Write Yourself: Creative Writing and Personal Development

Foreword by Nicholas F. Mazza, Ph.D. Acknowledgements. Preface. Part 1: Creative Personal Writing - What, Why, How, Who When, Where. 1. Becoming Our Own Shaman: Introduction to Therapeutic Creative Writing. 2. 'A Story of Gaining Understanding and Insight': How to Begin. 3. 'I Got in Touch with Myself': Values, Principles, Practice. Part 2:Writing with Specific Groups. 4. 'Secrets Kept Safe and Sound': Children Writing. 5. 'Writing is a Way of Saying Things I Can't Say': Writing with the Very Sick. 6. 'Keep Taking the Words': Writing to Help with Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health. 7. 'Follow the Wings of the Imagination': Writing and Therapy or Counselling. 8. 'Writing Gives us Wings so We Can Fly': Writing in Substance and Alcohol Abuse Treatment. 9. 'Ideas Hunt Me, Catch Me, Make Me Write': Writing for Victims of Torture and Asylum Seekers. 10. A Craft to Take You Through Storms, and Keep You Still': Writing in Prison. 11. Understanding Misunderstanding: Reflective Writing for Professional Development. Part 3: How to Run Groups Conclusion. 12. Mystery and Mastery: Running Therapeutic Creative Writing Groups. 13. 'It Helped Me Get Involved with Myself': Running Residential Writing Groups. 14. 'Tread Softly Because You Tread on My Dreams': Conclusion, a Conversation Between Juhani Ihanus and Gillie Bolton. Appendix: Writing Exercises by Theme. Bibliography. Index.