Sonya Tsakalakis
Reading aloud together to ponder and share thoughts and feelings is about making a joyful noise. This act of communal reading is a powerful and transformative experience, as we collectively embark on a journey through the words of a story and poem.
Anyway whatever it is do not be afraid of its plenty. Joy was not made to be a crumb…Mary Oliver
ABOUT ME
I'm an Australian - Cypriot who began practicing bibliotherapy in primary school, where I sought and found refuge from the cruelty in the playground in the school library. Within the pages of books there was a wonder and an imaginative realm that contrasted with the difficulties of my childhood, ‘This self – medication on books has endured and has enabled me to weather the vagaries of existence’*.
After stumbling upon an article in The Guardian by Blake Morrison, ‘The Reading Cure’, I drew inspiration on the craft of shared or communal reading from The Reader Organisation in the UK. After training in the field, I began my practice working in aged care 10 years ago, where I witnessed firsthand the vivifying effects of literature as it is read aloud, how people feel deeply connected in the sharing of their own stories catalysed by the written word. Since then, I have worked in shared values projects using creative literature at the forefront, some of my partner entities include: MIND Australia, Melbourne Writers’ Festival, Hong Kong Writers’ Festival, cohealth, Libraries After Dark, Brimbank Readers and Writers Festival and University of Melbourne. My most recent collaboration with Corrections Victoria, running a communal reading project with consumers, at the intersectionality of mental ill health and the criminal justice system, highlighted for me the capacity of good writing to elevate and expand our sense of what is possible. I am also a former resident bibliotherapist for The School of Life in Melbourne where I worked for five years, providing literary counselling to local, interstate and international readers in the composition of ‘Reading Prescriptions’ tailored to their needs, passions and curiosities.
Before pivoting to bibliotherapy, I practiced as a genetic counsellor working for the Thalassaemia Society of Australia, and then went on to further work in the area of psycho-social rehabilitation and bicultural/bilingual co-ordinator . I also completed a Master of Social Work in 2023.
My book, published by Thames & Hudson, a joint-project with Sydney bibliotherapist, Germaine Leece,* Reading The Seasons, was released in 2021. It pays homage to a mid-life friendship and to the power of books and reading to console and awaken our spirits.
My therapeutic background, coupled with my enduring, lifelong passion for literature, equip me to give you a literary hand on life's journey. Get in touch to book a private session for yourself or as a unique gift for a beloved. I also give presentations on the benefits of reading for pleasure to personal wellbeing.