The story of hobbits, small creatures written about by the English writer J.RR Tolkien, can be healing.
"This book belongs to the optional readings intended for 5th grade students, but we do optional parts of it with older classes," says teacher Vuk Žikić, who uses bibliotherapy in his lectures - a method of healing with literature.
Then the Serbian language class for the students placed at the Institute for Mental Health at the "Dr. Dragan Herceg" Elementary School becomes a place "where they can feel encouragement" and "believe that their problems are solvable," he adds for the BBC in Serbian.
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"The hobbits are the same height as the students, so they identify with them that way.
"In addition, they also like the song in which the dwarves invite the main character to join them on an adventure in search of a ring, so they connect on a visual, but also an auditory level," adds Žikić.
Bibliotherapy or poetic therapy is a process of overcoming negative emotions, during which the reader immerses himself in the text, and then learns from it a lesson that he applies in real life, says Ivana Bašić, founder of the bibliotherapy society. Balance in Zagreb, for the BBC in Serbian.
"There are two types of bibliotherapy, clinical, which is performed by doctors, and developmental therapy, which can be practiced by language and literature professors, as well as bibliographers.
"The roots of book treatment go back to Ancient Egypt, where words were prescribed instead of medicine, but bibliotherapy was not used in the Balkans for a long time," adds Bašić, the author of the book. Bibliotherapy and poetic therapy, manual for beginners.
How does bibliotherapy work?
"The introduction of this novel looks like a fairy tale", "We worry about the main character", "Will he go to help the dwarfs?", were some of the students' comments when they read the introductory chapters together with the professor The Hobbit.
"They told me that they felt sad because the gnomes lost their home," Žikić recalls.
This is the first of several stages of bibliotherapy.
"It is important that our associate in reading 'sympathizes from afar' with literary heroes and their problems.
"So the students were worried about Bilbo Baggins, Tolkien's main hero the hobbit, because they didn't know how dangerous the journey he was about to embark on would be," he says.
Next comes the stage of identification or identification with the heroes, which leads to "catharsis or purification".
"Thus, the reader realizes that the world of the story is identical to his own, because it is full of general truths.
"He adopts the solutions offered by literature and tries to overcome his own problem in that way," he adds.
Yes, and bibliotherapy worked, it is necessary for the reader to feel safe and believe in the process of writing and reading, Žikić believes.
This is important so that he can "explore his own observations and feelings that literature evokes in him" by writing a diary or talking to a bibliotherapist.
"This is how people connect with the literary text, but also with the one who guides them through the reading process.
"Only when all the previous conditions are met, the reader is ready to practically apply what he learned through bibliotherapy," he says.
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The book as a 'shield' and support in 'life's entanglements'
Before starting the healing journey through words, Daria Talić, a librarian from Zagreb, searched for a long time for "a group of people who could support her in difficult times".
Bibliotherapy meetings seemed like a good opportunity for that, but they also helped her in her work.
"Since I work with children of the older grades of elementary school, I wanted to apply some elements of bibliotherapy to support them in some of the entanglements of life," Talić told the BBC in Serbian.
She could also "slow down the routine of life" and have the feeling that "someone is really listening to her".
"As in any group therapy, we realize that we are not alone and that there are others who have similar problems.
"It's just easier to talk about them, because we have the book as a shield," Daria believes.
'A process like any other therapy'
Daria has been going to bibliotherapy for three years.
And every session begins similarly.
"In the beginning, they would always recall a past meeting through some task.
"We draw something or find an object that reminds us of the story and song we were doing," she says.
This game helps her "connect with the other attendees and the bibliotherapist".
"Introductory exercises serve to bring the people who are coming into a safe space, calm them down and place them in the present moment," explains Ivana Bašić.
Then the text is read aloud twice.
"The first time to experience it, and the second time to learn from it," adds Bašić.
Then Darija and her bibliotherapist discuss what was read.
"Conversation is the basis of every bibliotherapy, but there are also additional activities that complement it, such as art collages or writing a joint poem in which everyone came up with a verse," adds Bašić.
The final exercise helps to "connect all insights and feelings into one experience".
"Bibliotherapy is a process like any other therapy," concludes Bašić.
The influence of bibliotherapy
Pregularity
- It reduces the feeling of loneliness and helps us connect with others.
- People more easily accept the situation they are facing, observe it from a different angle and think about how it can be managed.
- It influences students to improve their learning outcomes.
- It is easier to regulate emotions, and an individual can be a kind of therapist for himself, by choosing a book that he believes will help him.
Disadvantages
- If the reader chooses the texts himself, shocking and inadequate literature can worsen his condition.
- Ideas and experiences taken from books cannot always be applied in real life.
- Not everyone is able to practically apply bibliotherapy experiences, due to various factors such as: age, religion or economic situation
- If the reader fails to apply the ideas obtained from the stories, he may feel frustrated.
Source: Biblioterapija (Bibliotherapy)
Bibliotherapy in the Balkans
In the region, bibliotherapy was not represented for a long time, explains Ivana Bašić.
When she worked as a teacher of Croatian language and literature in a high school, it was important to her that during lectures she should not only analyze the work, but also "encourage the students to share their impressions".
"That was the first time I thought that literature could be healing, so I searched the internet for words like 'literature therapy' or 'poetry healing'.
"Since there was no literature in Croatian, I translated the texts I came across and thus, somewhat intuitively, created a bibliotherapy center," recalls Bašić.
Apart from Croatia, bibliotherapy is also used in Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, Finland, Italy and Great Britain, and it is most developed in America, where is it from at the beginning of the 20th century and originated as an independent therapeutic approach.
Which texts are healing?
In order to prepare for a session with clients, Ivana Bašić spends a lot of time in libraries.
A good text should be in harmony with the people and the group that reads it, and based on the "principle of hope", she explains.
"This means that he can talk about some difficult topics, but not be dark.
"In addition, it should not disparage some important figures in the lives of individuals, such as parents," he adds.
Bibliotherapy uses legends and traditions from different cultures, as well as contemporary poets, such as American Meri Oliver and Croatian author Dobriša Cesarić.
"Mary Oliver lived in nature, so her poetry is full of simple images, in which they 'inscribe' meanings and their own fears".
A well-chosen text thus becomes a "communication bridge".
"Reading a book, we read ourselves," concludes Bašić.
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