Blog

How Book Therapy Began - A Personal Journey

Posted by Bijal Shah on

How Book Therapy Began - A Personal Journey

  I often get asked the story behind Book Therapy. In Q&A format, I've answered the 5 questions I get asked the most below which I hope narrate the Book Therapy story in the most accurate way. Q: How did you get into bibliotherapy? A: Post-completion of a part-time diploma in psychodynamic counselling where I underwent therapy myself. I was working in Investment Banking at the time since graduating with a Bachelors in Science in Mathematics. During my own therapy sessions, I noticed, that every time I explored an issue, I'd reach out to a book to understand the context better. My therapist...

Read more →

What If Life Had An 'Undo' Button?

Posted by Bijal Shah on

What If Life Had An 'Undo' Button?

An undoing button. This is exactly the premise of Heather Child's latest book, The Undoing of Arlo Knott. The protagonist, Arlo Knott has a unique ability to turn back time - seconds, minutes and even days. This enables him to go back in time and continuously change the past until he gets the outcome he wants whether that's changing careers or relationship dynamics. However, there are always consequences. As he strives to unravel the consequences, so begins his 'undoing'. A brilliant page-turner and striking concept, the book will leave you hooked as it thoughtfully explores the very human themes of guilt,...

Read more →

Two Dystopian Fiction Books to Read if You're Wondering How the Coronavirus Plays Out

Posted by Bijal Shah on

Two Dystopian Fiction Books to Read if You're Wondering How the Coronavirus Plays Out

Anything that threatens our existence, be it mild or rare always captures our imaginations and the coronavirus is no different. Whilst the majority can survive it, there’s always the threat of unknown unknowns that haunt us. Plus if you’re a parent, an elderly person or someone with a compromised immune system, you’re going to be that much more anxious.  As a bibliotherapist, who reaches out for fiction, for comfort, healing, rescue, I could not help but draw on 2 books that have fascinated me (and that made my list of Literature’s 13 Most Unusual Books) — both are about plague and disease...

Read more →

Mamta Saha on the Therapeutic Power of Written Affirmations

Posted by Bijal Shah on

Mamta Saha on the Therapeutic Power of Written Affirmations

Mamta Saha Today, I want to introduce leading psychologist and executive coach, Mamta Saha and her iconic affirmation cards to empower, heal and restore anyone who reads them.  Mamta Saha’s Daily Affirmations for Inner Peace Life is cornered with trials and tribulations and often we need that serendipitous reminder, that authoritative voice and the empowering language to get through a tricky moment or hairy conversation without feeling overwhelmed or anxious. This is what Mamta sets out to conquer with her potent written affirmations, each thoughtfully curated. Mamta, a media psychologist and a regular contributor on BBC and Sky News, for her...

Read more →

One of the Best Books on Family and Relationships You’ll Read

Posted by Bijal Shah on

One of the Best Books on Family and Relationships You’ll Read

Photo by Emmanuel Olguín on Unsplash As we enter a new era of Gen X and Millennials heading up young families, there is a new kind of family evolution taking place. The family as an institution is being challenged from all angles. With the complexities of life, the variety of family structure including re-marriages and same-sex families, there is a renewed interest in family dynamics, and in particular family therapy.  As the family unit forms a new identity, I could not help but draw on Salvador Minuchin’s book on family therapy, titled “Family Healing”, which has been simultaneously nostalgic and sobering...

Read more →