— BOOKS—
Making mental health conversations more accessible
Books have an incredible power to connect, reassure, and guide.
My books translate complex psychological ideas into language that resonates, particularly with young people facing tough emotions.
Through my writing, I bring ACT principles to life in a way that is relatable, engaging, and, most importantly, useful.
Holding the Heavy Stuff
by Ben Sedley
Finding room for critical thoughts and painful emotions.
Holding the Heavy Stuff is a unique, illustrated self-help guide for anyone who has struggled with low mood, worries, self-doubts or mean thoughts about themselves and then found it difficult to move their life forward.
It is for people who feel overwhelmed or consumed by worries about the future, or find themselves stuck reliving moments from their past.
It is for those who have days, weeks or months when sadness takes over and getting through each hour feels challenging.
It is for those who can't imagine life getting better as the world gets worse.
It is for people who feel dumped on or knocked off track.
It is for all of us who face tragedy and difficulty and feel weighed down.
Perhaps you struggle to live the life you want or are holding too much heavy stuff. The more you try to fight this internal pain, the more you have it. Instead of struggling against it, this book offers a different approach. You will learn ways to carry the heavy stuff with you as you go where you want to go.
Where to pre-order:
Stuff That’s Loud
by Ben Sedley and Lisa Coyne
A book for young people dealing with OCD.
Do you have thoughts that seem loud? Do your worries spiral out of control and then suck you in? Do intrusive thoughts show up and make you scared of doing certain things—or not doing things—a certain way? Do you ever get a feeling like something bad might happen? Does this loud stuff make you feel alone, or worse—crazy?
First, you aren’t alone—even if it sometimes feels that way. And second, you are not crazy. But you might be struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). And while OCD can be difficult, you don’t have to let it have power over you.
Instead, you can live a life full of meaning, great relationships and joy with the help of this book.
In Stuff That’s Loud, you’ll learn exposure and response prevention (ERP), and ideas from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you break free from loud, spiralling OCD thoughts and behaviours.
Where to buy:
Stuff That Sucks
by Ben Sedley
A teen-friendly guide to navigating tough emotions.
If you struggle with negative thoughts and emotions, you should know that your pain is real. No one should try to diminish it. Sometimes stuff really does suck and we have to acknowledge it. Worry, sadness, loneliness, anger, and shame are big and important, but they can also get in the way of what really matters.
Stuff That Sucks offers a compassionate and validating guide to accepting emotions, rather than struggling against them.
With this book as your guide, you’ll learn to prioritise your thoughts, feelings, and values. You’ll figure out what you care about the most, and then start caring some more! The skills you’ll learn are based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). This book will show you how to focus on what you really care about, so that all that other sucky stuff doesn’t seem so, well, sucky anymore.
Where to buy:
About Ben Sedley
I’m a clinical psychologist, author and speaker based in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, and New Zealand's only peer-reviewed ACT Trainer.
For over 20 years, I’ve worked with children, teenagers, and adults, specialising in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My focus is on helping people make space for difficult thoughts and feelings while moving toward a life that feels rich and meaningful. Through my work—whether in therapy, training, or writing—I aim to make mental health support more accessible, practical, and relatable for everyone.
Connect with me
If you’re looking for insights or just a fresh perspective on mental health in the media, I invite you to explore my books, join a workshop, or reach out via this form.
For enquiries regarding my private clinical practice, please visit ACT Wellington.