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Home: Community full menu: Libraries: Bibliotherapy and the Reading and You Scheme (RAYS)

Chapter three - Models of bibliotherapy

Kirklees Culture and Leisure Services - March 2010
juliei.walker@kirklees.gov.uk

Chapter three - Models of Bibliotherapy

pdf Download: chapter three - Models of Bibliotherapy (PDF: 24kb)

Bibliotherapy can be roughly divided into two models, medical or social.

Medical model

The original medical model of bibliotherapy was developed in America using counsellors or therapists who worked with a particular client group (children and teens) in a setting chosen by the counsellor/therapist. Literature and more specifically poetry was used to help clients identify and deal with problems in their own lives through a closely monitored process of reading , discussion and questioning.

"The counsellor plays a key role when conducting bibliotherapy. They are responsible to motivate the client, provide time to read the selected readings and provide follow-up time to discuss the literature... discussion of thoughts, feelings and emotions helps the client gain insight."

References
Adam. S. Pitre. - Who Uses Bibliotherapy and Why? Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
Aiex. N.K - Bibliotherapy fact sheet urbana IL: ERIC Clearing House on reading and Communication skills
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Social model

The social model one example of which is outlined in this tool box is more flexible allowing for a wider range of clients, reading material and settings. Meetings may take place in a hospital. Equally they may take place in a library, community centre, care home or in a clients own home.

Referrals may be taken from health professionals, librarians, teachers, social workers, relatives or friends. Clients can also self-refer.

Many sessions are open to people irrespective of whether they have a particular mental health problem or not, the emphasis through reading and talking about books and stories being on normality, communication and social interaction.

There is no prescribed reading list. A wide range of reading material is used - novels, both adult and children's, short stories, biographies and poems as well as newspaper or magazine articles.

Neither does the bibliotherapist have to be a trained counsellor. The main qualification for our bibliotherapists is a commitment to and passion for reading together with the ability to communicate that passion to others.

This model can also be tailored to the requirements of your service and/or funding and the needs of your clients.
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Books on Prescription

This is a different if related initiative which uses a range of self-help books written by health professionals, Books cover a range of problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. A number of local authorities are taking part in the scheme in which sets of the books are purchased by libraries. A G.P will prescribe a book for a patient who will then be able borrow it from the library and hopefully discover ways of dealing with whichever problem they have.
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