Hi, I'm Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist, author, book curator and founder of Book Therapy.
A big hello and welcome! Here's a little bit about me.
My journey into bibliotherapy began after completing a part-time diploma in psychodynamic counselling, during which I was also in therapy myself. At the time, I was working in investment banking, having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Warwick in the UK. During my therapy sessions, I noticed a recurring pattern: whenever I explored a personal issue, I instinctively turned to books to better understand the context. My therapist would often recommend books, Greek myths, or simple stories to illustrate key points, and I found this immensely helpful in deepening the therapeutic process. It was then that I realised the profound power of literature as a tool for healing and self-discovery.This realisation sparked my curiosity, and I began delving into research on bibliotherapy. I connected with several leading experts in the field, including Dr. Pirjo Suvilehto, a Finnish bibliotherapist and Doctor of Philosophy and Literature at the University of Oulu and Dr Kelda Green at the University of Liverpool.
Their work further cemented my belief in the transformative power of literature, as well as more historic pioneers of bibliotherapy and therapeutic reading, which, if of interest, you can read about in my recently published book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading.
During this time, I developed a three-step methodology for curating reading lists and selecting books tailored to address a wide range of personal issues, building up a large database of book recommendations across a diverse range of mental health themes from anxiety, depression, mid-life crises, relationships issues, grief, bereavement and many more. These cover fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. (In the book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, there’s a whole section devoted to some of these reading lists across fiction, nonfiction and poetry, that readers might find helpful.)
When my husband’s job was posted to San Francisco, I decided to leave my role at Deutsche Bank in London and officially launched Book Therapy, a bibliotherapy and literary curation service. Initially, I offered one-on-one bibliotherapy sessions and a personalised book prescription service, which provided curated reading lists without the need for face-to-face sessions.
Over time, I found that clients came to me for a variety of reasons. Some sought therapeutic literature, while others were interested in topics like parenting, career transitions, and even politics, and history. As interest grew, I noticed a demand for self-bibliotherapy techniques. In response, I launched an online course titled Bibliotherapy, Literature & Mental Health. The course has been well-received, not only by individuals seeking personal growth but also by mental health professionals such as counsellors, psychotherapists, life coaches, librarians, and social workers.
It has also inspired corporate workshops and library seminars focused on the healing power of reading. This has further spanned into offerings for parents, teachers, and anyone working with children (librarians, mental health professionals and social workers) including our Children’s Bibliotherapy Skills Online Course, Raising A Reader & Storyteller Course and also our Indian Rasa Theory & Bibliotherapy Course.
Finally, my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, serves as a culmination of this journey, offering readers tools and insights to embark on their own bibliotherapy journeys. My hope is that it will empower others to harness the transformative potential of literature for their own well-being and growth. .
My book recommendations have featured in the Guardian, NBC News, Marie Claire, Asian Voice and various other publications.
I’m a member of the International Federation of Library Associations and the American Library Association. I've also completed a post-graduate professional accountancy qualification and Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from the University of Warwick, after attending Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls. I'm a mum of two and we currently reside in Hampstead, London.
A Novel Literary Advice Service
As a little girl, I loved receiving book recommendations from trusted friends and family. Finding the next great read became an addictive habit to mitigate those post-book blues. I loved helping others find new books too and my passion for reading, writing reviews and literature in general inspired me to launch Book Therapy - a novel literary advice service that helps match people to books based on their individual needs, interests and reading habits.
Book Curation and Personalised Book Prescriptions
Helping others discover wonderful new books (and old) meant understanding their current needs. The books prescribed could be for a specific predicament they find themselves in (for example, struggling with bereavement, friendship breakups, ticking biological clock, fatherhood, redundancy, regret etc) or they could be a travel prescription for a holiday read (check out our book prescription for New York for example).
The personalised book prescriptions have been very popular. These are prepared in the form of detailed, recommended reading lists that comprise a minimum of seven to ten books. Plus, if you prefer the books too whether, paperback, hardback, Kindle or Audiobook there's the personalised book box. And you can also gift these for a friend, family member or loved one!
Want to sample a book prescription before you buy?
Then check out the free list of book prescriptions titled A - Z of Book Prescriptions These cover a variety of genres ranging from literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, classics, thrillers, non-fiction, self-development, spiritual, food, dance, the arts, culture, society, parenting, biographies and memoir, essays, true crime, audiobooks, photography etc. They also cover different life situations (e.g. anxiety, job change, relationship heartache) as well as interests (e.g memoir, historical fiction, non-fiction etc). There's also a children's reading list: Children's A - Z of Book Prescriptions. Feel free to subscribe to the blog too.
Prefer to self-prescribe or interested in bibliotherapy and mental health? Check out our online course that serves as a comprehensive guide on the practice of bibliotherapy using case studies of readers’ self-transformation through life-changing experiences of literature.
Would you just like to connect?
Message me here or email me at bijal@booktherapy.io.
PS Audible is one of our sponsors. Being a mother, I mostly listen to audiobooks - it's the easiest way to keep up-to-date on all my reading. Audible have an amazing 30-day free trial where you get two free audiobooks. You can cancel anytime if it's not for you. If it is it's £7.99 (UK) or $14.95 (US) monthly which includes one free audiobook every month.
My Partners
Sunita Shah, Speech and Language Therapist & Children's Author
Sunita and I have collaborated on parenting podcast titled 'Raising A Reader & Storyteller', that shares tips and techniques on developing a young reader's love for literature through the acquisition of reading skills, vocabulary, developing their imagination and learning to tell a story. We also discuss the benefits of reading on mental well-being through the practice of children's bibliotherapy.
Sunita is the creator behind The Jai Jais, a growing collection of books, yoga/mindfulness and educational resources for children centred around Hindu gods and goddesses. Sunita has blended her expertise as a speech and language therapist with her children’s natural curiosity about their faith to produce the collection for children of all ages and backgrounds. Sunita’s spark to create books about Hindu characters was ignited when her eldest son, Syon who began asking questions about the temple in her home. He would talk about the elephant god, the monkey god and the powerful fork ‘trident’ of Lord Shiva which he thought was like King Triton from The Little Mermaid.
While being a mother gave her the thirst to produce the books, her background in speech and language therapy armed her with the essential ingredients to write for children. Sunita is the National Advisor for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy and deliver training to the NHS and educational and private establishments on supporting bilingual children.
Alex Taibl, Lifestyle & Commercial Photographer
