The Poetry Therapy Process
About writing, E M Forster has said, “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” For Ted Hughes, writing was about “trying to take fuller possession of the reality of … life.”
As human beings we share universal experiences: of joy, sorrow, loss, love, fear, uncertainty, indeed of every emotion that it is possible for a person to feel. When we turn to the page, whether to read or to write, it is often with a desire to make meaning of our thoughts and feelings, and to find a commonality – to realise that someone else has thought or felt the same way.
Poetry Therapy/Bibliotherapy is a process that provides the opportunity to access and process thoughts and feelings in a supportive and creative environment. As a trained Poetry Therapy Practitioner you will use your skills and resources with those you work with to:
help develop creativity, self-expression and greater self-esteem
help develop accuracy and understanding in perceiving self and others
help strengthen interpersonal skills and communication skills
help find meaning through new ideas, insights and information
help promote positive change and increase coping skills and adaptive functions
The Six Steps of Poetry Therapy (Hynes and Weisberger)
Reading – a poem or prose and identifying with its issues, themes, sentiment
Exploring – ones own feelings
Creating – in response to the above through writing and/or other creative processes
Juxtaposing – the responses and views of others and perhaps rethinking ones own
Reframing – in the light of new ideas, thoughts, insights, realisations
Taking Action – by making positive change