http://ifbpt.org/about-ifbpt/history/
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR BIBLIO/POETRY THERAPY
HISTORY TIME-LINE
100 AD Soranus, Roman physician, becomes the first
poetry therapist in recorded history, prescribing tragedy for manic
patients and comedy for depressed patients to balance mood1751 Pennsylvania Hospital becomes the first incorporated hospital in the US. Mentally ill patients are prescribed reading and writing treatments, and patient work is published in their newspaper, The Illuminator
1916 The term “bibliotherapy” first used by Samuel Crothers
1928 Eli Greifer, poet, pharmacist, and lawyer, begins a campaign to show poetry’s healing power
1932 Romanian-born Jacob Moreno introduces group psychotherapy to The American Psychiatric Association. Moreno founds psychodrama, and uses the term “psychopoetry” to describe the use of selected literature in his work
1950’s Group therapy models proliferate, some including theme-appropriate readings to help participants deal with their issues
1959 Eli Greifer facilitates a poetry therapy group at Cumberland Hospital with supervising psychiatrists Dr. Jack J Leedy and Dr. Sam Spector
1969 Dr. Leedy joins Ann White, Gilbert Schloss PhD, and Morris R. Morrison PhD to draft first set of standards for credentialing in the field of poetry therapy
1970’s Several training institutes spring up, including the Poetry Therapy Institute founded by Arthur Lerner. Arleen Hynes, librarian at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington DC, establishes the Bibliotherapy Roundtable. Morris Morrison founds the American Academy of Poetry Therapy in Austin, TX. Jennifer Bosveld creates the Ohio Poetry Therapy Center and Library in Columbus
1976 Rosalie Brown appointed as first Federal Bibliotherapist
1980 Vice President of APT Sherry Reiter calls board meeting inviting field leaders to discuss creating a nationally recognized creative arts therapy organization. Group includes Jack Leedy MD, Morris M Morrison PhD, Akhter Ashen PhD, Arleen M. Hynes, Rosalie Brown, Art Berger MEd, George L Bell DiMn, Joy Shaman, Anthony Pietropinto MD, Deborah Sklarew Langosch MSW, Gilbert Schloss PhD, Sherry Reiter MA.
On May 17, 1980, original board members sign this mission statement:
We propose to form a United Federation for the purpose of insuring Ethics, Standards, Uniform Training Requirements, in the field of Biblio and Poetry Therapy, and, in addition, to discuss mutual problems and related professional matters.
1980 APT becomes National Association for Poetry Therapy, a national non-profit organization.
Arleen Hynes becomes steering committee chair and first President of the future National Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy, charged with being the certifying body for trained poetry therapists
1983 Incorporation of National Association for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (NFBPT)
1999 The Academy of American Poets establishes April as National Poetry Month
2002 National Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (formerly the NAPT Credentialing Committee) is established as totally independent of NAPT for purposes of setting and maintaining standards of training and ethical practice, reviewing applications for initial training and credentialing upon training completion. NFBPT thus becomes the only autonomous organization authorized to grant certification or registration in poetry therapy
2002 NAPT becomes the official, independent membership organization for poetry therapists, applied poetry facilitators, and other word arts practitioners, providing information and publications, support for education, research, and training, promoting growth of the field, holding an annual conference, and more
2006 NFBPT credential renewal fees become independent of NAPT membership dues
2010 NFBPT requires continuing education training credit for all credential renewals
2012 NFBPT endorses the online Therapeutic Writing Institute as first approved training program in therapeutic writing
2013 Former President of NFBPT, Susan deWardt, travels to South Korea and establishes Cooperation Agreement for Korean Poetry Therapy Program between NFBPT and Korean Nazarene University; de Wardt also visits Finland as invited speaker to European Conference on Autobiographical Writing and Bibliotherapy at Palmenia Institute, University of Helsinki
2013 Victoria Field of the UK becomes first international candidate for training as a Mentor/Supervisor
2014 NFBPT becomes International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT)
April 2014 IFBPT sponsors first professional development symposium just prior to NAPT Annual Conference to foster awareness of ethical practices, professional marketing strategies, business planning, online teaching, and other issues of growing and promoting the field
