BIBLIOTHERAPY: A Teachers Alternative Way for dealing with Childrens Emotional

Problems
By: Marjorie Ann Sheena D. Macarayo, RN

Thank you for giving teachers permission to assist students with emotional issues. While
teachers are not guidance counselors, they are an integral part of the therapeutic team as often
they are the people students will share their concerns with, and they can observe when
something is troubling a student
- Maich & Kean, 2004, p.26 -

The abstract of this journal provides a general framework on how the journal is presented
to the reader, to wit:
This article explains a practical strategy for dealing with social emotional problems in the
inclusive classroom environment. The potential need for bibliotherapy is introduced by
discussing how role boundaries of teachers are changing and how teachers may take on a range
of roles in their classrooms. An example of a social emotional scenario where bibliotherapy might
be used in a classroom is presented, and the practice of bibliotherapy is defined. The setting,
needed resources, story choice selection, lesson planning and potential benefits of bibliotherapy
are explained in detail.1
Bibliotherapy is an expressive therapy that uses an individuals relationship to the content
of the books and poetry and other written works as therapy 2. It is usually combined with writing
therapy, and there are studies that suggest that its effects are long-lasting towards its
constituents3. Since education is starting to become more institutionalized and more
professionals are tapped into collaborating with teachers to provide better learning
environments4, it only makes sense that teachers should be well-equipped into applying the
principles of bibliotherapy towards their students who will most benefit from such an
1 Maich, K. & Kean, S. (2004) Read two books and write me in the morning: Bibliotherapy for socialemotional intervention in the
inclusive classroom. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 1(2) Article 5.
Retrieved (date) from http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol1/iss2/5

2 David Burns, Feeling Good Introduction, pxvi-xxxii, (1999)

3 Sullivan, A. K. & Strang, H. R. (2002). Bibliotherapy in the classroom: Using literature to promote the development of emotional
intelligence. Childhood Education, 79(2), 74-80.

intervention. It has been established that the first person who has the best chance of detecting
any emotional disturbances from the students is usually the teacher, since he has the most
opportunities in communicating with his students at any given time; hence, it is imperative that
teachers should be given the necessary training and resources to be able to apply
bibliotherapeutic techniques towards their students.
Stories and its relevance towards the specific emotional challenges of the teachers
students is the main concept behind the effectivity of bibliotherapy towards its constituents.
Choosing a story is dependent on how best it will apply to a specific students emotional issue,
and a list of apt questions provided in the journal definitely helps a teacher in his choice 5.
Whether the story chosen by the teacher has an intended lesson or is implied in the story itself,
it all boils down as to how the student appreciates the story and if the student was successfully
able to grasp the essence of such story that the teacher was aiming for. There is no specific
science to perfectly determine every applicable story for each students respective emotional
problem, and that is why the teacher is given broader options in applying bibliotherapy and the
tools available that the teacher can freely use to his advantage.
As the journal aptly points out, bibliotherapys greatest advantage comes from it being
readily available since books are its primary therapeutic medium and most students are familiar
with the purpose of books. Even with severely limited resources, a teacher can facilitate an
effective learning environment with bibliotherapy by using appropriate stories and establishing
trust & confidence with his students6. Moreover, the availability of electronic applications that
can aid bibliotherapeutic sessions for both teachers and students further enhances its
applicability and feasibility in a global scale. Since our countrys population is one of the most
well-versed in the English language, the application of bibliotherapy in all school settings is not
only possible, but also a practical progression on our school systems options towards handling
emotional problems of students.
Books are often said to be doorways to so many fantastic worlds, and it has been found in
the annals of history that books have often had a healing effect on its readers by simply being
read7. It would be foolhardy not to use the practicality of bibliotherapy in our classroom settings,
4 Mackey, S., & McQueen, J. (1998). Exploring the relationship between integrated therapy and inclusive education. British Journal of
Special Education, 25(1), 22-27.

5 Carlson, R. (2001). Therapeutic use of story in therapy with children [Electronic version]. Guidance & Counseling, 16(3), 92-99.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.

because everyone is an avid reader at heart even when suffering from their own emotional
crosses. In concurrence with the authors of the journal, bibliotherapys benefits are far and wide
as long as it is followed religiously by both teachers and students, and such must be promoted
and advocated if we are to advance our educational system beyond the four walls of our rigid
classrooms!