Bibliotherapy: a therapeutic approach that uses literature to support mental health, often alongside other therapy methods.
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I became fascinated with the idea of bibliotherapy since following Emely Rumble, LCSW on TikTok a year or so ago. As an avid reader since pre-school and a social work major, I knew one could find healing in books. I had no idea, however, that bibliotherapy was a thing!
Being a mood reader meant I would rarely read new releases as soon as they dropped. I would hardly ever pick up the latest book everyone was swooning over via social media. But I would find myself knee deep in a random book at 1 AM losing valuable sleep that somehow spoke to whatever I was dealing with in my personal life. Could it be a romance novel? Most likely. Historical fiction? Maybe. Fantasy? Lately, quite possibly. Somehow whatever book I found myself immersed in would be just what the "doctor" ordered. I've always felt that books find us at the right time, and after learning more about bibliotherapy, I realize I could have been subconsciously picking fiction reads that helped me navigate life's problems without the risk of having to show my vulnerabilities to anyone. Perhaps I wasn't a mood reader at all. Perhaps I am still looking for myself in books as I did as a kid. Maybe I'm not only looking to my books as an escape, I'm looking to my books for answers I'm afraid to ask anyone out loud.
Reading Bibliotherapy in the Bronx by Emely Rumble, LCSW made me more familiar with the process of bibliotherapy. Not only was I educated on how bibliotherapists make book prescriptions for clients, assessing their needs during intake, I also learned how beneficial bibliotherapy can be! I smiled when I saw mention of some of my favorite books being used in practice and how clients were able to navigate their trauma through the lens of fictional characters. My inner child, who loves Alice In Wonderland and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings rejoiced! The icing on the cake for me was the reflection questions at the end of each chapter that really made me think about the books I've read and how they've impacted the way I view the world around me.
I'm so thankful I found Emely Rumble, LCSW on social media that night. Through the valuable information she has shared online and in Bibliotherapy in the Bronx, she awakened something in me. She affirmed how important literature can be for the emotional growth and healing of people like me. Something clicked when I began pouring over Bibliotherapy in the Bronx-- the book recommendations I've given and received have not been in vain. The sharing of literature can save lives, if we allow it to. Thank you so much dear sister for an ARC with me + for sharing your work with the world. You are a light and a force! You threw me a lifeline and you didn't even know it! Congratulations on publishing such an important book in the fields of literature and psychology. 🥳❤️
If Bibliotherapy in the Bronx has not been on your radar, please get familiar. If you are a lover of books or know someone who is, you definitely want to get your hands on a copy (or three) of this book. Purchase yours wherever books are sold. I can't wait until my physical copy gets here. 🙌🏽
