If you would like to contribute your own definition of bibliotherapy, please send your information to: AiT

~Bibliotherapy is a discussion process, guided by a facilitator, using literature as the catalyst to promote insight, normal development or rehabilitation. Bibliotherapy has three fundeamental processes: identification, catharsis and insight. The bibliotherapist helps a person to utilize facts, identify with and analyze book characters or situations. A person achieves an awareness of the problem vicariously by experience and catharsis, thus gaining the ability to develop a solution to the problem. Bibliotherapy and Poetry Therapy are therapeutic adjuncts similiar to art or music therapy, except you apply all literary genres to the therapeutic process including printed, non-printed matter and audio-visual aids. Bibliotherapy has been around for centuries. The heydey in the United States was between the 1960s and early 1970s. andersonchristine@usa.net