The Holiday Gift Guide for Daters

Speaking In Thumbs: A Psychiatrist Decodes Your Relationship Texts So You Don’t Have To​, by Dr. Mimi Winsberg Dr. Winsberg was formerly Facebook’s in-house psychiatrist, and took all of her learnings about the psychology behind messaging and texting in the context of dating and turned it into Speaking in Thumbs. It’s the one stop shop master how to message, as well as how to use psychology to interpret what people really mean by their texts. And if you want some key highlights without reading the whole thing, you can check out my interview with Dr. Winsberg ​here!

Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge​, by Jon Birger For everyone who’s feeling dating app burnout (so… literally everyone), here’s the book that’ll show you how to put down the apps and meet people out in the wild. I first learned about it from one of my clients, who raved to me about this book and the confidence (and concrete ideas) it gave her. And now I’m a fan too!

Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find – and keep – love​, by Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller People think attachment theory is only for folks in relationships, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I read this book when I was single, and it taught me so much about what I *actually* need from all of the relationships in my life in order to feel fulfilled. It deeply impacted what I looked for on early dates and how I advocated for myself.

Big Dating Energy: How to Create Lasting Love by Tapping Into Your Authentic Self​, by Jeff Guenther and Kate Happ Jeff Guenther, aka @therapyjeff, is another psychology-professional-turned-Instagram-guru I admire. He makes forging through the muck of modern dating fun with his never-ending sense of humor and tell-it-like-it-is attitude. Here’s all of his wit and wisdom compiled in one place.

​The Art of Online Dating: Style Your Most Authentic Self and Cultivate a Mindful Dating Life​, by Alyssa Dineen! Well, as the author, I can definitely vouch for this one! This book contains my whole heart and soul. It details my journey from divorce to navigating online dating to finding love, and is full of every single thing I learned along the way: about how to build a dating profile that is actually flattering/interesting/eye-catching (unlike the vast, vast majority); how to weed through the not so great profiles on dating apps and find the good ones; how to style yourself for a date; how to be open to love while still protecting your heart and focusing on what really matters in a partner—and so much more. I can’t believe I wrote a whole book, much less one I’m THIS proud of.