Tag: Writing as Healing

Writing Prompts

How to write away your anxiety and depression

Mandy Webster

I’ve been writing from a young age and have spent countless hours journaling over the years. However, for some reason I’ve fallen out of the habit in my old(er?) age and tend to only pull out my journal once in a great while when I’m in the middle of something big. Recently, I was reminded by one of my favorite YouTube therapists (licensed), Emma McAdam, of the value of writing to improve mental health. She’s the expert, so I’ll drop her video here and let her give you the details on the science. But I thought I’d also share McAdams’ list to make it easier to refer back to. So scroll down to read more and grab that list.

Emma McAdams’ 6 Ways to Process Your Feelings in Writing: How to Journal for Anxiety and Depression

In her video, McAdams suggests that you spend about ten minutes a day writing with the intent to improve your mental health. It’s important to approach this task in the right way however, as focusing too much on “fixing yourself” can backfire. For example, one commenter says, “Emotional processing is writing what “was” and “is” not what “will be” or is “supposed to be.” When I was unconsciously slipping into problem solving mode or hopeful thinking mode, I tried to fix myself instead of processing my feelings of what made me feel this way. It’s like I gaslighted myself unknowingly.” So be sure to focus on processing and understanding rather than fixing yourself. Understanding leads to acceptance, which then paves the path to healing.

Continue reading “How to write away your anxiety and depression” →
Bibliography, Writing Prompts

Annotated Bib: “Let Me Tell You a Story”

Mandy Webster

Glitter and Trauma
Bonus writing prompt: Write a story about this picture. | Glitter and Trauma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry comes from Rachel Spear, who argues that students may act as witnesses to trauma as enacted in trauma stories. You may view the full text here.

Annotated Bib Entry

Spear, Rachel N. “Let Me Tell You A Story.” Pedagogy 14.1 (2014): 53-79. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.

In this article, Rachel Spear argues that teaching trauma narratives should not focus only on the trauma and the students’ response to the trauma. Instead, she argues that teaching trauma narratives can have a transformational effect on students as well as the teacher and the writer of the trauma narrative. Spear uses what she refers to as a “wounded healer pedagogy” which incorporates the healing of all participants. She also outlines a Writing as Healing course that she created to address these issues in the classroom. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: “Let Me Tell You a Story”” →

Bibliography

Annotated Bib: “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors”

Mandy Webster

This week’s Annotated Bibliography entry analyzes an article by Sam Taylor, Helen Leigh-Phippard, and Alec Grant. You may view the full text here.

Annotated Bib Entry

Taylor, Sam, Helen Leigh-Phippard, and Alec Grant. “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors.” International Practice Development Journal 4.1 (2014): 1-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.


Embed from Getty Images

This paper discusses a research project based on the topic of “writing for recovery narrative practice development” (1). The participants consisted of mental health “service users,” caregivers for service users, and survivors of trauma. Participants were provided with a safe place to explore creative writing activities in an effort to reduce the stress of writing and to develop a creative environment where they could find their own individual “writing voices” (1). The major purpose of this project was to help participants use creative writing to work toward recovering from traumatic personal experiences and to create “social meaning” out of those experiences. Continue reading “Annotated Bib: “Writing For Recovery: A Practice Development Project For Mental Health Service Users, Carers And Survivors”” →