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HOW IS EXPRESSIVE WRITING USED AS HEALING?Creative writing, journal writing and poetry therapy have been used over the years for many purposes. Children, adolescents and adults with physical, emotional, developmental and emotional disorders can benefit from expressing themselves through writing. The written word has a powerful effect in that it allows feelings and thoughts that have been internalized over time to finally be externalized and be seen and heard by others who are experiencing similar issues. Isolation decreases, connections are made and the creative process has the ability to enhance and affect a person’s sense of well being.
WHAT CAN ONE EXPECT WHEN ATTENDING A WORKSHOP OR SESSION USING EXPRESSIVE WRITING AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL?
When attending a writing/therapy group, a theme is selected based on group’s needs. Writings by published writers (poetry, quotations, brief writings) are presented to the group. One group member reads the selected piece aloud while the others have a copy of the writing in front of them.Feelings and thoughts about what has been read are shared after a piece has been read aloud. Each group member is encouraged to respond pertaining to his or her ideas or feelings that have been evoked by what they have heard. Prior to doing a 5 minute write, members are encouraged to chose a word, a sentence or a line from the piece just read by the group. Using that as a prompt, members are give 3 to 5 minutes to write quickly, observing afterwards where the chosen sentence has taken them in their writing. By using a quick writing method, one is engaging the intuitive rather than the logical part of the mind. Through expressive writing, feelings and ideas often emerge that are not easily verbalized in traditional forms of group psychotherapy. Clients share their writings if they desire and discussion is then based on feelings and emotions that are evoked by these writings. Some members chose to rework these as poems or journal entries at a later time. (No previous writing experience is ever necessary to work in this way).
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