Czechs are discovering bibliotherapy as a path to themselves
There is something deeply comforting about opening a book and suddenly discovering that the story on its pages describes exactly what you yourself are experiencing. That feeling of not being alone, that someone else – perhaps a fictional character or a memoir author – has walked through the same dark tunnel and emerged on the other side. This very experience forms the foundation of a phenomenon that is growing around the world and slowly finding its way into the Czech Republic as well: bibliotherapy, or healing through reading.
Anxiety disorders are currently among the most widespread mental illnesses of all. According to data from the World Health Organization, approximately 301 million people worldwide suffer from anxiety, and the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased this number. In the Czech Republic, there remains a shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists – waiting times for professional help run into months. Bibliotherapy enters this space as a supplementary, accessible, and surprisingly effective method.
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What bibliotherapy actually is and how it works
Bibliotherapy is not just casual reading for pleasure. It involves the deliberate use of literature – whether fiction, poetry, or non-fiction books with psychological content – as a tool for processing emotions, understanding one's own behaviour, and developing mental resilience. A therapist, librarian, or specially trained guide recommends a specific title that corresponds to the reader's current psychological state or life situation. Reading can then take place independently or in a group, with the key element typically being subsequent reflection – a conversation about what the text evoked, what emotions it brought up, and what the reader takes away from it.
The mechanism behind this is no magic. Psychologists speak of so-called narrative identification – a state in which the reader identifies with a character or situation in a book and, through this projection, is better able to understand their own feelings. The story creates a safe distance: a person can explore pain, fear, or sadness without being directly overwhelmed by it. At the same time, literature offers new perspectives and ways of thinking that the reader can gradually internalise.
The British organisation Reading Agency runs one of the best-documented bibliotherapy programmes in the world – the Reading Well project, through which doctors in their surgeries recommend books to patients as part of mental health care. The results are remarkable: people with mild to moderate anxiety or depression showed significant improvement after completing a structured reading programme. The British model is not an isolated experiment – similar initiatives exist in Ireland, Finland, and Australia.
The question is: why did it take us so long in the Czech Republic to take notice of this approach?
Bibliotherapy in the Czech Republic: a slow but steady rise
The Czech Republic has a deep relationship with literature. It is enough to recall that in 1989 we elected a playwright as president. Yet bibliotherapy as a structured method of mental health care is still finding its footing here. While in the United Kingdom it is prescribed by general practitioners and libraries have specially trained bibliotherapists, in the Czech Republic this practice is developing more from the grassroots level – through individual therapists, enthusiastic librarians, and non-profit organisations.
A pioneer in the field here is, for example, Mgr. Veronika Štefanová, who uses bibliotherapy in her work with children and adolescents and regularly trains teachers and psychologists. Some librarians work similarly within the framework of the Library as an Educational Centre project, coordinated by the National Library of the Czech Republic. However, these remain islands of good practice rather than a systemic approach.
Yet public interest is growing. One need only look at how reading clubs focused on psychological literature have multiplied in recent years, or how communities of people sharing books that helped them cope with anxiety, burnout, or loss are spreading on social media. Informal bibliotherapy takes place every single day – people simply have not been calling it that until now.
A concrete example: Jana, a thirty-three-year-old project manager from Brno, describes how, after COVID, she began experiencing panic anxiety attacks. She waited four months for an appointment with a psychologist. In the meantime, a friend recommended the book The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown and later the novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. "It wasn't a substitute for therapy, but it was like a wire I could hold onto," says Jana. "I understood that my feelings weren't abnormal, and that gave me the strength to wait." This story is not unique – and it is precisely such experiences that help bibliotherapy build the reputation it deserves.
Which books are prescribed instead of medication for anxiety
It is of course important to emphasise that bibliotherapy does not replace professional psychiatric or psychological care. For serious anxiety disorders, a combination of psychotherapy and, where appropriate, pharmacotherapy remains the gold standard. Bibliotherapy can, however, serve as a valuable complement – or as a first step during a period when professional care is not yet available.
So which books are most commonly recommended in this context? Experts and experienced bibliotherapists generally work with two categories. The first consists of popular science titles in the field of psychology and mindfulness – for example, works by Robert L. Leahy on cognitive behavioural therapy, books on mindfulness drawing on the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn, or titles published in Czech such as Monkey Mind by Daniel Smith. These books offer concrete tools: breathing exercises, techniques for reframing thoughts, and ways of working with the physical manifestations of anxiety.
The second category is perhaps more surprising: fiction and poetry. Research repeatedly shows that reading quality literature develops empathy, reduces cortisol (the stress hormone), and activates parts of the brain associated with relaxation. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE demonstrated that six minutes of reading reduces stress levels by 68 percent – more than music, a walk, or a cup of tea. In the context of anxiety, fiction that has proven particularly effective includes stories about overcoming adversity, finding meaning, or accepting oneself. In the Czech environment, the work of Michal Viewegh or the poetry of Karel Šiktanc, for instance, lends itself well to this purpose.
Individualisation is always important, however. What helps one reader may leave another cold or even worsen their condition – for example, if they identify too strongly with the negative aspects of a story. This is precisely why it is ideal when a book recommendation is accompanied by a professional or at least a trained guide who knows the specific person and their situation. As British psychiatrist and bibliotherapy pioneer Neil Frude puts it: "The right book at the right time can change a person's perspective just as effectively as an hour in a consulting room."
Beyond the purely therapeutic use, it is also worth mentioning the preventive dimension of reading. Regular reading of fiction demonstrably increases emotional intelligence and resilience to stress – precisely the qualities that help a person manage everyday pressures before they escalate into a full-blown anxiety disorder. From this perspective, promoting reading habits is actually a matter of public health, not merely culture.
In the Czech Republic, this topic is beginning to be taken increasingly seriously. Some primary schools are introducing bibliotherapeutic elements into teaching as part of mental health programmes. Several hospitals and treatment centres are experimenting with reading groups for patients with depression or anxiety. And in libraries, specially labelled shelves with titles recommended for various life situations are slowly appearing – from burnout and grief to navigating relationship crises.
The road to bibliotherapy achieving the same systemic footing in the Czech Republic as it has in, say, the United Kingdom is still a long one. Standardised training for bibliotherapists is lacking, reimbursement through public health insurance is lacking, and greater awareness among general practitioners is lacking. At the same time, the fundamental precondition for this approach to flourish has been met: Czechs read. According to surveys by the National Library of the Czech Republic, approximately 79 percent of the population reads at least one book per year. That is an enormous potential waiting to be put to meaningful use.
Perhaps it is time to stop viewing a book merely as a source of entertainment or education, and to begin seeing it also for what it has always truly been: a tool for understanding oneself, other people, and the world that surrounds us. At a time when mental health is an ever-growing challenge and when the capacity of professional care cannot expand quickly enough, such a shift in perspective may carry genuine healing power.
