Storytelling for Growth and Healing

A Guide and Module for the Beginning Bibliotherapist

        When typhoon Ondoy hit and swept Metro Manila in 2009, my family and I found ourselves relocated to the home of my in-laws in San Pedro, Laguna. It took us a month to get back to our house in Pasig and two more months to fully clean up and rebuild whatever was left from the devastation and the loss. Those three months were trying times, indeed. I look back at how we have survived and risen from the natural disaster. Needless to say, there was an overflowing aide, help and support from family and friends. The typhoon took away many of our material possessions but hope was restored with the generosity and kindness shown by relatives and members of our communities.

        It was during that year when I further developed the workshop module on Storytelling for Growth and Healing. I have always believed in the power of stories and storytelling as educational and restorative tools. In stories, we find ourselves. When we encounter a story, especially if it is a good one, we discover our deepest longings. It illuminates our dreams. When stories are told to us by people we know, especially those who belong in our community, they amplify the significance of our human experiences.

        The nervous excitement of the first day of school. A visit to the dentist. Getting sick with chickenpox. Being picked last in a football team. Winning in a dance or singing competition. First crush. Watching a concert without a chaperone. Getting into college. Falling in love. Suffering a broken heart. Learning to trust again.

        Stories and storytelling allow us that space to identify and reflect on our feelings against the backdrop of a world and process them into concrete actions. Or at times, leave them as they are and allow the chips to fall where they may.  It is not impossible that in a time of displacement and chaos, such as the recent eruption of Taal volcano, we turn to stories to fill the gaps in our fractured lives. The use of stories and storytelling as designed to alleviate lives affected by conflict and confusion is therapeutic and inspiring.

        This guide and module on the use of stories and storytelling is anchored on the beliefs mentioned above. Furthermore, it is designed for parents, teachers, librarians, adults and professionals working with children. This is a product of more than a decade’s work and research on bibliotherapy and a culmination of training and workshops on storytelling conducted from 1997 to the present. Bibliotherapy is defined in the guide and a timeline of its development is included for a historical perspective. The bibliotherapy process incorporates art, music and play activities as well as guide questions for young readers and listeners of the selected stories. These are but samplers to the conduct and facilitation of a bibliotherapy session. The “bibliotherapist” is free to make revisions and inclusions in his or her plan. It is advised that a bibliotherapy session be documented as it will merit research in the disciplines of Psychology, Education, Library and Information Science and Social Work.

        I intend to distribute this guide and module for free for a period of time. There is no fee in the access of         its contents. But, it is under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.  Please attribute the source and make use of the references mentioned in the guide accordingly.

©2020 By Zarah C. Gagatiga, Teacher Librarian, Author and Storyteller

Bibliotherapy Through the Years

        The use of books and stories for therapy go a long way back to ancient times when a library in Thebes held the sign saying that it is a place for one to restore one’s soul. Thinkers of long ago have recognized the value of books and literature for one’s well-being. The idea that books, literature and places where it can be accessed, such as the library, contribute to a person’s growth, mindset and emotional health is as old as humanity itself. Dr. Benjamin Rush, the Father of American Psychiatry (1811) recommended the use of books and reading materials as additional treatment for patients and clients in his clinic. In 1916, Samuel Crothers, a minister who was concerned with the response and the reaction of readers to a piece of literature, defined bibliotherapy as a technique of bringing troubled persons and books together (Wooton, 2017).  

        After World War I and II, mental health clinics and hospital facilities with psychiatric services in the US and in Europe opened medical libraries for the research and conduct of bibliotherapy.  Medical librarians would prescribe books and reading materials as companion therapy for patients who survived war and conflict. The Menninger Clinic, particularly, ventured into the research, study and practice of Clinical Bibliotherapy.

        Further research in the history of bibliotherapy shows a nun, Sister Mary Agnes, used literature as a way to reach into children and their developmental issues. Books and stories were used to assist young readers in the understanding of their own problems and not as tools to teach morals and values. Dr. Caroline Shrodes, a psychiatrist, was the one responsible for laying down the process of bibliotherapy as akin to psychonanalysis. She identified three steps in the process namely, identification, catharsis and insight. By 1970, practitioners in the field of psychology, child development and education developed a growing interest in bibliotherapy. Rhea Joyce Rubins published a book, Using Bibliotherapy: A Guide to Theory and Practice where three different kinds of bibliotherapy were identified. These are Institutional Bibliotherapy, Clinical Bibliotherapy and Developmental Bibliotherapy.

