Just what IS bibliotherapy?

Bibliotherapy is a combination of the Greek

words for therapy and books

Samuel Crothers first coined ‘Bibliotherapy’ in

1916 (Atlantic Monthly)

“Treatment through books” (Pardeck & Pardeck ,

1998) or “Therapeutic use of literature” (Cohen,
1993)

“The process of dynamic interaction between

the personality of the reader and literature under
the guidance of a trained helper” (Shrodes, 1950)
Alternative Terminology

Bibliocounseling
Bibliopsychology
Bookmatching
Literatherapy
Library therapeutics
Guided reading
Biblioguidance
Distinction found most useful is
practice based--
Clinical Bibliotherapy is implemented by
trained helping professionals dealing with
significant emotional or behavioral
problems

Developmental Bibliotherapy may be

used by teachers and other lay helpers to
facilitate normal development and self-
actualization with an essentially healthy
population
Historical Perspectives

The Library at Thebes…

“The healing place for the soul”

Aristotle proposed the notion of emotional

catharsis (Poetics)

Freud owned the intellectual debt to

creative artists suggesting that they, not
he, had first ‘discovered’ the unconscious.
Freud further suggested that in the
therapeutic process creative artists are
“valuable allies…”
History: The Early 1800’s-
A movement toward the moral & humane
treatment of the insane.

Institutions founded and administered

by the early Friends (Quaker)
Societies embraced this approach.

Reading became one of the most

commonly used therapeutic
interventions, second only to physical
exercise.
History: Mid-19th C

Several major medical hospitals

established patient libraries. Reading
materials intended to:
distract their patients
connect them to the outside world during
lengthy stays
engage them with positive ideas
give them hope and consolation
History: Early 1900’s
American Library Association active in
establishing libraries for hospitals and other
therapeutic institutions
Belief in the “value of patients’ library
service as an adjunct to the treatment &
recovery of the patient…”
Early standards for patients’ libraries were
endorsed by the American Hospital
Association and the American College of
Surgeons
History: The World Wars

WWI was a major impetus for

establishment or expansion of patients’
libraries in general medical hospitals in
Britain & America.
Librarians/volunteers used reading to help
soldiers recover from the physical & mental
trauma of war.
US War Service (WW II), run by ALA,
boasted of library service to more than
3,981 military service points as far away as
Siberia and China.
Current Use:
In many helping professions with all ages and
populations

School counselors (Gladding &

Gladding, 1991)
Social workers (Pardeck & Pardeck,
1998)
Mental health nurses (Farkas &
Yorker, 1993)
Teachers (Kramer & Smith, 1998)
Range of Issues Addressed~
aggressiveness (Shechtman, 1999, 2000),
adoption/ foster care (Pardeck, 1993; Sharkey, 1998),
diversity awareness/ valuation (Pardeck & Pardeck, 1998a; Tway,
1989),
death & dying (Meyer, 1994; Todahl, Smith, Barnes, & Pereira, 1998),
chemical dependency (Pardeck, 1991),
divorce (Early, 1993; Kramer & Smith, 1998; Meyer, 1991),
obsessive-compulsive disorder (Fritzler, Hecker, & Losee, 1997),
giftedness (Hebert, 1995),
conflict resolution (Hodges, 1995),
child abuse/ neglect (Jasmine-DeVias, 1995; Pardeck, 1990),
nightmares (Barclay & Whittington, 1992),
ethnic identity (Holman, 1996),
depression (Ackerson, Scogin, McKendree-Smith, & Lyman, 1998),
separation & loss (Bernstein & Rudman, 1989),
family violence (Butterworth & Fulmer, 1991),
homelessness (Farkas & Yorker, 1993),
self-destructive behavior (Evans et al., 1999).
Benefits can include:
Increased self-awareness
Clarification of emerging values
Development of one’s own ethnic/cultural
identity
Greater empathic understanding of others
Increased appreciation of different cultures,
viewpoints and lived experiences
Improved coping skills as learn about
alternative responses to problems
Reduction of negative emotions such as
stress, anxiety and loneliness
Enhanced self-esteem, interpersonal skills
and emotional maturity
Hypothesized Therapeutic
Mechanisms
Shrodes (1950), utilized a psychodynamic
model, which focused on identification (or
universalization), catharsis (or abreaction)
and insight (and integration) as the key
steps for therapeutic benefit.
Many writers since then have relied on
these same constructs.This model is more
typically applied when fiction is used than
when non-fiction/ self-help books are the
tools; then the model is often a cognitive-
behavioral one.
Emotional Benefits
Relieving feelings of isolation by learning
that others shared their experience
(universalization)
Gaining comfort or reassurance
Finding hope from hearing how others had
dealt with similar situations in a positive
fashion (an expectation for a good
outcome)
Being motivated to act differently
Temporary escape from pressing problems
Emotional release or relief (catharsis)
Cognitive Benefits

