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New Directions in Literature and Medicine Studies pp 15–30Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Reading and Writing One’s Way to Wellness: The History of Bibliotherapy and Scriptotherapy

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief overview of the history and research of bibliotherapy and scriptotherapy. Closely aligned practices in terms of purpose, both therapies tout the ability to provide a means for healthy self-expression and emotional release. In bibliotherapy, the intended goal of wellness is achieved through the reading of books, whereas writing proves the source of well-being ascribed to scriptotherapy. Although the terms bibliotherapy and scriptotherapy are relatively new, the foundations of these practices date back to ancient times.

The therapeutic function of literature has probably been known since the beginning of written communication, and the oral tradition of storytelling predates even this and still continues in different ways in every culture. (Du Plock 302)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Saint Louis University, 3800 Lindell Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Janella D. Moy

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  1. Janella D. Moy
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Correspondence to Janella D. Moy .

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  1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA

    Stephanie M. Hilger

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Moy, J.D. (2017). Reading and Writing One’s Way to Wellness: The History of Bibliotherapy and Scriptotherapy. In: Hilger, S. (eds) New Directions in Literature and Medicine Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51988-7_2

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