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Sometimes friendships run their course. We all want them to last forever and be perfect! However we are not perfect and similarly nor are our friends. They will disappoint. We will disappoint them. That is the nature of human relationships and when it is time to move on, it’s about embracing the new and letting go of the old. Perhaps we should celebrate our old friendships for what they were, for the meaning and joy that they gave us and smile in their memory.  Recently a couple of my close friendships seem to have died a sudden death. One should...

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...

Self-awareness, empathy and mental well-being Reading is more than just voraciously devouring words as we hurriedly rush through the chapters of an engaging J K Rowling book for example. It is the connection that we feel with the characters, the identification with those characters, the sense of comfort and the feeling of being understood.  A 2011 study published in the Annual Review of Psychology confirmed that when people read about an experience the same part of the brain lights up as having experienced it themselves. This suggests that people who read a lot, tend to empathise better with others, and are able...

There's a whole list under our A - Z of Book Prescriptions Book therapy can be very useful for those suffering from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, abuse, addiction, stress, communication skills as well as relationship and family issues. At Book Therapy, however we prescribe books for every issue under the sun from divorce, break-ups, friends disappointing us, difficult in-laws, boredom, child-birth, commitment issues, ageing, ageing parents, unemployment, snoring, guilt, the hero complex to shopaholism. These are but a few. View our A - Z of Book Prescriptions for the full list. Download the Book Therapy App filled with bibliotherapy resources and literary curation...

"Healing for the Soul" The first origins of book therapy or bibliotherapy can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks, who built libraries holding both entertainment and educational books. Aristotle's literature was considered medicine for the soul. King Ramses II also had a dedicated chamber filled with books that was aptly labelled "House of Healing for the Soul". In the early nineteenth century doctors were prescribing books for guidance and respite from suffering. Soldiers who were involved in World War One were reading to manage post-war trauma. The practice expanded further in the 1950s when Carolyn Shrodes, author of 'The...