        It is the later kind, which is Developmental Bibliotherapy, that school librarians can be involved in various ways.

Reading Guidance, Reading Advisory and School Library Services

        In school library services and programming, the conduct of reading guidance and reading advisory is part and parcel of the expected job output.  Readers’ Advisory is a fundamental library service where         librarians and libraries recommend and suggest books and other reading materials that meet the interests of readers. It is also conducted by bookstores and reading clubs. Information Communications Technology (ICT) tools can greatly support the dissemination of Readers’ Advisory lists, directories and titles curated from the collection.

        Not to be confused with guided reading, a teaching strategy applied by teachers, Reading Guidance is a library service of recommending books and reading materials that is directed to a specific group with an identified need or information problem.  It is at this juncture where bibliotherapy services and programs in school libraries, or even public libraries, find its place.

        The American Library Association (ALA) adopted this definition of Bibliotherapy from Webster’s  Dictionary Third International Edition: “ the use of selected reading materials as therapeutic adjuncts in medicine and psychiatry; also, guidance in the solution of personal problems through directed reading.”

Definitions of bibliotherapy as contextualized in the school setting are as follows:

        Bibliotherapy is the provision of health  information and support through books (Brewster, 2008).

        Bibliotherapy is the method for helping human beings in emotional distress. Books are the specific modality, but may also cover films, picture books and oral storytelling (Cargo, 2005).

        Bibliotherapy is a strategy that helps students overcome or deal with current problem(s) or issue(s) in their lives (Stamps, 2003).

        Bibliotherapy is a method of using literature to help students understand themselves and cope with problems relevant to their personal situations and developmental needs (Herbert and Kent, 2000).

Notable findings of research on Bibliotherapy are identified below:

                Bibliotherapy has a significant effect in the self-esteem of abandoned children in Children of         Joy         Foundation,         Calamba Laguna. Children experienced identification, catharsis and taking         insight in the         bibliotherapy process. (J. Macheca, et. al. 2014.)

        Bibliotherapy is a valuable technique for preventing problems during childhood. (Pardeck, 1990)

        Bibliotherapy...helps promote attitudes of respect and acceptance in inclusive environments. (Kramer, 1999)

        Effective for boys since they have challenges verbalizing their feelings and may be better at solving problems through a third person approach. Characters in books serve as role models for them and help bright boys reflect topics that require analysis of a problem in a safe environment.

( T. Herbert, 1991)

        Bibliotherapy with aggressive children in the school setting is effective. It can be applied by

by teachers and counselors in the reduction of aggression and power, and in the enhancement of empathy and self-control. (Shechtman, 2016)

        Children’s books affect a child’s theory of mind – an understanding of the mental state of others…

discussion of books read aloud to a child positively impacts a child’s

ability to empathize. (Solow and Owens, 2018)

Bibliotherapy Samplers and Tool Kit

        Before presenting samplers, activities and the approach into a bibliotherapy session, there are three basic points to remember when one is preparing for a bibliotherapy session. Teacher, writer and guidance counselor Therese Pelias, in her research on bibliotherapy in 2005, provides these reminders:

• Read. Nothing beats a personal knowledge of the story.
• Identify significant parts of the story that echoes your own feelings and thoughts.
• Be keen with connections you know the student/reader can make with the selection on hand.

        For school librarians, Keri McCaffrey (2016) has this to say:

• Develop a comprehensive bibliotherapy list – inclusive of all literary types, genre and media format.
• Accompany the book list or directory with displays of books.
• Create information on mental health and wellness books.
• Create programming with children and teens that address difficult issues and foster learning in a safe environment.

