What is bibliotherapy?

What is bibliotherapy? It is summarized as “the place where the human soul is healed” written above the doorway of a library in ancient Greece. It is a form of therapy applied through books. It is bringing the right book together with the right person at the right time.

It is used to solve serious problems such as depression, anxiety, fear of death and anxiety. It is also used to overcome daily problems such as understanding and meeting the needs of the developmental period in young people.

The aim of the treatment is to help the person to recognize himself/herself, to see his/her problems and to reach the capacity to solve these problems with the help of books. Thanks to the book, a connection is established between the reader and his/her personality and he/she becomes aware of the situation he/she is in. This is the bibliotherapy technique.

In this technique, everyone should continue with the style that is good for them. A book that is good for one person may not be good for you. The right book at the right time is important.

The person identifies with the book they read. He gets to know the protagonist, puts himself in his place and matches him with similar aspects. By adding something from there to his/her own life, he/she starts to add emotion to it.

How is bibliotherapy different from normal reading? It is a way of letting out the emotions that the person has suppressed inside, the emotions that he/she cannot let out, the emotions that he/she has forgotten or is not even aware of. In this way, he enters into a deep relaxation. He transfers these feelings. After doing these, the stages of bibliotherapy are completed. Of course, many people are not aware of this.