Inside Out and Outside In: Psychodynamic clinical theory and psychopathology in contemporary multicultural contexts by Joan Berzoff, Laura Melano Flanagan and Patricia Hertz — This is the main textbook for my Personality I class (ICYMI, I’m a grad student now!), where we’ve learned about the theories of Freud and Jung, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, ego psychology, object relations theory, attachment styles, Kohut’s concepts of self-psychology, and more. We also just turned in a group presentation project, for which we were to pick a character from a television series or movie to explore through the lens of multiple psychodynamic theories! My group chose Nina Sayers from “Black Swan,” and I unpacked her insecure-disorganized attachment style.

The First Interview by James Morrison MD — I’m reading this book for my class on Assessment of Psychopathology, which is the first of many classes I’ll take on diagnosing mental health disorders. This book is written by a medical doctor, so I have found some of the language to be overly clinical, but knowing just how much there is to cover in the initial moments with a client - especially if in a clinic setting where the initial intake is the only time you’ll see someone - and having guidance on how to effectively communicate with patients, phrase clarifying questions, and create rapport while collecting vital information about their history, experience and outlook, has been so helpful.

Tarot and the Psychology of the Soul: Exploring the Archetypal Mirrors of the Psyche by Mariana Louis — This is the second book about the tarot and Jungian theory that’s literally shown up at my house in the last month (but it’s the only one I can tell you about because the other one is still in progress and I’m getting a sneaky peek hehehe). I haven’t cracked this one open quite yet, but I’m loving the promise of psychospiritual meanings of the Major and Minor Arcana, and this bit from the back of the book: “It teaches us to befriend our shadows, evoke our imaginations, and attune to the soul's quiet directive: How am I meant to live?” Can’t wait to dig in!

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester — This was my Book of the Month pick for December 2025, but as I’m currently in a hockey romance rabbit hole, it’s been slow going for me. But that is a reflection on my silly brain and not on the beauty of this book, which has witches, and lesbians, and three different story lines throughout history, and is actually quite scary in its imagery!!! I brought this book with me on a solo trip to the desert, but couldn’t read it because I was a big fraidy cat!!! Now that I’m back home with my wife, I’ll put my big witch pants on and finish her up! Seriously, the plots are delicious.

The Collected Oscar Wilde by Barnes & Noble Classics — As I mentioned in the first Friday Five of 2026, I’m spending this 1 collective year and personal 6 year in relationship with one artist—not exclusively, of course, but intimately. Enter Oscar Wilde, a queer ancestor of great humor, style, and persecution by the society he always tried to entertain. I’m in the middle of the first work right now, The Portrait of Mr. W. H., which is a short story about a theory that Shakespeare’s sonnets were inspired by Will’s love for a young, male actor in his company, and how that belief consumes and disrupts the lives of those who learn of it. It’s very fascinating and blends my special interest in the Bard, my love of synchronicities, and my growing psychological education, as the characters search for clues and grapple with reality-testing and delusions.FYI - If you like theatre and Oscar Wilde, the National Theatre is streaming their newest production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” on YouTube for free on March 12 (7pm GMT), with the replay available for one week after.