Blog — bibliotherapy training

Who Gets to Belong? A View from Literature

Reading Masud Husain's Our Brains, Our Selves alongside Rami Kaminski's The Gift of Not Belonging over the last couple of weeks, and they bring a fascinating tension to the concept of human belonging.

One is about people who lose the ability to belong when the brain changes and how quickly the world withdraws recognition when someone becomes unfamiliar. The other is about people who never felt the pull of the group in the first place and dares to call that a gift rather than a flaw.

Between Brontë's attic, Plath's bell jar, and Ishiguro's buttoned-up butler, literature has been asking this question for centuries: who gets to belong, who decides and why do some of us opt out.

Read this exploration on my latest Substack essay - link in bio or here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/bibliotherapywithbijal/p/who-gets-to-belong-a-view-from-literature

When we speak about transformation through reading, what exactly do we mean? The use of the word suggests a dramatic turning point, a before-and-after moment in which a life is visibly redirected. It could be a quiet, subtle internal shift, a new way of naming an experience, a change in how one understands the self or relates to others.

It may not always present as a visible change. It could simply be an alteration of the inner structures through which a person makes meaning.

My work explores reading as both a personal and structured practice, where reading serves as a tool for reflection and safe exploration of our emotions, particularly in moments of uncertainty, grief, transition, or self-doubt. I aim to create a space in which books become prompts for dialogue, self-inquiry, and emotional recognition.

Dear friends, I hope this note finds you well. It’s been an exciting month in the world of bibliotherapy, and I’m delighted to share some wonderful news and upcoming opportunities with you. Book News On 4th September, the paperback edition of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading was released. Thank you so much for your continued support of my work — it is truly appreciated. I’m also thrilled to announce that the Chinese edition of the book is now published, making bibliotherapy accessible to even more readers around the globe. International Conference in BrazilEarlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking at the first-ever International Conference on Bibliotherapy...

Bijal Shah is celebrating one year of sharing bibliotherapy reflections, resources, and book recommendations on her Substack, Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah. She's inviting readers to explore a wide range of posts on topics like anxiety, loneliness, heartbreak, family dynamics, neurodiversity, and more—including interviews and thematic literary insights.

Readers can access the full archive, and are encouraged to become paid subscribers ($5/month or $50/year, with a 20% lifetime discount via this link: https://bibliotherapywithbijal.substack.com/e99b53a8 ).

Have you ever witnessed the healing power of books in action? While writing my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, one of the most moving chapters for me was Chapter 9—on Group Bibliotherapy. It tells the story of Reena, Devi, Deborah, and Amee, who turned to shared reading after experiencing the unimaginable loss of young children or miscarriages. Writing this chapter was incredibly difficult, but also deeply affirming—because it showed just how transformative group bibliotherapy can be in navigating grief, loss, and complex emotions. Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my...