Mindful
Education

Mindful
Education

Well-Read: Amber’s Book of the Month

Dr Amber Johnston is passionate about helping medical practitioners, researchers, and the general public understand the benefits and nuances of psychology and neuropsychological therapy. She likes to share her favorite books and resources as she continues her professional development to find the very best methods of psychology and treatment for her patients.

Read along with Amber as she continues to further her education and learn more about how you can continue working to create a healthy mind for yourself.


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  • Why We Remember
    May 2026

    Why We Remember

    by Dr Charan Ranganath

    Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in there?

    This month’s Book of the Month is “Why We Remember” by Dr Charan Ranganath – a really fascinating read about how memory actually works, and how much of it is shaped by attention, context, and meaning.

    What stood out to me most is the idea that memory isn’t a fixed record of the past. It’s something we’re constantly reconstructing, influenced by what we notice, what feels significant, and even how we feel in the present.

    It made me reflect on how often we judge ourselves for forgetting things… without considering just how much information our brains are trying to process every day.

    There’s something quite reassuring in understanding that memory isn’t about getting everything “right”, but about how we make sense of our experiences over time.

    Have you ever noticed your memories feeling different to how you first experienced them?

  • THE SIGNS
    April 2026

    THE SIGNS

    by Dr Tara Swart

    Have you ever had a feeling about something… before you could explain why? Maybe it was to avoid a certain situation, or to not go ahead with a decision?

    This month’s Book of the Month is The Signs by Dr Tara Swart – a fascinating exploration of intuition, attention, and the ways our brain and body are constantly gathering and interpreting information.

    What I found most interesting is how she reframes intuition. Not as something vague or mystical, but as something grounded in neuroscience, shaped by experience, patterns, and what we choose to pay attention to.

    It made me reflect on how often we override those quieter signals, especially when life feels busy or overwhelming.

    There’s something powerful about remembering that not all information comes through conscious thought.

    Have you ever noticed your intuition trying to guide you, even subtly?

  • Dopamine Nation
    March 2026

    Dopamine Nation

    by Anna Lembke

    Have you ever wondered why, in a world of more choice, more comfort, and more access than ever before… so many of us feel more restless?

    This month’s Book of the Month is Dopamine Nation by Dr Anna Lembke – a fascinating exploration of how pain and pleasure share the same circuitry in the brain.

    Lembke explains how we’re living in an age of unprecedented dopamine stimulation. Constant reward, novelty, and intensity, and how that very abundance can tip us into imbalance.

    What struck me most is how she links individual craving to something much bigger: culture, scarcity mindset, and the environments we live in.

    It’s not just about addiction.
    It’s about how modern life shapes our nervous systems.

    Have you read it, or noticed this in your own life?

  • Forgive for Good
    February 2026

    Forgive for Good

    by Dr Fred Luskin

    A gentle, evidence-based exploration of how forgiveness isn’t just a moral or emotional choice but a physiological one too.

    Luskin looks at what happens in the body and brain when we hold on to blame, resentment, and grievance… and what begins to shift when we don’t.

    What struck me most is how forgiveness here isn’t framed as excusing, forgetting, or reconciling but as reclaiming peace from experiences that would otherwise continue to live inside the system.

    It’s less about what others deserve…
    and more about what your nervous system needs.

    Have you ever thought about forgiveness in this way before?

  • Back in Control
    December 2025

    Back in Control

    by Dr David Hanscom

    Have you ever noticed how pain seems to take over your whole world, even when doctors can’t find a clear cause?

    This month’s Book of the Month is “Back in Control” by Dr David Hanscom.

    As a spine surgeon, Hanscom spent years treating patients with complex pain, until he faced his own. What he discovered was transformative – that chronic pain isn’t just about damaged tissue or nerves, but about the patterns our brains learn in response to threat, fear, and stress.

    He shares how unprocessed emotions, anxiety, and past trauma can keep the nervous system in a constant state of alarm, amplifying pain long after an injury has healed.

    What stood out most to me is how hope-filled his message is – that through calming the nervous system through better self-care, expressing emotions especially those we suppress, and re-framing thoughts, we can actually retrain the brain to turn the volume down on pain.

  • Breath – The New Science of a Lost Art
    November 2025

    Breath – The New Science of a Lost Art

    by James Nestor

    This month’s Book of the Month – “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor – dives deep into the simple act that keeps us alive and how we might be doing it all wrong.

    Nestor explores the fascinating science of breathing and how our modern habits, from processed foods to constant stress, have literally reshaped our faces, narrowed our airways, and changed the way we take in air.

    What struck me most is how something so basic can have such profound psychological and physical effects. From anxiety and sleep, to focus and emotional regulation – the way we breathe shapes the way we feel.