poetry therapy (bibliotherapy)

the healing art of words

Arlene Hynes, one of the pioneers in the field, defines bibliotherapy as the “use of literature to bring about a therapeutic interaction between participant and facilitator.” She then goes on to explain the interplay required between facilitator, participant, and text, and elaborates that “bibliotherapy is the use of literature to promote mental health.” Hynes distinguishes between reading (or prescriptive) bibliotherapy, as is often used by librarians or educators, and interactive bibliotherapy, which is the primary focus of my practice. This emphasis stems from the desire to use the act of reading, and the evaluation of a participant’s emotional responses to the reading, as a therapeutic tool. The facilitator, then, becomes integral to this process.

Bibliotherapy can teach us a new way to focus. There are connections to be drawn between reading and mindfulness. Reading, much like meditation, can teach us how to breathe in a different way. This is especially true when reading is done aloud, where one is forced to breathe, and to focus on listening and absorbing what is being read. Reading thus becomes a particularly mindful, focused activity.

Literature acts as a catalyst for dialogue between the participant and facilitator, (as well as between the participants themselves in a group setting). Unlike in academia, where the text itself often stands alone, and we are called merely to interpret it using multiple theories (deconstructionist; New Critical; linguistic; queer; feminist, etc.), in bibliotherapy the intent is to explore what the response of the participant is to the chosen text and, most importantly, to the dialogue elicited by the participant’s feeling-response. Sometimes a single line can be a trigger/ catalyst. Hynes describes catharsis as “a profound experience of recognition.” My goal as a facilitator is to choose texts that inspire deep and meaningful dialogue about the chosen literature, allow the participant(s) to recognize what is profound about the work being discussed, and most importantly, to give clients the ability to apply the issues raised by the ensuing dialogue to their own selves.

Source: Hynes, A.M. and M. Hynes-Berry. Biblio/Poetry Therapy. The Interactive Process: A Handbook. St. Cloud, MN: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc., 1986.