Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah
Hi, my name is Bijal Shah and I am a bibliotherapist and founder of Book Therapy (a bibliotherapy and literary curation practice: www.booktherapy.io). I'm also the author of the book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading (https://bit.ly/bibliotherapybook). I curate book prescriptions and provide online training in bibliotherapy, more detail of this can be found on my website, www.booktherapy.io
In this podcast, I share my knowledge and research on bibliotherapy, including the latest developments, science and book recommendations.
Join me every week where we take a deep dive into Bibliotherapy.
We release two episodes a week:
1. Voicenotes fom Me, Your Resident Bibliotherapist.
2. Ask the Bibliotherapist: Book Recommendations for What's On Your Mind
Join our member-only subscription here to listen to all episodes for free. To get access to corresponding transcripts: https://bibliotherapywithbijal.substack.com/subscribe
I hope you enjoy the show and if you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading (https://bit.ly/bibliotherapybook) a helpful companion.
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like the transcripts to all episodes, you can join our member-only subscription on Substack: https://bibliotherapywithbijal.substack.com/subscribe
And as always, I love hearing from listeners so if you'd like to get in touch, share any book recommendations or thoughts on bibliotherapy, you can do so at bijal@booktherapy.io
Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah
On Love, Loneliness, and the Literature That Heals Us
In this opening episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah, I trace love’s enduring role as literature’s greatest subject, and explore love not as sentimentality, but as a profound human discipline that shapes how we live, connect, and heal, from divine longing to intimacy, navigating loss and loneliness.
I reflect on the paradox of modern loneliness: that the deepest ache is not the absence of others, but the longing to be truly seen. Drawing on the words of Erich Fromm, Rumi, and Kahlil Gibran — and novels from Pride and Prejudice to Normal People — I explore how reading love stories and romance can mend the fractures of the heart and remind us that belonging is possible.
I also discuss how the romantic comedy is an important literary device in this respect — a gentle rebellion against cynicism — and explore how it offers a space for forgiveness, courage, and restoration of faith in love’s ability to connect, heal and empower us.
Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.
If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.
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