A Growing Trend in Self-Care, But Is It a Substitute for Professional Therapy?

As the world grapples with the mental health crisis, people are turning to unconventional methods to cope with their wellbeing. One such trend is bibliotherapy, a form of therapy that uses books to promote mental health and wellbeing. But does it really work, and is it a substitute for professional therapy?

For Elizabeth Russell, a teacher and librarian from Connecticut, bibliotherapy was a game-changer. In 2017, she was going through a rough patch, dealing with a difficult divorce and long-term depression. It was then that she stumbled upon creative bibliotherapy, a form of therapy that uses tailored book recommendations to improve mental health. Russell was blown away by the results, saying that learning from the lessons and mistakes of fictional characters helped her process her emotions and feel less alone.

In the UK, bibliotherapy has been soaring in popularity, with advocates arguing that immersing oneself in rich, simulated worlds can help readers process emotions, discover coping strategies, or simply provide a momentary escape from everyday woes. But experts warn that the benefits of bibliotherapy are not universal and that it’s not a substitute for professional therapy.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” says Gemma Jolly, head of health and wellbeing at The Reading Agency, a UK non-profit that curates book lists for people with conditions like dementia or depression. “We always say that books aren’t the solution for everyone. It’s about having an additional tool that might work for some people.”

Research suggests that reading can have a positive impact on mental health, with studies showing that people who read regularly for pleasure tend to be less stressed, depressed, and lonely. But the benefits of fiction are more complicated, with some research suggesting that certain types of fiction can cause harm, particularly for people with eating disorders.

“It’s not just about reading books about difficult experiences,” says Emily Troscianko, a literary scientist at the University of Oxford. “It’s about how people engage with books, and whether they’re emotionally invested in the story. If they’re not, it’s not going to have much of an impact.”

Despite the complexities, many people swear by the power of bibliotherapy. Andrew Schuman, an NHS physician who advises the bibliotherapy charity ReLit, says that fiction can be a “massively powerful, boosting therapy” when used in conjunction with other therapies.

For Russell, bibliotherapy has become a vital part of her self-care routine. She’s even bought her friends bibliotherapy vouchers and uses it to help her students, selecting books that discuss immigrant experiences, themes of loss, or other hardships.

“I think the biggest point of it is so you don’t feel so alone,” she says. “You can take a deep breath and say, I’m not on this journey by myself.”

As the debate around bibliotherapy continues, one thing is clear: it’s not a substitute for professional therapy, but it can be a valuable addition to a person’s self-care routine. Whether you’re looking to improve your mental health or simply find a new way to cope with stress, bibliotherapy is worth considering.

But for now, it’s essential to approach bibliotherapy with caution, recognizing that it’s not a magic bullet for mental health. As Jolly says, “It’s about having an additional tool that might work for some people.”