Prescribing books for the soul

What should you read to cure loneliness? To reignite passion for life? To find confidence? A bibliotherapist identifies fiction and non-fiction to enhance the creative life.
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Lady reading by Frédéric Soulacroix via Wikipedia commons.

Reading reduces stress levels more than walking, can be a cure for loneliness, and improves mental, social and emotional wellbeing. But finding the book which will meet your deep emotional need won’t come from perusing a self-help shelf or even a bestseller list.

Bibliotherapist Sonya Tsakalakis prescribes books to clients for healing and strengthening connection. For ArtsHub readers, she has found some that address issues such as writer’s block, ​creative fear and the disproportionate pervasiveness of depression among artists.

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Madeleine Dore
About the Author
Madeleine Dore is a freelance writer and founder of Extraordinary Routines, an interview project exploring the intersection between creativity and imperfection. She is the previous Deputy Editor at ArtsHub. Follow her on Twitter at @RoutineCurator