Bibliotherapy is a therapeutic intervention that uses stories and narratives to offer insight about personal dilemmas, teach cultural traditions, and assist in fostering various facets of identity development. For adolescent Black boys, exploring stories with protagonists that look like them, who come from similar cultural backgrounds and contend…

Reading skills and social-emotional competencies are two important skills for both academic achievement and long-term quality of life. The present study evaluated the effects of a school-based intervention to promote reading skills and social-emotional competencies in young adolescents from urban, low socioeconomic status (SES) communities in…

As one key element of establishing a superhero persona, many superhero myths are based on the principle of experiencing parental loss at an early age. This study examined the impact of group bibliotherapy using superhero stories with children and adolescents who have experienced parental absence. The 187 participants who resided in foster care…

The death of a loved one has serious implications for adolescent growth and development. The authors review relevant research on the grief process and spirituality in adolescence, and they give a rationale for integrating spirituality into adolescent grief work. By way of a case illustration, they draw implications for counselors' use of…

This article provides information on adolescent developmental issues and developmentally appropriate interventions that can help mental health practitioners work with adolescents grieving a death loss. Specific areas that are initially covered include core adolescent developmental issues that must be understood, including adolescent developmental…

How is bibliotherapy with fiction hypothesized to work, and what are the ideal conditions for treatment success? Patterns in the bibliotherapy literature are explored. Questions are posed and suggestions offered regarding the practice of bibliotherapy with fiction.

For difficult or challenging children and teenagers in therapeutic or school settings, creative activities can be an excellent way of increasing enjoyment and boosting motivation, making the sessions more rewarding and successful for everyone involved. This resource provides over one hundred tried-and-tested fun and imaginative therapeutic…

This study examined the "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child" ("PSWC") book as a self-directed program for parents of 3- to 6-year-olds. Fifty-two parents were randomly assigned to "PSWC" or a comparison book, "Touchpoints: Three to Six." Assessments occurred at baseline, postintervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 2-month follow-up. The findings…

Objective: Evaluate a new 5-step method for testing mediators hypothesized to account for the effects of depression prevention programs. Method: In this indicated prevention trial, at-risk teens with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized to a group cognitive-behavioral (CB) intervention, group supportive expressive intervention, CB…

Purportedly fear of the unknown, death anxiety, and insomnia are prevalent problems among some gifted individuals. The present study tested this assertion and examined the relationship of these variables to Dabrowski's (1967) overexcitabilities. The study involved 73 gifted and 143 typical middle and high school adolescents who were given a death…

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a brief group cognitive-behavioral (CB) depression prevention program for high-risk adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Method: In this indicated prevention trial, 341 at-risk youths were randomized to a group CB intervention, group supportive expressive intervention, CB…

Bibliotherapy--the use of books to heal--is a concept that dates back to the time of the philosopher Aristotle who believed that literature had healing effects and that reading fiction was a way of purging illness. But how is bibliotherapy practiced now in secondary schools? This study investigates bibliotherapy use in a regional Australian city…

Presents strategies for using bibliotherapeutic process to prevent and treat adolescent alcohol and drug abuse. Definitions, goals, and principles of bibliotherapy are overviewed. Synopses of several useful books that focus on chemical dependency are presented. (Author)

Bibliotherapy is the process of growing toward emotional good health through the medium of literature. The books selected for bibliotherapy must be chosen carefully. The Newbery and Caldecott books are logical choices as they have received the most prestigious awards given in children's literature. If bibliotherapy is to help children and cause…

Explains how the author uses bibliotherapy, healing through the use of books, as a counseling device. She includes a bibliography of books she has found useful, along with the problems she has used them in conjunction with. (HMV)