Blog — bibliotherapy

When we read a great fiction book — we experience a certain sense of joy, happiness or satisfaction. Beyond reading a great story it is often the striking connection we feel to the characters and the fact that the book resonates with us. All the elements of story telling have hit the right buttons deep within us and released a whole dose of serotonin that allows us to experience a feel-good moment. That feel-good moment comprises a sense of belonging and being part of a greater story, where we momentarily escape from the challenges and hardships of our own life. And the...

April is National Poetry Month and naturally a great time to explore the immense therapeutic powers of poetry. Reading and writing poetry both engage our senses along with our emotions, making the art form experiential and hugely effective in connecting with our minds. Both writing and reading poetry, through their expression of feelings and words have highly therapeutic effects on the mind. The structure of a poem favours brevity yet the best poems also capture succinct detail, making them incredibly powerful in getting a message across to the reader. Writing poetry requires the poet to be extremely disciplined with his...

Throughout my 35 years’ of life, I have always relied on a book for some friendly comfort and non-judgemental advice. I can remember from my toddler years, I’d never leave a book store without throwing a tantrum — my parents had to buy me a brand new book to take home and discover. I would read at every opportunity — at my nan’s home, in the car, on restaurant tables or out in the garden in our family home in Nairobi. My passion for reading and my love of books sprouted a real interest in the personal development space (including psychodynamic psychotherapy, counselling and...

This blog is dedicated to our loyal clients and readers, who have supported us on our little journey to spread our love of books; and how they can lift you from difficult moments. Yes they truly can give you wings 😊 Jenny Stone: I have been reading books for years and never realised that I was self-dispensing therapy. Whenever I can empathise with a narrative it influences my mood, my mind, my emotions. Ironically I feel understood. It eases my mind and relaxes me, even if I don't have a solution straightaway. I love all of Bijal's book prescriptions - she just...

Best for book serendipity in a world where we are overwhelmed with books. Bibliotherapists or book therapists are experts on books. There are so many books, many of which we may never know about were it not for someone who has read extensively and is aware of what book is the most relevant for your particular needs at a given point in time: the magic of the right book at the right time. In that respect a book therapist can be life-changing and in a world where we are all fighting for time, it might just be the best investment...