Expressive writing is life-based writing that focuses on authentic expression of lived experience, with resultant insight, growth, and skill-building. Therapists, coaches, healthcare professionals, and educators have known for decades that expressive writing is a powerful tool for better living, learning, and healing. But until now, few have had access to practical applications that have proven successful.
In this groundbreaking collection, youll discover:
how expressive writing can call us into healing communityexciting new discoveries about how writing can support neuroplasticity and actually help change our brainsand thus our thinking and behaviornew research on the role of expressive writing for prevention of compassion fatigue in RNshow transformative writing can create art from the ashes of traumathe role of journal writing for emotional balancesensible ideas about the synergy of expressive writing and play therapy for children, teens, and adultsinterventions and strategies for the use of expressive writing in acute psychiatric carehow interactive expressive writing helps deaf teens communicate inarticulate feelings and thoughtshow cancer survivors can use expressive writing to reclaim identity and strength post-treatmentthe role of expressive writing in developing the roots of resilience for practitioners

Kate Thompson, MA, CJT, is an existential counselor, journal therapist and writer. She pioneered the use of therapeutic writing in counseling and supervision in the UK. She now lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Kathleen Adams, MA, LPC, is psychotherapist, journal therapist, and international thought leader in the field of expressive/ therapeutic writing. She is the director of the Center for Journal Therapy and its online professional training division, the Therapeutic Writing Institute, in Denver. This is her eleventh book.

Foreword

Preface
Kathleen Adams

Section 1: Theory

In This Together:
Writing in Health and Social Care
Graham Hartill and
Victoria Field
Your Brain on Ink: Expressive
Writing and Neuroplasticity
Deborah Ross
Expressive Writing for Caregiver Resilience: A Research Perspective
John Evans,
Meredith Mealer,
Karen Jooste, and
Marc Moss
Writing the Darkness:
A Transformative Writing Model
Sherry Reiter
Emotional Balance,
the Therapy Session, and the Journal
Beth Jacobs

Section 2: Practice

WOWSA! Play-Based Journal Therapy
Cherie Spehar
Therapeutic Writing in Psychiatric Care
Carol Ross
Now That I See:
Journal Writing with Deaf Teens
Donna Houston
Roots of Resilience:
Writing for Practitioner Self-Care
Susan Smith Pierce
Creating a New Story after Brain Injury
Barbara Stahura
After the Deep Dive:
Reflections on Writing beyond Cancer
Jean Rowe

Epilogue

Honoring Silence
Jeannie Wright and
Kate Thompson
About the Editors and Contributors

Acknowledgments