Thelma Razo
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Our bibliotherapy therapist is trained in using literature as a therapeutic tool to support reflection, emotional insight, and personal growth. Through thoughtfully selected readings, we work collaboratively with clients to explore themes that resonate with their lived experiences. The process is paced with care, allowing space for meaning-making, emotional processing, and integration in a way that feels supportive and accessible.
Bibliotherapy is a therapeutic approach that uses books — including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry — to help individuals explore emotions, gain insight, and process difficult experiences. It is often used as an adjunct to traditional therapy and is especially helpful for those navigating grief and trauma.
Reading offers a safe, non-judgmental space to process emotions. Stories can mirror your own experiences, making it easier to understand feelings that may be hard to express. Literature also provides new perspectives and coping strategies, helping you see possibilities that might not have felt accessible before.
No. Bibliotherapy is not meant to replace traditional therapy but to complement it. When combined with trauma-informed care, EMDR, parts work, somatic therapy, or talk therapy, bibliotherapy deepens insight and supports emotional integration. Many people find they can make progress more effectively when reading is incorporated into their treatment plan.
Your therapist will help you choose books or materials that resonate with your experiences. You’ll read between sessions at your own pace, and your therapist will guide reflection, emotional processing, and integration during sessions. The goal is not literary analysis — it is emotional exploration through the themes, characters, and experiences you connect with.
That’s completely okay. Bibliotherapy is flexible. Your therapist may recommend shorter texts, excerpts, poems, or narratives that fit your capacity and comfort level. You don’t need to be an avid reader to benefit — what matters is the emotional connection, not the volume of reading.
Bibliotherapy is helpful if you:
A therapist trained in bibliotherapy can help determine whether this approach fits your needs.
Yes. Reading about others who have faced similar challenges can be deeply validating and empowering. Literature often provides a sense of hope, inspiration, and reassurance that healing is possible. Over time, this strengthens resilience and supports a growing sense of self-worth.
No. Your therapist — in this case, Thelma Razo, who specialises in bibliotherapy — will recommend materials that support your therapeutic goals. You will be guided every step of the way, ensuring the reading feels meaningful, manageable, and emotionally safe.
It’s possible to feel emotional when reading stories that resonate with your own experiences. This is normal. Your therapist will help you process what comes up and ensure the pace feels safe and supportive. The goal is not to overwhelm you, but to help you gently access and understand emotions that may have been held inside.
