Write Yourself: Creative Writing and Personal Development

Contents

• 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.