Books From Your Therapist

Identifying Core Emotions & Decolonizing Your Thinking with Nicholas Rissone, LSW

Books From Your Therapist

Show Notes

In this episode, we’re talking to licensed social worker, Nicholas Rissone. We talked to him about the books It's Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel and Decolonizing Therapy by Dr. Jennifer Mullan.

In It’s Not Always Depression, Hilary Jacobs Hendel tells stories of patients who came to her seeking treatment for depression but in fact none of them were chemically depressed. Instead, she found that they’d all experienced traumas in their youth that caused them to put up emotional defenses that mvasqueraded as symptoms of depression. Jacobs Hendel writes about how she used the Change Triangle to help lead these patients toward more joyful and fulfilling lives.

Decolonizing Therapy is an essential work that centers colonial and historical trauma in a framework for healing. This book illuminates that all therapy is—and always has been— inherently political. To better understand the mental health oppression and institutional violence that exists today, we must become familiar with the root of disembodiment from our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will readers see how colonial, historical, and intergenerational legacies have always played a role in the treatment of mental health.

You can find us: Instagram, Threads, TikTok & YouTube: @booksfromyourtherapist Podcast: Acast, iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen! Follow Tara on Substack Work with Amanda (California residents): https://www.amandathrockmorton.com/

Resources mentioned in this episode: Pat Radical Therapist Dr. Raquel Martin 5hahem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Books From Your Therapist

Oct 15, 2026

In this episode we’re joined by therapist, author, and somatic practitioner Simone Saunders to explore what it means to truly feel our feelings and reconnect with our bodies. Simone shares how somatic therapy can help us understand safety, regulation, and connection as embodied experiences, and introduces the framework from her book Where Do You Feel That In Your Body?. We also dive into bell hooks’ The Will to Change and explore masculinity, emotional intimacy, and the ways patriarchy teaches men to disconnect from their emotions.

Sep 15, 2026

In this episode, Amanda and Tara explore the “fawn” response to trauma—the lesser-known fourth F alongside fight, flight, and freeze. We discuss Meg Josephson’s Are You Mad at Me?, a trauma-informed guide to people-pleasing, boundaries, and the fear of disappointing others, before turning to Sally Rooney’s Normal People to explore how fawning, self-worth, intimacy, and class anxiety show up in fiction. Plus, we ask the big question: will Connell and Marianne ever learn to be honest about what they really need?

Aug 15, 2026

This month, we're joined by award-winning journalist Amanda McCracken to talk about her debut book, When Longing Becomes Your Lover alongside the classic psychology text Love and Limerence by Dorothy Tennov.

Jul 15, 2026

This month we're joined by Dr. Juli Fraga, psychologist and co-author of Parents Have Feelings, Too, to explore emotional honesty, why repair matters more than perfection and how understanding our own emotions helps us raise emotionally healthy children.

Jun 15, 2026

In this episode of Books From Your Therapist, we’re joined by therapist and author Dr. Han Ren to discuss her debut book The Hyphenated Life. Dr. Ren is committed to making mental health accessible and resonant, especially for historically overlooked communities and her book is a powerful reflection on navigating identity, belonging, and the complexities of living between cultures.

See all episodes →