A writing for therapy tool kit.
Where would you like to start?
A writing for therapy diary? Write words of self expression and encouragement every day. Add on achievable goals.
Write a letter to yourself from an imagined person.
Write a letter to someone else – real or unreal. Post it, bin it or keep it.
Write a past problem you cannot change and ‘carefully’ burn it.
Make yourself a character in a story and write your own different life. See if any goals come up – like reading – it can be escapism. Ask yourself, What would I have my character do?’
Write down what you would like to say to someone – give it to them or practice saying it in a good way. If you can’t say or give it to them at least you have told the paper.
N.B. You don’t have to be good at your language skills – just imaginative as to how you can use what you know.
If you are happy writing you can improve your skills if you want to. Read books on how to, join a writing group, go to writing events in your area or in a different country. If you say you are not good at writing, but want to learn my experience of writers is they are caring people and they will help you.
Write a sketch with someone like you in it and create characters who speak with you or back to you.
Personification is giving an animal or object human characteristics. You can use this in your writing.
Write a plan for discovering something new – new music – the natural world – friendships – new places, etc.
Look to move on – answers are not always looking back.
Case study.
1 A precious daughter fell out with her mother when the father died. The mother didn’t understand why. Trying to address the problem proved fruitless. The mother used a word association to see if anything could be done ‘now’. When the answer was that the relationship could not be forced the mother wrote of her feelings and made a plan to move herself on and quietly hope that that the relationship would mend in time.
Her creative word association helped her to make a plan, including travel and a new hobby or two. If or when her daughter settled back into the relationship the mother would be a stronger, happier person – that was the goal for a diary.
2 Bullying is an often internalised situation. ‘Don’t speak to anyone’ – OK don’t, but you can write your thoughts and feelings down. Find a trusted person to share them with if you can. Make a plan to find written material on the internet or in a book – there is lots of help out there. Keep a record of events. It’s a small tool that students and people dealing with workplace bullies have found useful.
3. Slimming stories abound and unlike a lot of slimming advice, ideas for finding ways of helping yourself can be found through writing for therapy and sharing in a group, and the help you can give yourself and share is FREE. Keep a slimming diary, put notes on the fridge, make a shopping list, engage in an interesting hobby, add more ideas in the comments please.
Pick up a pen and paper take it with you everywhere.
I hope these ideas may be useful to all the readers of Writing for Therapy – Introduction.
You might like to read Romantic Comedy – A good read can always cheer you up.
Writing for pleasure, this is my book, and a wonderful means to express myself and make writing a way of life for me. – http://tinyurl.com/jgqpgyw paperback and ebook, internationally available on Amazon and other platforms.
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Marriage, A Journey and A Dog 