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Therapy for the Bookish
Bibliotherapy is the intentional use of books, stories, poetry, and other literature as part of the therapeutic conversation. Together, we can explore the stories that resonate with you and what they reveal about your own experiences, relationships, beliefs, and hopes.
Bibliotherapy with me may include texts such as fiction/novels, nonfiction, short stories, poetry, memoir, mythology and folklore, song lyrics, TTRPG elements like those found during games of Dungeons & Dragons, or any story sources that have significant personal meaning to you.
If you’re a fantasy reader, a romantasy devotee (same), a poetry person, a lifelong rereader, or someone who has ever gotten way too emotionally attached to a fictional character, there’s room for that here. Stories can give us a safe distance from our own experiences while still helping us recognize something deeply familiar.
I integrate bibliotherapy with the other approaches I use in therapy, including EMDR, CBT, mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing. Depending on your goals, a story might help us identify a pattern, introduce a new perspective, put language to an experience, or give us a starting point for deeper therapeutic work.
In other words, expect less: "Have you read *insert typical self-help book title*?"
and expect more: "Do you identify as more of a Celaena or an Aelin?"
START WITH YOU
Your experiences, goals, relationships, and the things you’re trying to understand or change.
PICK THE STORY
Consult your TBR, reread an old favorite (or several), or get a tailored recommendation.
GET CURIOUS
What felt familiar? Who bothered you? What would you have done differently?
CONNECT BACK
What's going on in your life that made those things stand out? Where do you go from here?