Bibliotherapy as tool to enhance wellbeing

(MENAFN) In the summer of 2017, Elizabeth Russell was experiencing a difficult period marked by a stressful divorce and ongoing depression while raising two teenagers. During this challenging time, she discovered “creative bibliotherapy” online—a method involving personalized fiction recommendations aimed at improving mental health. The name Ella Berthoud, a bibliotherapist from Sussex, UK, who co-authored *The Novel Cure*, appeared frequently.

As an avid reader, Russell decided to try it. After discussing her reading preferences and life challenges with Berthoud, she received a list of books relevant to her situation, including titles featuring characters facing tough marital decisions like *George and Lizzie* by Nancy Pearl. Russell said the stories helped her feel less alone and facilitated her healing process: “It opened up something in me that needed to be opened and needed to heal.”

Bibliotherapy, which also encompasses non-fiction and self-help books, has seen a rise in popularity in the UK and elsewhere as a tool to enhance wellbeing, guide people through difficult life choices, and even support mental health treatment.

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