Bibliotherapy
If you are an avid book reader and feel that you need support in dealing with mental health issues, then bibliotherapy is something that you should investigate. This is the reading of specific texts to support and help heal issues that you may be going through in your life. If you have ever read a book and felt very connected to its message or feel like you are transported to another place and time when you read, bibliotherapy could be the perfect type of therapy for you.
Merriam-Webster defines bibliotherapy as "the use of reading materials for help in solving personal problems or for psychiatric therapy."Although you may have never heard of the term before, the idea can be followed back as far as the first libraries in ancient Greece. The term was first used in the early 1900s. Many people may participate in bibliotherapy without even knowing it. If you use reading for therapeutic purposes, you are engaging in bibliotherapy.
Bibliotherapy History
In 1916, Samuel Crothers combined the Greek word for book 'biblion' and healing 'therapeia' to describe "the process in which specific literature, both fiction and non-fiction, was prescribed as medicine for various ailments" (www.wordsthatheal.com.au). During World War I, libraries were set up in veteran's hospitals and bibliotherapy was used to help the intensification of emotional trauma in veterans.
At its beginnings, bibliotherapy was mostly found within hospital and institutional settings. However, once mental health care was deinstitutionalized, it found popularity with a wide range of populations. It was then found in libraries, family medical practices, educational settings, the penal system, psychology, social work, nursing, and various other settings. In all settings, bibliotherapy is used to help people deal with problems that have arisen in their lives.
"Studies show reading as a form of therapy to be useful for the treatment of depression, mild alcohol abuse, anxiety, eating disorders and communication issues" (www.goodtherapy.org). Those who need to be more self-aware, need to boost their self-esteem, are having family-related trials, are grieving, or have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can all benefit from bibliotherapy. In clinical psychology, bibliotherapy is most often used in addition to another type of mental health therapy as it can enhance the healing effects of those therapies. Many people who have used bibliotherapy in conjunction with traditional therapy in mental health settings have felt that it adds another level to their healing.
If you have not yet sought support for any mental health concerns you may be having, reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional for medical advice diagnosis or treatment.
Therapeutic bibliotherapy can be used in addition to other types of therapy to strengthen the effects of those therapies and offer a non-traditional yet familiar way of dealing with psychological issues.
Prescriptive bibliotherapy is synonymous with the well-known term self-help. Books are suggested to people to help with a specific psychological concern. A self-help book offers information to help the individual modify their thought patterns, feelings, and actions so that they can free themselves from those destructive thoughts, feelings, and actions. This type of bibliotherapy is used in a clinical venue or therapeutic setting.
The Book on Prescription version is a cooperative model whereby health professionals and libraries work together to offer books as a healing method to help support patients. The doctor suggests or "prescribes" a book and the patient takes their book "prescription" to the library where they borrow the book. The doctor and library work together to create a list of suggested books to be available to patients for “medical treatment,”similar to how a pharmacy has medications available for patients.
Creative bibliotherapy is an effective treatment process that involves having a meeting of a group of patients with similar issues along with a qualified facilitator. Stories, poems, and fiction are read to the group, or the group reads aloud together. After the reading, a discussion ensues so that the patients can be involved in an informative conversation. During this time, the patients can hear other opinions and open up to many possibilities that the discussions offer. It is a great time for social interaction.
Developmental bibliotherapy is used in educational venues and youth services facilities, and helps support students with characteristic childhood and adolescent issues, such as puberty, bodily tasks, mental health concerns and general development. Parents can also use bibliotherapy to assist in explaining these developmental stages at home.
Bibliotherapy Professionals
There are trained professionals to assist people with bibliotherapy. The International Federation of Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT) has established standards for these professionals to practice bibliotherapy. The title is certified poetry therapist, which encompasses bibliotherapy, poetry therapy, and journal therapy. Certifications include:
Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator (CAPF): BS or BA with some psychology experience. They are not certified psychology or psychiatry professionals but are trained to identify individuals who may be in distress and would need a referral to a mental health facilitator. They usually work in a library or educational setting. They can work in a mental health setting if they are supervised by a mental health professional.
Certified Poetry Therapist (CPT)/Registered Poetry Therapist (RPT): This certification entails post-graduate mental health coursework. They can work with individuals with mental health issues independently. Doctors can also get this type of certification.
Reading any of the recommended books in no way replaces the skills or support of a trained therapist or counselor. Bibliotherapy aims to provide information and guidance, not medical treatment. These books are listed as resources that may support those who are facing any of the listed issues.
Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions by Russell Brand
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
The Sober Diaries: How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living by Clare Pooley
Mrs. D is Going Within by Lotta Dann
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Unmedicated: The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness by Madisyn Taylor
Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks by Barry McDonagh
Change Your Brain Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, MD
Bibliotherapy for medical professionals:
Biblio-therapy: Methods and Materials by the American Library Association
An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, MD
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel
Gaining: The Truth about Life After Eating Disorders by Aimee Liu
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
100 Questions and Answers about Eating Disorders by Carolyn Costin
An Apple a Day: A Memoir of Love and Recovery from Anorexia by Emma Woolf
7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey
Stress and Coping in Families by Katheryn Maguire
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud
Healing the Child Within by Charles L. Whitfield
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief by Martha Whitmore Hickman
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir by Maude Julien
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce D. Perry
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: The Definitive Work on Self-Esteem by the Leading Pioneer in the Field by Nathaniel Branden
The Gift of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown
Love Yourself AsYour Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant
Learning to Love Yourself: Finding Your Self-Worth by Sharon Wegschneider-Cruse
Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver
Declutter Your Mind by S J Scott
Wherever You Go There, You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky
You may look online for bibliotherapy near you. Since it is a unique, non-traditional type of counseling or therapy, it may take some searching to find someone who is a trained bibliotherapist. A great place to start your search for a bibliotherapist is BetterHelp. By filling out a questionnaire about yourself and the type of counseling you would like, BetterHelp is able to match you with a therapist that meets your needs. Online therapy is a great alternative if travel, location, convenience, or flexible hours are concerns you have about beginning therapy.
