A free monthly circle for women · Online
The Reading Room
Some of the most healing moments happen not in a therapist's office, but in a room of women who get it. One book a month, one warm conversation, and no pressure at all.
Reserve your spotA book worth talking about, a therapist's perspective, and an hour in good company.
The Reading Room is a free, once-a-month online gathering for women who love a good book and a real conversation. Each month we read something worth discussing, sometimes a whole book, sometimes just a chapter or an article, and we come together to talk about what it stirred up. It is led by Dr. Regina Ransom, licensed therapist and founder of New Birth Family Counseling, who brings a warm, thoughtful lens to the conversation.
This is a discussion circle, not therapy, and not a substitute for it. It is a space to explore ideas about healing, growth, and being human, in the company of women who understand. Everyone receptive to growth is welcome.
How it works
Come as you are, when it calls to you
Once a month
We meet one evening a month for about an hour, online, so you can join from wherever you feel comfortable.
One book, kept light
One accessible read each month, and some months just a chapter or an article. No pressure to finish, or even to have started.
Drop in anytime
Come to the months that call to you. There is no attendance expectation and no catching up. Miss one, join the next.
Always free
The Reading Room is our gift to the community. No cost, no catch. Just bring your curiosity.
Save your seat
Reserve your spot
Leave your details below and we will send you the next book, the date, and the link to join. That is all it takes.
What we're reading
The 2026–2027 reading list
We gather the fourth Sunday of every month at 5:00 PM PT, online. Read the whole book if you like, or just a chapter, whatever the month allows. There's never any pressure to finish. Come to the titles that call to you.
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Sep 27, 2026
The Body Keeps the ScoreFirst gathering
Where we begin: how trauma lives in the body, and why healing has to include it.
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Oct 25, 2026
Educated
A memoir of resilience, and of finding yourself beyond where you came from.
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Nov 22, 2026
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Boundaries as self-respect, and the words to hold them.
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Dec 27, 2026
The Book of Joy
Finding real joy in hard seasons. A warm one to close the year on.
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Jan 24, 2027
Self-Compassion
Turning down the inner critic and learning to be kind to yourself.
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Feb 28, 2027
Hold Me Tight
How we reach for each other, and how we find our way back to connection.
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Mar 28, 2027
Untamed
A woman reclaiming her own life, on her own terms.
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Apr 25, 2027
It Didn't Start With You
How the patterns we carry can begin long before us, and how they end with us.
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May 23, 2027
Burnout
The stress cycle in a woman's body, and how to actually complete it.
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Jun 27, 2027
The Midnight Library
A hopeful novel about second chances and choosing your life. A lighter summer read.
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Jul 25, 2027
What Happened to You?
Trauma explained with such tenderness it changes how you see yourself and others.
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Aug 22, 2027
The Choice
A survivor and psychologist on the freedom we can find even after the worst.
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Sep 26, 2027
Rising Strong
Getting back up. A full year on, we end where healing always circles: resilience.
Titles and dates may shift now and then, and that's okay. However you read, from a bookstore, the library, an e-reader, or an audiobook, you're welcome exactly as you are. Any month's conversation can hold a faith lens for those who want it, and stay open for those who don't.
Good to know
Questions before you join
Is this therapy or a support group?
No. The Reading Room is a warm, educational discussion circle led by a therapist, not therapy and not a substitute for it. We talk about the book and the ideas it raises, not anyone's personal history. If something we read touches something tender, that is worth honoring, and we are always glad to point you toward deeper support if you would like it.
Do I have to read the whole book?
Not at all. Come whether you finished it, started it, or just liked the sound of the topic. Some months we read only a chapter or a short article on purpose, so it stays easy to join.
Do I have to come every month?
No. The Reading Room is drop-in by design. Come to the months that call to you and skip the ones that don't. There is no catching up and no attendance expectation.
Where does it meet?
Online, over secure video, so you can join from wherever you are comfortable. Once you reserve your spot, we send you the link.
Is it really free?
Yes, completely free. The Reading Room is our gift to the community and a way for women to gather, reflect, and connect. There is no cost and nothing to buy.
Do I have to be in San Diego?
No. Because we meet online, women from anywhere are welcome to read and reflect with us. (Our clinical therapy services are for California residents, but the Reading Room is open to all.)
The Reading Room is a free educational and community offering of New Birth Family Counseling. It is not therapy, group therapy, or a substitute for professional care. If you are seeking clinical support, we are glad to help you find it. If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.