What Is Bibliotherapy?

Bibliotherapy is the use of stories and books as therapeutic tools. Therapists have long used published books or printed stories to help clients work through emotions, trauma, and identity.

In bibliotherapy, the story is the bridge. It lets the client explore emotions through characters first before talking about themselves.

What Is Narrative Therapy?

Narrative therapy flips the script. Instead of giving clients a story, it invites them to explore, examine, and rewrite their own. This approach helps clients separate themselves from their problems, allowing them to see challenges more objectively and create space for new perspectives, possibilities, and solutions.

 In narrative therapy, therapists help the client find the missing pieces: their strengths, their survival, their voice. It’s reflective and incredibly empowering.

So What’s the Difference?

Here’s the clearest way to think about it:

Can You Use Both?

Yes. And honestly, a lot of therapists usually do. PlaySpace’s AI Storybook feature is a helpful tool  in bibliotherapy as it can ease clients into sessions. Over time, you can introduce narrative therapy concepts to help them take authorship over their own experience. 

This isn’t about one method being “better” than the other. It’s about knowing when to reach for what. Some clients need to see themselves in someone else’s story, while others may be ready to explore, challenge, and reclaim the narrative that’s been told about them.

Either way, storytelling is not fluff. It’s a foundation. And in today’s world, where clients can be overwhelmed, disconnected, and often unsure of who they are, helping them understand their story might be the most powerful thing we can offer. Stories help clients understand themselves and, in time, rewrite the

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