This research reports on an ethnographic case study that explored and described the process of using bibliotherapy to address ecuadorian efl teenaged learners’ social and emotional needs, while developing their efl reading comprehension skills. nevertheless, although over the last decades, there has been an important increase in the practice and use of therapeutic reading in learning environments mainly in the u.s., where it is widely recognized as a useful tool to help with the mental growth and development of children and adolescents, its effects and helpfulness for ecuadorian efl teachers are not fully explored or documented. in light of this, this ethnographic case study was conducted at an ecuadorian private high-school to find out how effective and helpful therapeutic reading is by having teenaged students read selected self-help stories in efl over a nine-week period. the findings suggest that for the eleven participants.