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Spoken language is the primary medium of counseling and psychotherapy. The therapeutic value of written language has also been studied extensively, both to provide self-help information and to elicit personal reflection. Interactive journaling (IJ) is a guided writing process that combines both of these functions. It has differed from usual therapeutic writing in two ways: (a) by integrating the presentation of treatment-relevant information in graphic-enhanced text to engage the reader, and (b) by offering frequent structured opportunities for the client to respond to and integrate material being presented. This article provides a description and the first review of research on IJ as a clinical tool. Experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations support a link between IJ and behavior change. Research on motivational interviewing offers evidence-based guidelines for structuring IJ materials to elicit language favoring change, as well as testable hypotheses linking writing processes with outcomes. Implications for counseling practice and research are considered.
Psychotherapy originated as "the talking cure," promoting mental health through language. Though theories abound as to how counseling conversation can be therapeutic, virtually all forms of counseling rely, implicitly or explicitly (Kohlenberg & Tsai, 2007), on operations of speech as a vehicle for healing.
Whatever the potential curative properties of language, they are surely not restricted to face-to-face professional consultation. This article briefly discusses the use of written material-both print materials provided to diente and therapeutic writing by clients-as a therapeutic adjunct. These two components are blended in the specific method of interactive journaling (IJ), which presents therapeutic content and also elicits clients' written responses to the material being presented. The article describes IJ and reviews outcome research. Motivational interviewing is considered as a potential tool for structuring IJ and understanding its impact on client outcomes. Implications for future research and practice are addressed.
BIBLIOTHERAPY
There is a long history of seeking to extend mental health benefits through written self-help "bibliotherapy" materials and more recently computer-based interventions (Christensen, Miller, & Muñoz, 1978; Glasgow & Rosen, 1978; Muñoz et al., 2006). Controlled trials have demonstrated the benefit of bibliotherapy for such mental health concerns as depression (Cuijpers, 1997; Scogin, Jamison, & Gochneaur, 1989); alcohol problems (Apodaca & Miller, 2003); anxiety (Bower, Richards, & Lovell, 2001); and sexual dysfunction (Marrs, 1995). Print-based materials are low-cost...