Bibliotherapy as a Therapeutic Intervention

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1. I am doing a paper on Bibliotherapy and how literature can be used to enhance therapy? Explain.

This is a very interesting topic. The term seems to originate from Anna Freud, who used this in psychoanalysis, and has since them been adapted to various settings, including school setting.

Definition: Bibliotherapy is an adjunct to psychological treatment that incorporates appropriate books or other written materials, usually intended to be read outside of psychotherapy sessions, into the treatment regimen.

Purpose: The goal of Bibliotherapy is to broaden and deepen the client's understanding of the particular problem that requires treatment. The written materials may educate the client about the disorder itself or be used to increase the client's acceptance of a proposed treatment. Many people find that the opportunity to read about their problem outside the therapist's office facilitates active participation in their treatment and promotes a stronger sense of personal responsibility for recovery. In addition, many are relieved to find that others have had the same disorder or problem and have coped successfully with it or recovered from it. From the therapist's standpoint, providing a client with specific information or assignments to be completed outside regular in-office sessions speeds the progress of ...