Have you ever read a book and experienced an emotional response that surprised you? Maybe your heart raced during an intense scene, or you found yourself sobbing in sympathy with the protagonist’s grief. You’re not alone — a 2021 study showed that reading fiction actually enhances your ability to recognize and process emotions, building your capacity for empathy (Schwering, et al., 2021).

Humans have connected with stories in a deeply personal way for centuries, dating as far back as 40,000 years ago to the first known evidence of stories told in prehistoric cave drawings, with oral storytelling pre-dating these artifacts. Historically, stories have served as a primary vehicle for passing down family histories, moral values, and faith traditions. They teach us about ourselves in the context of our cultural heritage, our religious background, and even our place in history.

At its core, therapy can’t happen without stories. The therapeutic process relies on storytelling as a vehicle for healing, as the client shares their narrative of trauma, pain, loss, or fear, bringing it out into the open where empathy can take root, and new chapters can finally be written. When we pick up a book, whether it's a memoir, a novel, or even a poem, and bring it into the therapeutic space, the process of bibliotherapy unfolds in two ways: first, through the individual’s interaction with the text itself, and........

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