The rise of bibliotherapy: Finding healing and solace between pages

IMAGINE curling up on your sofa with a warm cup of coffee, enveloped in a cosy blanket as you lose yourself between the pages of a compelling novel.

- 

For many, reading serves as a cherished pastime - a fleeting escape from reality.

Yet, for an increasing number of individuals, books have become more than a source of entertainment; they provide a pathway to healing through a practice known as bibliotherapy.

Bibliotherapy refers to the use of literature to alleviate mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This therapeutic approach draws on the profound effects that narratives can have on our emotions.

A 2016 study indicated that immersing ourselves in books can "help relieve, restore and reinvigorate the troubled mind".

Bibliotherapy, often described as "therapy through books", draws upon the therapeutic benefits of reading to provide readers with the insights and reflections they need to confront their challenges.

However, with the mental health crisis intensifying in recent years, and the isolation spurred by the digital age, the practice of bibliotherapy is experiencing a resurgence.