In our fast-paced and hectic lives, prioritising our well-being has never been more vital. Amidst various wellness practices, one often overlooked yet immensely powerful tool is therapeutic reading. Called ‘bibliotherapy’, it’s the use of literature as a therapeutic tool. Dating back millennia from the Stoics to Montaigne to modern-day pioneers, it’s relatively unknown still, only recently garnering attention.
My new book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, pulls together this history and outlines techniques for using literature (fiction, non-fiction and poetry), as it captures client stories, life-changing books and reading lists for mental health themes from anxiety, burnout, navigating mid-life, relationships and many more.
Literature has a unique ability to transport readers into the minds of diverse characters, fostering empathy and understanding. The pages of a well-crafted narrative mirror our own thoughts, emotions, and struggles. Engaging with characters undergoing personal growth or confronting similar challenges to us inspire self-reflection and promote a deeper understanding of ourselves.
From the person who’s struggling with terminal cancer, finding hope in cancer memoirs, to the new mother, who navigates the immense life change through parenting novels, to the seasoned couple seeking using poetry to rekindle their relationship, there’s something for everyone in Bibliotherapy.
However, bibliotherapy’s more than simply reading a book. As a bibliotherapist I help clients leverage their reading, using bibliotherapy techniques at home or in-session. Ranging from literary journaling, poetry therapy, narrative therapy to many more detailed in the book, the combination of reading and bibliotherapy technique, is where healing happens.
As we identify with the character(s) or author, our experience mirroring theirs, we relax our defences, and feel the same emotions as them. This puts us in touch with our own feelings. As we journal or write alongside, reflecting on this, we provide an outlet for our emotions, giving way to catharsis, insight, awareness and healing. Bibliotherapy has also shown to reduce stress and lower heart rates.
My approach is absolutely personalised – only suggesting books the reader or client will enjoy and connect with, based on their preferences, the genres they enjoy, and the time they have to read. This is paramount to the whole process. Just as connection with a therapist unlocks the therapeutic process, connection to the book we’re reading (and identification with the author or protagonist) is vital.
A pathway to improved mental health and personal growth, therapeutic reading heals, inspires, and transforms, leading to a more balanced and resilient self.
Bijal Shah is a bibliotherapist at Book Therapy (www.booktherapy.io) and the author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading due to be published on 22nd February 2024. It’s currently available for pre-order at any bookstore you shop at.
