Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is the term used to describe the prescribed reading of self help books to deal with a range of psychological and personal problems.

Recent research in the UK has shown it to be an effective way to improve your mental health. It is now established in Universities and local libraries throughout the country.

The Student Counselling Service and the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) have joined together to
develop this scheme to support students who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, irritability etc.

How will it help you?

There is good evidence that reading self help books can help specifically with most emotional difficulties. The beneficial effects can be experienced as soon as you start reading the book. You will also find that you are not the only person with this difficulty.

Self help books are about helping you to gain a new perspective and are only effective when you are motivated to reflect on your own behaviour and make these changes. Most of the books are straightforward to read, containing useful exercises and questionnaires for you to follow. They have been specially selected for their accessible and helpful approaches. This could be seen as a
starting point as different approaches will suit
different people.

How the scheme will work

These suggested books will be stocked in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) and can be
borrowed by any matriculated student or member of staff. The titles are also listed on the Student Counselling Service website (http://www.qmu.ac.uk/prospective_students/student_services/bibliotherapy.htm) alternatively a counsellor or other member of University staff can prescribe a book title to a student for a personal or emotional problem using a prescription pad. The student can then take this prescription to the library as with any other
academic recommendation. Books can be
borrowed for 6 weeks.

Further help

Reading a book may be a first step in identifying a problem and can sometimes lead to strong emotions being experienced. You may feel at this point that it would be helpful to talk to someone about this and you could consult the Student Counselling Service, email: counselling@qmu.ac.uk, or your GP.

For more information

Student Counselling Service
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/prospective_students/student_services/bibliotherapy.htm

Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/lb/default.htm

Bibliotherapy Book List

Abuse

• Breaking free: Help for survivors of child sexual abuse

• Overcoming Childhood Trauma

Helen Kennerley (Constable & Robinson).

Alcohol

• Alcohol Awareness Manual

Gaylin Tudhope (Haynes).

Anger

• Overcoming Anger and Irritability

Will Davies (Robinson)

• Managing Anger

Gael Lindenfield (Harper Collins).

Anxiety and Stress

• Overcoming Anxiety

Helen Kennerley (Constable & Robinson)

• Mind over Mood

Greenberger & Padesky ( Guildford Press)

• Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness

Gillian Butler (Constable & Robinson)

Asertiveness

• Assert Yourself

Gael Lindenfield (Harper Collins)

• A Woman in Your Own Right

Anne Dickson (Quartet books).

Bereavement

• How To Go on Living When Someone You Love Dies

Therese Rando (Bantam)

• A Special Scar: Bereavement by Suicide

Alison Wertheimer (Routledge)

Confidence Building

• Helping Adolescents and Adults to Build Self Esteem

Deborah Plummer (Jessica Kingsle

Depression

• Overcoming Depression

Paul Gilbert (Constable & Robinson)

• Dealing with Depression

Dr Caroling Shreeve (Piatkus)

• I Had a Black Dog

atthew Johnstone (Robinson)

• The Way Out of Your Prison

Dorothy Rowe (Brunner Routledge)

Eating Disorders

• Getting Better Bit(e) By Bit(e )

U Schmidt, J Treasure (Psychology Press)

• Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa

Freeman & Cooper (Constable & Robinson)

• Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating

Peter Cooper.

Leaving Home

• The Leaving Home Survival Guide

Nicola Morgan (Walker Books Ltd)

Living in a Different Culture

• Figuring Foreigners Out: A Practical Guide

Craig Storti (Intercultural Press).

Obsessions and Compulsions

• Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

David Veale & Robert Wilson (Constable & Robinson).

Panic Attacks

• Panic Attacks

Christine Ingham (Harper Collins)

Perfectionism

• Never Good Enough

Monica Ramirez Basco (Simon & Schuster)

• When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough

Martin M Anthony & Richard P Swinson (New Harbinger Publications).

Procrastination

• Isn’t It About Time? How to Stop Putting Things Off

Andrea Perry (Worth Publishing)

• Beating The Comfort Trap

Windy Dryden & Jack Gordon (Sheldon Press)

Relating

• Relating Skills: A Practical Guide to Effective Personal Relationships

Richard Nelson-Jones ( Cassell)

Self Esteem

• Self Esteem

Gael Lindenfield (Harper Collins)

• Overcoming Low Self Esteem

Melanie Fennell (Constable & Robinson)

• Self Esteem

Mackay & Fanning (New Harbinger Publications)

Self Harm

• Healing the Hurt Within

Jan Sutton (How to Books)

• Self-help for self-injury: a guide for women struggling with self-injury

( Bristol Crisis Service for Women)

Sleep Problems

• Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems

Colin Espie (Constable & Robinson).

Stress

• The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook

Davis, Eshelman, Mackay (New Harbinger Publications)

• Teach Yourself Managing Stress

Looker & Gregson (Hodder Arnold).

General

• Manage Your Mind

Gillian Butler & Tony Hope ( Oxford University Press).

Queen Margaret University gratefully acknowledges help from Edinburgh University Student Counselling Service in compiling this list.