- Don’t Think, Do
- Antidepressant Exercise
- Let There Be Light
- Get Connected
- Habits of Healthy Sleep
The Depression Cure‘s holistic approach has been met with great success rates, helping even those who have failed to respond to traditional medications. For anyone looking to supplement their treatment, The Depression Cure offers hope and a practical path to wellness for anyone.
A Few Key Takeaways:
Lift
A Simple Guide to Mental Wellness & a Holistic Antidote to Depression
by Tim Tate
Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 stars
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and don’t know where to begin or what to do, here is the help you’ve been looking for. This guidebook identifies the essential components of personal well-being and explains how to improve mental health with a simple step-by-step process.
If you have ever considered scheduling a counseling appointment, tried counseling or are currently in counseling, this book can help you to utilize the greatest asset you already have-yourself! Within these pages are a personalized plan for mental health recovery, maintenance. and relapse prevention.
LIFT (Life Improvement-Focused Therapy) explains the general causes of depression and the choices you can make to treat yourself better. Following these simple instructions can help you feel confident, empowered, and connected in life.
How Come They’re Happy & I’m Not?
The Complete Natural Program for Healing Depression for Good
by Peter Bongiorno
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 stars
The mind is part of the body. In his depression book How Come They’re Happy and I’m Not? Dr. Bongiorno explains that depression and chronic low moods often have roots in physical ailments: inflammation, digestive problems, poor nutrient absorption, disease. Depression can also be brought on by spiritual concerns, life events, or simply insufficient resources in dealing with day-to-day stress.
You need a happiness plan that’s made for you―all of you. Bongiorno’s integrative, natural approach to psychology and healing, which he has used successfully with his own patients, features a personalized approach that includes:
- Working with your doctor to help identify underlying causes of depression with blood tests and recommendations for dietary changes
- Botanical medicines, yoga, massage, and acupuncture points
- A treatment plan based on your particular symptoms and circumstances
Demolish Depression (without medication)
How I Healed Depression for Good – Naturally After Nine Years – Using the Emotional Discharge Method
by Nic Saluppo
Amazon Rating: 4.8/5 stars
The fatigue and the hopelessness—doesn’t it ever stop?
Sometimes. But when it stops, there’s the fear and anticipatory anxiety about its return. And it does return. With a mental illness that’s so powerful yet so mysterious, is there any hope?
Depression ruled my life for nine years. Everything seemed hopeless when I was depressed. It was utter misery. When I wasn’t depressed, I was constantly afraid and worried about its return. What an exhausting, unfulfilling way to live. Could anything be done?
I tried medication. Mostly, it numbed me. I was alive, but the spirit that made me “me” seemed to be gone. Were my only choices to live in despair or to be without despair, but at the cost of a sense of aliveness and vitality?
One day, I stumbled upon what I now call the Emotional Discharge Method. Though I discovered it at no credit to myself, it’s what eventually led to a shedding away of depression. What was left when the depression had shed off? A completely new outlook on life…
So Long Depression
Learn What is Keeping You Unmotivated and How You Can Alter Your Mood Without Medication
by Farnoosh Nouri, PhD
Foreword by Dr. Harville Hendrix and Helen Lakely Hunt
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 stars
Are you struggling to manage depression—even with antidepressants?
Farnoosh (Faith) Nouri, Ph.D., a psychotherapist, researcher, educator, and speaker shares her journey of learning to manage depression and later helping others escape this debilitating condition. In this book, you’ll learn:
• how to find hope when you’re hopeless;
• why even though you’re on antidepressants you’re still feeling depressed;
• how to change your mood fast without medication;
• how to think clearly and make sound decisions.
Other topics include motivating yourself to accomplish tasks, tips on enriching relationships, lessons on boosting communication skills, and how to avoid feelings of hopelessness.
If you are ready to do some work to discover your inner strength, overcome obstacles, and say goodbye to depression, then this book is for you!
How To Get The Most Out of These Books
Reading these books is just the first step—what matters most is how you apply what you learn. Take your time, reflect on the insights, and try incorporating small changes into your daily life.
You don’t have to absorb everything at once; even one meaningful lesson can make a difference. Remember, growth is a journey, not a race. Be patient with yourself, celebrate progress, and keep exploring what works best for you.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you read any of these books, or do you have a favorite to add to the list? Share your experiences in the comments and let’s continue the conversation.
