Friday, January 18, 2008 7:27 AM
Faith New Zealand
Reading to Heal
We’ve all been into a book store or library and stood bewildered in front of the shelves and shelves full of “Self Help” books. There are times when we don’t want to see a therapist, when we want to reinforce a lesson learned or to explore a new area of self development. But where to start?
Bibliotherapy is the therapeutic use of books to help with personal problems. There is a very useful little book called “Reading to Heal” by Jacqueline Stanley that is described on its dust jacket as “the self-help book you need to read before you read anything else.” It is a great guide to selecting the right books, fiction or non fiction, to help shed some light on a range of personal issues from mental illness to motherhood. It is easy to read and well laid out. I recommend it as a great starting point for reading to heal.