Where else do we have a forum to be our most unfiltered, authentic selves?
Creating that space to be vulnerable and unfiltered in writing sessions with a licensed therapista.k.a.
To understand what makes writing therapy so powerful, we asked three trained therapists to break it down.
Design by Channing Smith
What is writing therapy?
Writing can provide a safe space where we are free to be totally honest and unfiltered.
It can be all over the place.
It should really be a matter of you releasing.
Whats the difference between writing therapy and journaling?
Writing therapy is not the same as journaling, Dr. Plummer stresses.
Sometimes people are journaling just for reflection, Dr. Plummer explains.
Journaltherapy, however, is a therapeutic process focused on improving your mental well-being through writing about stressful experiences.
There are different intentions that go into the work, she explains.
We want to see to it that a person doesnt spiral, says Dr. Plummer.
When you open an emotional wound, someone needs to be there as a healer.
What are the health benefits of writing therapy?
Leaving things on the page can provide that extra closure that we need to stop repetitive thinking cycles.
Research showsthat writing can actually help rewire your brain.
Put another way, writing helps your brain move an experience from raw feeling into rational thought.
Then we move it forward to the amygdala, which is where a lot of our emotions are.
Traumatic experiences linger here, generating strong emotional responses when triggered.
Writing about an emotional experience or stressful event through journal therapy can help you form a more cohesive narrative.
By writing our stories, we can start to define the meaning behind them, Haigh says.
This is a very important and empowering part of healing, especially when we are talking about traumatic experiences.
Is writing therapy right for you?
We all process information differently, and some process more internally than externally, says Hendrix.
For some, verbally processing a traumatic event with someone they trust comes naturally.
But not everyone can use clear words to express themselves in a conversation on the spot, she says.
And thats perfectly okay.
How to do writing therapy
Step one: Engage a therapist.
This can help reduce the shame that clients feel about traumatic experiences.
Giving you a time limit helps prevent spiraling, she says.
Dr. Plummer sometimes has her clients stand and write on chart paper on the wall.
Not everybody wants to sit when they’re recalling trauma or negativity, she explains.
The body gets anxious as a defense and survival mechanism.
When you have the chart paper up, you might stand and you might move.
The timeframe is still important because we dont want open any wound for too long.
Nor would you want to engage in writing therapy right before a meeting with your boss, for example.
Ideally, writing sessions would be followed by a self-care practice or something that also benefits your physical health.
Macaela MacKenzie is a writer and editor specializing in wellness.
