What exactly is Writing Therapy?

Writing Therapy has been a therapeutic tool for health professionals since the early 80s, it is particularly useful for anyone who suffers from stress, anxiety and depression and has been scientifically proven not only to be of benefit to mental health but for physical health as well.

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Writing Therapy can also be called Reflective Writing because it enables people to self-reflect and express their feelings; it is commonly used as a short-term tool by the medical profession to help people understand why they might be feeling the way they do, it creates a pathway that often helps identify common behaviour patterns that are causing ill-health. This type of treatment can also be used with people who have suffered a trauma. 

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Although Writing Therapy and Journaling might be similar, Writing therapy is typically time specific and is often carried out over a 6 to 8 week period with no more than 4 x 20 minute sessions per week. The patient is then encouraged to reflect on their writing. Typically writing is kept private and patients will not show their writing to anyone, although of course they can if they feel comfortable doing so. For each Writing Therapy session patients are encouraged to write about their feelings, how their day has gone, what was good or bad about it, whether there were any setbacks or progress. 

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Whilst Writing Therapy might end after the treatment period, patients who have found this type of therapy beneficial, may carry on and this is where the cross-over to journaling might begin. 

Journaling takes many guises including travel, nature, recipes, planning, gratitude and daily life writing. Many people who regularly journal may also include artwork, calligraphy, news snippets and memorabilia. Ryder Carroll who invented the Bullet Journal method credits journaling with the opportunity to 'declutter your packed mind so you can finally examine your thoughts from an objective distance.'

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The advantage to using Writing Therapy or Journaling as a treatment is that it is highly meditative, as with any creative activity whether cooking from scratch, painting, sketching or dressmaking; Writing Therapy and Journaling forces you to be in the moment, it's impossible to express your feelings in ink without being totally absorbed in the activity, and this is mindfulness personified; it calms, it focusses the mind and helps us make sense of the world around us. Salli describes the importance journaling has been in her life here.

When Writing Therapy is combined with mindfulness, good nutrition and positive lifestyle choices the beneficial effects are magnified.  Find out how you can get started here. 

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