Words That Heal: An Introduction to Poetry Therapy - Charmaine Pollard

Writing can play a powerful role in our journeys of self-discovery. It bears witness to our experiences, which include successes, desires, difficulties and frustrations.

Research over the last 30 years has found links between writing, health and wellbeing. Poetry therapy, in simple terms, is about using the written word to promote healing and growth. By writing and reflecting on our own words, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and, in turn, prepare for meaningful change.

This experiential and interactive workshop introduces poetry therapy through a variety of practical exercises. There will also be some brief theoretical discussions to explain the rationale behind the exercises. Each month you will be guided through a new poem and a selection of writing activities followed by opportunities for discussion. We will use carefully chosen poems, prompts and self-reflective writing to spark conversation and uncover insights.

No previous experience of poetry or expressive writing is required.

Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event

• You will have encountered the core principles behind poetry therapy and have experienced them in action for yourself.
• You will familiarise yourself with a range of therapeutic and reflective writing techniques for working personally, with clients or with groups.
• You will discover the benefits of using creativity to process feelings that are sometimes hidden and difficult to talk about and feel more confident in introducing this powerful tool in your own practice.

Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?

• This workshop will be of interest to people who enjoy journalling, healthcare professionals, counsellors, therapists, coaches and for people who want to use therapeutic writing for personal satisfaction or professional development.

How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?

• This workshop will help you consider how to utilise creativity, poetry and writing in your own practice or for yourself as a self-care ritual.

This workshop will be hosted on the Zoom meeting platform where we will use our cameras and microphones to interact with each other as a group.

The self-select fee is a radical inclusion policy to open learning for all colleagues. The guide price for this event is £20.00, however, we appreciate that income varies greatly in different locations and circumstances. Please contribute what you can to help us maintain inclusive professional training.

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All the colleagues at ONLINEVENTS and the presenters we collaborate with are committed to working in a manner consistent with the BACP Ethical Framework, which can be accessed on the link below. When registering for this event you are agreeing to be present and interact in a manner that is consistent with this Framework.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/

Charmaine Pollard is a BACP accredited/ registered counsellor, life coach and a certified poetry therapist, accredited with the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy in the USA.

She has extensive experience in implementing therapeutic writing programmes in a wide range of settings both nationally and internationally, most recently in Berlin. She has facilitated poetry therapy groups in: schools, prisons, churches, libraries, museums, clinical settings and in the community.

She is author of Writing for Resilience, a workbook designed to improve your resilience and well-being through poetry and self-reflective writing.

Website | www.charmainepollardcounselling.co.uk

Event Venue

Online