Some Commonly Asked Questions On This Topic:
What type of therapy is bibliotherapy?
Bibliotherapy is a type of experimental therapy that uses reading and imaginative literature to aid with self-improvement and self-awareness, cope with depressive symptoms and other mental health concerns, gain insight, decrease perceived stress, and other therapeutic goals.
A 2017 systematic review published in the Clinical Psychology Review aimed to assess the long-term effects of bibliotherapy in the treatment of depression. Researchers concluded that bibliotherapy resulted in decreased depressive symptoms in the long-term. Therefore, they noted that bibliotherapy could have positive impacts in the treatment of other types of serious mental illness.
Bibliotherapy can also be valuable as a therapeutic approach for children and adolescents. In 2009, the book Treating Child and Adolescent Aggression Through Bibliotherapy (Springer International Publishing) was released, detailing how bibliotherapy can be used in combination with CBT to address aggressive and antisocial behavior patterns in youth.
What is bibliotherapy in the classroom?
In the classroom and other educational settings, bibliotherapy is a type of group therapy that can be used as a therapeutic approach to support good mental health, help with early childhood development, increase self-awareness, and encourage problem-solving. A bibliotherapy education project can include biblio poetry therapy, play therapy, creative writing, storytelling, and more.
How is bibliotherapy done?
Bibliotherapy, sometimes called cognitive bibliotherapy, has been around since the early nineteenth century. This therapeutic process can involve reading self-help materials, imaginative literature such as novels, poems, short stories, and plays to gain a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around us, or to read books prescribed by mental health professionals for a specific purpose, such as divorce, addiction, adoption, or mental health concerns.
Potential benefits of using bibliotherapy include:
What is bibliotherapy for?
As covered by the International Federation for Bibliotherapy, this form of treatment allows a person to gain insight into the challenges they are dealing with and develop strategies to address the most concerning issues. It can also help with problem solving, understanding, and mild to moderate disorders. The therapeutic process used in this type of therapy focuses on helping a person improve their mental state using applied behavior analysis among other methods. The foundation of it is using literature to support good mental health, and there are many effective registered poetry therapist professionals. It’s been known that bibliotherapy can help patients living with anxiety, depression, or mood disorders.
Cognitive Bibliotherapy Definition
Cognitive bibliotherapy is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Whether it is focused on child development or helping an adult living with symptoms, this kind of therapy is the process of reading as a way to facilitate the healing process and meet therapeutic goals. Reading books is a well-known way of reducing stress, and cognitive bibliotherapy is applying this concept to behavior therapy. There are many similar types of therapy, but this is arguably the only form of therapy that encourages participants to read books during the practice of bibliotherapy.
Is bibliotherapy evidence based?
Using experimental methods, researchers have found that, according to psychology today, bibliotherapy is an effective way to help those who are living with depression or certain disorders, as well as those who have experiences abuse anxiety or other mental health challenges. Medical professionals still test this kind of therapy against other types of therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy or play therapy, but reading books is a proven and effective way of reducing certain symptoms of disorders or conditions.
Bibliotherapy PDF?
Bibliotherapy PDF is simply a description of the therapeutic approach to mental health and treating disorders such as severe depression or bipolar disorder by reading books, sometimes at a treatment center for mental health. Health professional are constantly testing the viability of this form of therapy, but the InternationalFederation for BiblioPoetry Therapy and other types of therapy have found this to be successful. If you believe bibliotherapy may be able to help with any mental health problems you are experiencing, find a therapist who specializes in this approach so that you can foster good mental health. Alternatively, pursue treatment options such as cognitive behavioral therapy or play therapy to treat conditions.
According to Reading Partners, the benefits of reading encompass reduced stress and anxiety as reported from tests run by health professionals. However, this is not the extent of benefits that come from reading and it is believed that fields such as biblio poetry therapy, as covered in the International Federation for Biblio poetry, can help treat people with conditions such as bipolar disorder or severe anxiety. There are other types of therapy, such as play therapy, that can be effective for younger children, but health professionals have found that reading and bibliotherapy can be effective.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychological treatment that is effective for a range of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, and more. A guide to theory of therapy may cover the methods health professionals use when focused on CBT, but it is focused more on analyzing certain behaviors and getting to the root cause of those behaviors. As far as mental health goes, CBT can be beneficial for child development and anybody experiencing a mental health disorder. Find a therapist who specializes in CBT or visit a treatment center for help.
Studies have shown that reading can put a person’s brain into a pleasurable trance like state akin to meditation. Bibliotherapy a guide on reading and the beneficial aspects it has on mental health. The American Library Association andLibrary Association of the world often discuss the numerous benefits of reading, but bibliotherapy applies the reading of books into a healing treatment for anxiety or depression. If you believe this approach to therapy may help, find a therapist in your area or a treatment center for mental health. In many cases, play therapy can also be an effective treatment if you are looking for your children, as play therapy focuses on building a bond and relationship between a child and their caregiver. Combining both types of therapy together can often yield beneficial outcomes.