Literatherapy as a consciousness-raising tool for interpersonal communication instruction

This study examines the possibility of utilizing literatherapy as an experiential learning design for interpersonal communication instruction in rhetorical sensitivity. Literatherapy, developed by Michael Shiryon, is a psychotherapeutic technique for group discussion of imaginative literature as life situations to generate insights into personal problems. The potential of literatherapy as a pedagogical tool is explored by (a) comparing an analysis of literatherapy as an experiential learning design with Shiryon's analysis of the three major components of literatherapy--client, literature, and therapy process; and (b) comparing the perspectives of literatherapy and interpersonal communication in terms of purpose, philosophical assumptions, process, and method.

The comparisons show that literatherapy is an appropriate interpersonal communication learning design if counselor intervention is eliminated and the goal of literatherapy is self-development, not resolution of personal problems. This study proposes a modification of the facilitator role, specific goals, and process to adapt literatherapy as a pedagogical tool. The modifications are grounded in dialogic, therapeutic, and rhetorical communication guidelines for facilitators; specific goals of flexible self-disclosure, expression of feelings, and cognitive complexity characterized in the concept of rhetorical sensitivity; and a three-stage process adapted from the feminist consciousness-raising group process. This study concludes that the modification of literatherapy permits its use as a consciousness-raising tool for interpersonal communication instruction when this procedure is followed: (a) presenting the imaginative literature selection; (b) encouraging objective and subjective responses to the literature as a life situation; (c) encouraging listening to others' ideas, opinions, and feelings; (d) summarizing commonalities and differences heard in the discussion; and (e) briefly explaining the concept of rhetorical sensitivity prior to discussion and debriefing the discussion in terms of the characteristics of rhetorical sensitivity.