Using Therapeutic Writing to resolve distress or tell our story is not new; Paleo man was using his hands through artwork on caves and telling us his story even if it were just to say, “I was here.” However, when working in a group situation; the combination of the written word, your thoughts and feelings and the support of your peers will heighten your experience of putting pen to paper.
Therapeutic Writing gives us a space to say on paper that which we cannot or (did not) put into words whether it’s an apology to the self, a longing to speak to a loved one whether ‘passed-on’ or present or simply a way to learn why we did what we did and do what we do; the pen doesn’t lie.
In this workshop; I’ll do a brief introduction, we’ll do a check in as an ice-breaker and a ‘safety check’ (what is ok to talk about and what’s not ok to talk about) in other words, keeping the self safe and respecting others’ boundaries and confidentiality.
We’ll use a combination of poems, prose and physical objects to bring to mind your thoughts about these, how it relates to you personally, how that promotes an emotional response (and why.) There’ll be break-out sessions so that you can discuss your findings with your peers in the safety of the small group. If we have time and you’re feeling up to it; we’ll do a light psycho-educational exercise on paper to get you motivated for the next step…transformation!
Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event
- Using Therapeutic Writing skills you will learn to gain new understanding of your thinking, behaviours and feelings.
- Becoming attuned to your thinking and feeling processes, you’ll gain a skill to respond to your mind’s chatter and your body’s warning.
- Learn skills to move forward, be more self-accepting and improve self-confidence.
Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?
- Therapeutic Writing is appropriate for adults over 16. For members of the general population who wish to learn techniques to reduce anxiety and symptoms of low mood and mild to moderate depression. For those working in caring professions, the techniques can be used over and over and offered to clients , patients or students as ways to work through difficult times often expressing thoughts and feelings not processed before.
How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?
- For those in the caring professions; Therapeutic Writing is a useful resource and coping mechanism to add to their toolkit.
Course Content
Presenter
I’ve been a counsellor since 2004 and psychotherapist since 2005. I also use EMDR for trauma-based problems. I love to write (creatively) in my spare time having completed an MA in Comedy Writing Skills and have also found that Therapeutic Writing is a great tool not just to quieten my own chatter, but to offer as a ‘take-home’ resource to clients.
I have found this particularly useful for clients who sometimes find it difficult to express themselves verbally including clients who have ADHD or identify as neurodiverse. Where physically writing is difficult, drawing or scribbling and doodling works too.
I try to keep fit during the week since most of my time is spent sitting down. When I’m not writing stuff down or working, I ride a motorbike; a win-win situation-fresh air without the effort.