        Resources for bibliotherapy are very important. This is why, in cooperation with librarian friends in the Southern Tagalog Region, we have started collecting and curating titles of books recommended by teachers, parents, writers and concerned professionals. The link to the online form can be accessed here:  https://forms.gle/EGX8mheEc2cKvZvz8

        The librarians involved in this project will be in-charge of the development of a Philippine Bibliotherapy Resource Center (PBRC). This establishment of the PBRC is an online directory and database. Inspired by the many initiatives of librarians, artists, cultural workers and storytellers working and helping evacuation center personnel, staff and volunteers in Batangas, the PBRC includes art, play, music and movement resources.  It has three guidelines for recommending books, activities and resources.

1. Our readers and learners are children in the K-3 grade levels. Consider their development stages in reading and information processing.

2. Our target readers and learners are children from Batangas who are affected by the eruption of Taal volcano. Context matters!

3. Universal themes such as hope, perseverance, kindness and the like are just as important as the readers’ context and developmental stages. Your recommended books and resources can go beyond topics and concepts on natural disasters, displacement, loss, and evacuation.

Here are seven easy to do starter tips for planning and preparing for a bibliotherapy session:

• Focus on your purpose: a bibliotherapist is a companion, a listener and a guide.
• Select a story that is appropriate for the occasion and purpose of the bibliotherapy session.
• Determine objectives and anticipate responses of young readers/listeners of your session.
• Follow the 3 steps plus 2 when planning: identification, catharsis, insight + taking action and follow through
• Assess and evaluate the bibliotherapy session by reviewing and reflecting the objectives after its conduct.
• Anecdote and document as you go. This can also be done by a partner. Needless to say, your preparation and planning can be approached through group or team effort.
• Team members: Storyteller; Scribe; Facilitator/s; Logistics and Operations

Recommended Framework for a Bibliotherapy Session

1. Pre-reading / During Reading / Post Reading

2. 3-2-1 Framework by Sanacore, 2012

Sanacore’s Framework is ideal for a one-on-one session or a small group session of three to five students. Nevertheless, a partner of the bibliotherapist/storyteller is needed to anecdote the responses of the young readers and listeners.

Bibliotherapy Session: Assessment and Evaluation

        Assessment and evaluation of a bibliotherapy session can be done by qualitative measurements. A survey of reader satisfaction can be done after every session and at the end of a bibliotherapy program. Interviews with children can be a good measure of success or otherwise. Parents, caregivers and teachers who were present during the sessions can be interviewed as well. The art, writing and recorded music and play activities of kids, as well as the anecdotes recorded by the scribe are materials for assessment and evaluation also. Unless the bibliotherapy session is a research or a study, psychological measurements may be used.

        Remember to always ask permission from parents and guardians. They need to be informed at the beginning of the session that record keeping and documentation will be conducted. Be aware of the Data Privacy Act. Agreement forms and consent may be drawn before a team engages in a bibliotherapy session with children. This would include photos to be taken and exposure to social media of the materials their children produced or created.

Debriefing of Bibliotherapy Team

        The conduct and facilitation of a bibliotherapy session can be tiring. A lot of effort is already exerted in the planning and preparation phase. Imagine the energy that is involved in the actual implementation of the session. It is essential that the team go through a debriefing process.

1. Let the dust settle. Debrief when all operational matters have been concluded.
2. Debrief in a place away from where the action is. Determine the time and manner of your team’s debriefing session.
3. Guide questions may be prepared ahead of time and team members can write and answer these questions. During discussion, everyone is ready to talk and communicate
4. Document the debriefing session. It is advisable to have a few minutes of the meeting. This is information for the team to improve the activities, sessions and programs.
5. Celebrate a bibliotherapy session that you and your team finished conducting!

Bibliotherapy Sampler for K-3: Beybi Bibe

References

Arlen, et. Al. The Power of Story: Bibliotherapy for the Library, 2006.

Cargo, Henry. Healing texts: Bibliotherapy and Psychology, 2005.

Esler, Helen, Bibliotherapy in practice. Library Trends, 1982.

Kramer, Pamela. Using Literature to Enhance Inclusion, 1999.

Sanacore, Joseph. Showing Children That We Care About Their Literacy Learning. College of         Information Science, Long Island University, 2012.