Trigger Warning: This article discusses mental health struggles such as depression and anxiety. Please exercise personal care when reading.
We’ve all read a book that has made us feel seen, that has helped us to recognize our own selves better than ever before. Reading can be like a mirror looking into our own reflection and helping us learn, grow, and realize we are not alone. Bibliotherapy takes this feeling a step further. Keep reading to discover the therapy model you may not have known you needed, and to find some book recommendations that feel like therapy.
What is Bibliotherapy?
Bibliotherapy is a concept used by psychologists that pairs a book with various therapy methods; it is often used to help people cope with mental health struggles such as self-esteem, self-awareness, empathy, and self-efficacy.
“Bibliotherapy can be applied to patients suffering from anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders; those struggling with trauma or addiction; or those going through grief, a divorce, or other relationship-related challenges.”
Bibliotherapy, Psychology Today
Therapists will recommend books to help patients understand what they are going through. More traditionally, therapists prescribe self-help books that outline a specific experience and give helpful tips or habits to those going through that experience. However, therapists may also use memoirs or fictional novels with characters that are going through similar circumstances or with similar struggles.
For example, someone who is dealing with trauma from their childhood may read a book about a character who went through a similar trauma. This shows the reader that they are not alone and, depending on the actions of the character, may even help them overcome and see what is possible.
“In a therapeutic setting, bibliotherapy is thought to be effective because it provides an additional outlet for patients to work through problems and can help an individual recognize that they are not alone in their struggles.”
Bibliotherapy, Psychology Today
Fiction in Bibliotherapy
Fiction has not been as traditionally used in bibliotherapy practices, as the stories are not rooted in real life. However, in many cases, this is exactly what may help readers, finding a story as a way to escape their reality.
“They argue that immersing oneself in rich, simulated worlds — often reflective of real-life experiences — can help readers process emotions, discover coping strategies, or simply provide momentary escape from their everyday woes.”
‘It opened up something in me’: Why people are turning to bibliotherapy by Katarina Zimmer
However, using bibliotherapy with fiction has varying results, according to research. All books hope to make someone feel seen and convey a story of humanity, but unlike self-help books or memoirs, the purpose behind fiction at the end of the day is to tell a story, not to help the readers in their lives. Some fictional stories do not use healthy coping mechanisms and instead encourage unhealthy methods, making them more harmful than helpful.
Here we will offer up our own recommendations of books that can act as therapy. We hope you enjoy, but remember, when considering bibliotherapy, it is always best to do so with the guidance of a licensed therapist or in a group therapy setting.
Anxiety: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library tells the story of a magical library on the edges of the universe with a never-ending number of books. Each book tells the story of your life, one is the story of how it is, one is the story of how it could’ve been had you made one different choice, and one is the story of another choice made differently. Nora Seed travels through the Midnight Library and is faced with a million different lives. She must decide what life she truly wants, and through it, she finds out what makes her life worth it to her.
Matt Haig has often been said to write the best books facing mental health, and he seems to have done it again. The Midnight Library is the perfect read to help calm your anxious thoughts. It is for when you are feeling lost in life. The story serves as a strong reminder, almost a meditation practice, that no matter how much time you spend contemplating how your choices could have made your life better, how much better would it really be? It forces an anxious mind, so caught up in what could happen, to stop and reflect on what is important.
Depression: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
In Wintering, Katherine May offers an intimate glimpse into the darkest times of her life. When everything seemed to be going wrong for May, she learned to embrace the power of rest, and she learned to accept that sadness does not have to be something bad. She used concepts from literature, mythology, and nature to realize that rest is a natural part of life, that life is a cycle of ups and downs, and that there is no shame in where you are in life.
Wintering is the guide to managing your sadness and not only turning it into something manageable, but something beautiful. Whether it is seasonally winter or not, it is the right time to read this book if you feel an icy winter in your heart that you can’t seem to shake. May guides us on how to care for ourselves when depression comes knocking on our door and to allow ourselves time to rest before we can change and grow, just like nature does in the winter.
Self Love: The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim
The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim follows a woman’s journal entries as she strives to make her summer a time full of peace and solitude. She gives herself a beautiful rejuvenating summer where she walks through the forest and spends time in her garden from May to September. She learns to love her time spent alone and appreciates all of the simple pleasures of life.
The Solitary Summer is sure to have you smiling as you dance through life on your own. It is a book that will help you to love your own independence and love yourself. Sometimes, spending time alone can be lonely, but sometimes it can be exhilarating, and it can be healing. The journey towards self-love starts with being comfortable in your solitude, and nothing romanticizes solitude as well as The Solitary Summer.
The Pain of Growing Up & Growing Old: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a beautiful story of nostalgia, grief, lifelong friendship, and the power of art. Louisa, an orphaned girl and an aspiring artist, sneaks into an art auction to see the painting that she has carried around on a postcard for all of her life. She understands this painting more than any of the rich people who want to buy it. They all think it is just a painting of the sea, but she knows that if you look closely, there are three friends sitting on the pier laughing. She feels she knows those friends better than anyone in the world now, but as the origin story to the world-famous painting is slowly unveiled to her, her life becomes forever changed.
This book is sure to inspire you in more ways than one. It captures the beauty of being young and the pain of growing old and feeling like you have lost all the magic of life. This book will understand you better than you understand yourself. It acknowledges that sometimes, all young people need to make their way in the world is a friend, and it encourages adults to never lose their magic and instead be that friend to a young person, to change their life.
The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin
If you are interested in learning more about bibliotherapy, our last book recommendation is for you! Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin are both strong believers in the power a novel has over our minds. That’s why in their book, The Novel Cure, they compiled a list of books they have prescribed to cure anything.
They call their book an apothecary curated to cure any number of ailments and to give solace to readers. It is a powerful reminder of the healing effects that reading books can offer and offers a myriad of new book recommendations that are sure to change your life.
Everyone goes through different things in life, which means everyone heals differently. We hope our recommendations can help start you on your bibliotherapy journey. Remember, it is always best to seek out a licensed professional to help guide your bibliotherapy journey. We hope you can find solace and a cure in some of these reads, and we wish you the best of luck in your healing journey.
Want to learn more about bibliotherapy? Click here.
Find these books and more on our Stress Busters: Books That Banish Your Worries bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
