GIVE BIBLIOTHERAPY a try!

It’s the wellness trend we can all benefit from

Given we’ve stayed home more than ever this year, it’s really no surprise that diving into a good read has been the new It activity. But did you know there’s actually a kind of therapy that’s based on reading books? It’s a mindful practice known as bibliotherapy, and at a time when many of us could do with a little extra self-care, it could be just what the doctor ordered!

WHAT EXACTLY IS BIBLIOTHERAPY?

“Bibliotherapy is using the healing power of literature,” explains Susan McLaine, a bibliotherapist and the host of the Bibliotherapy with State Library Victoria podcast.

While you might not have heard of the practice before, bibliotherapy has been around for some time. In fact, the term was first coined more than a century ago. “We know it mainly for its use with non-fiction work,” McLaine says. “More recently, people have been using fiction and poetry.”

TAKE IT SLOW

So how does bibliotherapy differ from regular reading? Well, instead of rushing through each page in an effort to save time, bibliotherapy is all about slowing down to absorb each word and its meaning.