The therapeutic effect of books: how reading can improve health, and conversations about the feelings evoked by reading can restore dignity and find community

The Lithuanian bibliotherapy association has been operating in our country for seven years, uniting people from various professions (doctors, librarians, psychologists, educators, writers) who apply bibliotherapy methods (reading, conversation about the feelings and thoughts evoked by reading, therapeutic writing) in their professional activities. The association cooperates with various institutions, organizes conferences, and takes care of the professional qualifications of its members.

Since 2013 The initiative of Birštonas Public Library, in cooperation with partners: Lithuanian Bibliotherapy Association (hereinafter LBA), Humanistic and Existential Psychotherapy Institute (HEPI), led by prof. Rimanto Kočiūnas, Ģžuolyna (Kaunas county) public library, Lithuanian National M. Mažvydas Library (hereinafter LNB), dr. Daiva Janavičiene, LBA board member, LNB methodologist-researcher, author of books and articles about bibliotherapy, prof. Dr. Jūrate Sučylait, president of LBA, writer, poetry therapist, psychiatrist, organizes bibliotherapy conferences.

Bibliotherapy conference "Bibliotherapy. A book can speak and heal", which develops topics about the healing effect of reading, will be held for the 7th time. The conference is organized as part of the project "Strengthening professional competences through the creative application of bibliotherapy", which is financed by the Lithuanian Council of Culture and Birštonas municipality. The conference in Biršton invites librarians and specialists from other fields to meet to find out news, to get ideas for developing bibliotherapy activities. Participants will gain more knowledge about bibliotherapy, emotional intelligence, its importance in controlling emotional stress reactions, how to use the cultural environment to strengthen a person's inner powers, etc.

The application of bibliotherapy is related to the support of target groups. Previous conferences have discussed bibliotherapy in prisons (Lina Dubauskienė, Morkus Dusevičius), psychiatric departments of hospitals (Dr. Jūratė Sučylaitė), reading clubs (Dr. Daiva Janavičienė, Rasa Derenčienė) and others.

Human health refers to physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. The human body and mind function together and cannot be separated from each other. Vytautas Meška, the most famous Lithuanian spa specialist, doctor, from Biršton, understood well the mechanisms of interaction between body and mind, he was one of the first to start talking about bibliotherapy - he suggested focusing attention on thinking about existential topics and deep reading of books, thus helping the patient to relax and rest the mind. During bibliotherapy, a person is motivated to find the strength to overcome stressful life difficulties; to look at your own values and think about whether they help or inspire you to live.

We have a priceless treasure of Lithuanian culture, it contains many assets that promote human vitality, we just need to use them. At the conference, psychologist Giedrė Žalytė will speak about messages that nurture and heal human feelings in Lithuanian fairy tales, and the head of the Department of Ethnomusicology of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater prof. skilled Dr. Daiva Vyčinienė will help you discover and understand the magic of contracts. Bibliotherapy helps to develop the personalities of children and teenagers, but in this activity the specialist faces many tests and challenges - the teacher and philosopher Morkus Dusevičius will tell about them during the conference.

Miscommunication, the inability to understand another person, the pain of not being understood are common problems in people's lives that are tiring, cause bad mood, and weaken health, and one of the ways to solve these problems is reading. The director of the Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė public library of Panevėžys county will talk about strengthening family ties during the reading. librarian-methodologist Šarūnė Leikienė. The experience of bibliotherapy will be shared by Laima Švirinienė, head of the Services and Resources Department of the Birštonas Public Library, in the Nursing Department of the Birštonas Primary Health Care Center. Psychologist Timas Petraitis will look for an answer to the question of whether it is worth reading books together with those present. Psychologist, Klaipėda University lecturer Dalia Klumbienė, actress, director, social project participant, employment specialist Salomėja Burneikaitė, psychologist Jūratė Klimaitė-Vyžintienė will invite to the creative workshop.