:quality(85):upscale()/2025/06/06/767/n/49351082/91d238cf6843244f39e853.68598633_.jpg "Maybe You Need a Bibliotherapist")
Do you remember the first book that made you feel something? Maybe a sense of calm, envy, validation, or even healing. That kind of feeling sticks with you and keeps you coming back for more, searching every book and turn of phrase for that flicker of intensity. That's the power of literature, and while it may seem obvious to some that books are meant to be evocative, what if I told you they can actually be a form of therapy?
According to bibliotherapist (yes, you read that correctly) Emely Rumble, LCSW, bibliotherapy as a practice centers around the intentional use of literature for emotional healing, reflection, and growth.
Rumble has over 14 years in of experience in this space, recently debuting her book "Bibliotherapy in the Bronx" ($21, originally $28), which explores the practice as a wellness intervention in her personal and professional life. In today's world, where mental health support is more critical than ever (have you been watching the news lately?), I'm looking for all the help I can get. Ahead, I asked Rumble to break down everything there is to know about bibliotherapy, how it works, and the kinds of books that have the power to unlock emotional healing. Keep reading.
PS: What does a bibliotherapist do, exactly? Emely Rumble: As a bibliotherapist who is also a board-certified, licensed therapist, I help people connect with books - not just as entertainment, but as tools for insight, regulation, connection, and transformation. It's not about giving homework or dissecting themes like we're in English class. It's about sitting with a story and asking, "What lands in you? What feels familiar? What feels possible?" The literature we are reading becomes a therapeutic tool for deeper self-understanding and an entry point to conversations about difficult emotions and experiences.
PS: How did you get into bibliotherapy? In what ways has reading helped you personally process emotions? ER: I'm a lifelong reader. I was a library kid who grew up between cultures and languages - Black and Puerto Rican, raised by my maternal grandmother until I was 14, and then I entered the foster care system. I emancipated myself at age 16 and put myself through college, ultimately landing me in the Bronx as a young person. Books were the first place I felt fully mirrored. They were my first therapists, in a way. I got into bibliotherapy professionally as a social worker when I started noticing how literature helped my clients access feelings they couldn't always name directly. Personally, reading has helped me grieve, hold complexity, process trauma, and reclaim joy. It's how I learned to feel and how I've learned to heal.
PS: What sort of training is involved in bibliotherapy? ER: There are a few different paths. My training includes over 14 years as a licensed clinical social worker, as well as my certification path through the International Federation of Biblio Poetry Therapy, where I've studied the use of metaphor, narrative, and structured literary interventions in clinical and community-based settings. But honestly? Some of the deepest bibliotherapy training has come from being a witness - listening to what books unlock in people when they feel safe enough to speak.
PS: What are the potential benefits of the practice? ER: Bibliotherapy helps people name emotions, build self-awareness, foster empathy, and regulate their nervous systems. It can support identity exploration, grief work, trauma processing, and boundary setting. And for folks who have felt excluded or unseen in traditional therapy spaces - especially BIPOC and neurodivergent folks - literature offers a way to reconnect with your humanity in a space that feels culturally affirming.
PS: How do you know if bibliotherapy is right for you? ER: If you've ever read a line in a book and thought, "Wait, that's me," or if you've cried at a poem, or stayed up reading because you couldn't put [your book] down, then bibliotherapy is already working in you. It's right for folks who love story, enjoy reading as a natural self-care practice, who are curious about themselves, or who are working through something and want an invitation to reflect that feels less clinical, more creative. It's also beautiful for people who find talk therapy intimidating. Books can speak when words are hard to find.
PS: What are the top books you recommend as a bibliotherapist, and why? What does each one offer? ER: Bibliotherapy isn't limited to a single genre or type of writing. Here you'll find my favorite books for healing, from self-help to memoirs to fictional novels.
"Decolonizing Therapy" by Jennifer Mullan, PsyD ($41, originally $44): This book is a powerful call to action and provides deep validation for anyone who has felt unseen, misunderstood, or pathologized by traditional mental health systems. Dr. Mullan writes with ancestral wisdom, fire, and clarity. She reminds us that our rage, grief, and resistance are sacred - and that healing is political, not just personal. I recommend this to clients and clinicians alike who are ready to engage in trauma healing through a decolonized, justice-rooted lens. "Break the Cycle" by Mariel Buqué, PhD ($17, originally $30): Dr. Buqué's book is both grounding and revolutionary. It's a compassionate guide to healing intergenerational trauma, particularly within Black, Brown, and immigrant families. I love how she blends culturally responsive psychoeducation with mindfulness, somatic tools, and reflection exercises. I often suggest this book to clients who are doing the tender work of ending patterns they didn't start but refuse to pass on. This book reads like a loving manifesto to the cycle breaker in you! "Heavy" by Kiese Laymon ($13, originally $26): This memoir is emotionally raw, tender, and intellectually rigorous. It models how to tell the truth about your life without apology. I use it with clients exploring identity, family, and self-worth. Honestly, anything Laymon writes I use in my therapy sessions for various reasons. "The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton" ($36, originally $40): Clifton's poetry is soul medicine. It's accessible, rhythmic, ancestral, and deeply wise. I bring her work into group sessions often - it meets people gently, even in their hardest moments. Also, poetry therapy provides a great introduction to bibliotherapy. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison ($9, originally $17): This novel is demanding, yes - but necessary. It explores intergenerational trauma, memory, and the sacredness of Black motherhood. For some clients, this book cracks something open in a profound way. "What My Bones Know" by Stephanie Foo ($9, originally $20): A recent favorite. It's about Complex PTSD, growing up as a child of immigrants, and reclaiming agency. Stephanie blends personal narrative with research in a way that's both validating and illuminating. Related: Your Next Friend Hang: A Reading Weekend Indoors Alexis Jones (she/her) is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. In her seven years of editorial experience, Alexis has developed passions and areas of expertise around mental health, women's health and fitness, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more. Read More Details
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