Education Commons^™

Bibliotherapy: An Approach To Treating Mental Illness In The Classroom, Erin M. Curry

Senior Honors Theses

The prevalence of adolescent mental illness has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades. Due to a lack of accessible mental health care and the stigmatization of mental illness, parents of children with these disorders are often reluctant to seek help. These children often resort to negative self-coping methods among which include substance abuse, violence, and suicide. These negative self-coping methods have a harmful, lasting impact on the individual as well as the surrounding community.

Bibliotherapy, which harnesses the meditative power of books, can teach helpful coping skills to students with mental illness. When effectively utilized in …

Reading For Character: Principles Of Bibliotherapy Applied To Children’S Literature., Karen L. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the past decade, interest has revived in character education, a facet of American education from the earliest days of the nation’s history. Bibliotherapy, the process of reading books with a therapeutic intent, is an effective means to implement character education within the curriculum. Bibliotherapy is a child-friendly and noninvasive technique that can be used in various groupings, settings, and ability levels. Book selection, active dialogue, and follow-up activities are critical elements in the successful classroom implementation of a bibliotherapy lesson.