Increasing understanding of their

feelings and ideas (insight and
integration).
Gaining knowledge such as facts,
advice/ recommendations, or other
information which helped them make
decisions and/ or talk effectively with
gatekeepers such as health care
providers.
Disadvantages
Assessment is hampered by:
Working in two areas that are complex and
often difficult to define operationally--reading
and therapy
The lack of good assessment tools
Unclear categories for types of bibliotherapy
interventions --Wide range of activities that are
included under the heading of bibliotherapy
Poorly specified outcomes
Lack of research done to date on the
moderating effects of personality type, reading
ability, and education levels is problematic.
Disadvantages (Contd.)
Zaccaria and Moses (1968) [Bibliotherapy]
“is not a panacea… neither can it be used
with all individuals”.
Shrodes (1950) emphasizes …“For no two
persons can there be an absolute
equivalence of symbols, for no two people
have identical psychological fields.” (p.85)
Above all, the recommender must be well
acquainted with the content of the
materials they intend to recommend or
use.
Precautions to be taken
Helpers must be familiar enough with the
reader/listener, to anticipate the state of
reader/listener readiness for the reading materials.

Helpers are sensitive to cultural, ethnic and

religious messages in material.

Helpers ensure that factual material is accurate

and up to date.

Helpers ensure that stories deal with characters

and situations similar enough to facilitate some
level of identification.
increase empathy and understanding for those from
different backgrounds.
to provide needed distance from painful emotions.
Bibliotherapy Modalities
Recommend a book for self reading
Reading to the client in a session
Reading and reacting to the readings
Reading to a group of clients in a group
therapy session
Reading and writing and journaling
Reading for information
Story starters or discussion starters
Reading and reacting with art, poetry,
drama
Reading and books in guidance
Categories for
Evaluation
General Info Diversity Factors
General Format Usage:
and Structure Context
Subject Matter Environment
Reading Level and Situation
Suitability
Therapeutic Use
Book Length
Additional
Text and Pictures
Considerations
Developmental
level Overall Impression
General Format and Structure

In this section the reviewer evaluates

the material from an overall
perspective—the “Gestalt” of the text
If it is a fictional book, then the
reviewer assesses factors such as
plot cohesiveness, character
development, universality of the story
line, and general quality of the text.
Evaluation of the content
In this section the reviewer evaluates the
material from the perspective of subject
matter. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction
there is usually a subject (or multiple
subjects) addressed in the material.
Specific topics are identified. The reviewer
assesses factors such as relevancy of
material, ability to engage the reader, and
fit between reader interests and subject.
The question posed-- “Is this a good
subject fit for the client?”
Reading Level and Suitability
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of reading level and suitability
of the material. Some materials identify an
appropriate reading or age level, some do not. So
it is up to the counselor to make their “best guess”
as to the appropriateness. It also depends on how
the material will be applied.
If the clinician is reading to the client, it matters
less if the material is an exact match to the client’s
skills.
Rhyming and other stylistic devices may influence
how the helper chooses to use the material
Planning to deliver the content
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of how long will it take to use
this material with a particular client.
Counselor looks at book format and length.
Counselor must decide how text is used.
Session to session
Home reading
One time read, etc.
Individual client characteristics will also influence
how long it will take to use the book in certain
ways
Text and Pictures
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of print and illustrations.
Counselor looks at congruence between text and
illustrations.
What is the mood created by the combination of
print and pictures.
Counselor looks at quantity and quality of
illustrations.
Once an implementation strategy is identified, ask,
“Will this combination of text and images create a
therapeutic effect for this particular client?”
Developmental Level
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of developmental level;
consider the client from a holistic perspective,
including age and grade
Additionally, the counselor looks at the therapeutic
readiness and stage of counseling for the client
The counselor evaluates fit or match of the text,
character, and subject matter with the client
The counselor evaluates the appropriateness of
the text’s usage with populations who may be at
multiple developmental levels
Diversity Factors
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of diversity and social issues.
The counselor looks at the factors of respectful
presentation, cultural appropriateness, world view
expansion, and needs of the client.
The counselor evaluates the text to ensure that
stereotyping does not exist.
The counselor examines the relevancy and current
nature of the material presented.
The counselor evaluates the administrative and
political impact of literature usage.
Use: Context, Environment and
Situation
In this section the reviewer evaluates the material
from the perspective of the context, environment or
situation in which it will be used.
The reviewer considers the setting
Home
Healthcare
Mental health
School-education
Social services
Library
The counselor considers the client population.
Therapeutic Use:

In this section the reviewer evaluates the material

focusing on how the text will used.
The reviewer considers the application of the text:
Choral reading,
Reading to the client or the group or the class
Reading with the client,
Reading and reacting
Art, writing, story telling
Other
The counselor considers the impact on client
growth. The question considered might be “what
will this do for the therapeutic movement of my
client”?
Additional Evaluation
Considerations:
In this section the reviewer takes a final
look and evaluates the material from the
retrospective stance.
The reviewer considers overall implications,
benefits, trauma, administrative and
political-cultural factors.
The reviewer offers advice to others who
may consider this book for therapeutic use.
The reviewer gives a “ballpark” figure of the
projected therapeutic value of the text.
Be sure to check out the Bibliotherapy
Education Project website and resources at:

http://www.library.unlv.edu/faculty/research/bibliotherapy/

All the Best my dear Students!