Bibliotherapy - Or How I Learned To Write What I Feel

A popular prime time television series included a plot line about adult siblings meeting for the first time. Part of the story included their deceased mother’s journals. Box after box of journals. Journals documenting nearly every day of her adult life, from the mundane to the extraordinary. For some reason watching those episodes made me think of the oft-used phrase “Dear Diary.” That, in turn, let me to think about the excitement of adolescent diaries along the lines of “Dear Diary…I met a boy…” And welcome to the windmills of my mind. The life of a therapist always making connections.

Bibliotherapy is a rather unfriendly word for a relatively simple act – the expression of feelings through the written word. We’ve all done it in some form or fashion. Don’t believe me? Ha! I dare you to look at your Facebook posts or Twitter feeds. Complain about a bad day? Participate in the annual fall tradition of 20, 30 or even 40 Days of Thanks? Share really great news that made you happy….including the emoticon? Congratulations! You are well versed in bibliotherapy.

For the sake of simplicity, if for no other reason than I prefer to avoid “psychobabble” when at all possible, let’s talk about journaling instead. Journaling is a great way to explore your feelings and experiences over time. Just about every self-help book and pompous daytime talk show circuit “expert” recommends journaling. Research has shown that effective journaling can be a good tool in your toolbox of psychological wellness. And I firmly believe it’s critical for me to “know myself” before I can know anybody else or how to include them in my life.

Why journal?

• Gives you a chance to sort through all the clutter in your head by getting down on paper. Then you’re better able to concentrate on your wants and needs.
• Allows you to step back and evaluate your thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, and reaction.
• Express thoughts that sometimes you are too scared to say out loud.
• Explore your core values, and learn to bring your emotions and desires in line with those values to live your best life.
• Step back and see things from other perspectives.
• Explore a creative side of yourself and turn negative energy into positive energy.
• Look for recurrent themes in your life that are holding you back, and recognize the things you do well that propel you forward.

How do you do it? Where do you start? How do you know you’re doing it right? Will it help? Those are great questions I often hear from clients when I assign journaling as homework. That’s right…I give therapy homework. Sometimes clients resist and roll their eyes. Eventually they give in. And in many cases, they have continued their journaling well after we have finished using it in therapy. I bet most of them even continued after their therapy was over.

There are lots of books and guides you can buy, borrow, rent, or download. And they are totally unnecessary. If you completed junior high, you already have the skills you need to journal. It’s writing. That’s it. Pretty simple, huh?

I’m serious. There is no right or wrong way to begin this. Some people begin in a very structured way using a diary app or similar format. Others carry a notebook with them and jot down thoughts as they occur. Some people write long and winding narratives for hours on end. I’ve seen great work come from what we call “stream of consciousness” writing where you start with whatever words land on the page and continue without thought until you run out of words, with no regard to punctuation or structure or style. To my mind, and based on my experiences with clients and my own life, the way you do it is far less important than the fact you are doing it.

I like to occasionally review what I’ve written to start looking for common themes. Do I feel depressed the same time each year? Am I writing a lot about hurt feelings with my friends and family? Do my thoughts about my work sound like maybe I want to make a change? Are there lots of mentions about something that excites me that maybe should be a new hobby? What’s working and not working in my life? What do I want to be different?

As with most things in life, practice does not necessarily make it “perfect” but does make it a lasting habit. Try and develop a regular writing habit and see what you learn about yourself.