A Mile in My Shoes: An Exploration and Exercise in Expressive Writing

Format

Workshop

First Presenter's Institution

Five Stones Counseling

First Presenter’s Email Address

Jo@FiveStones.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Jo Crosby, M.Ed., LPC, combines over twenty-five years of clinical counseling experience with a love for teaching and writing. She leads workshops and retreats on various topics, helping people build strong, healthy relationships. As a clinician, she has extensive training in play therapy, child abuse and neglect, and sexual assault; she has a passion for grief work, relationship issues, and marital therapy. Having worked with children, adolescents, and adults, she brings a unique blend of creativity, insight, and seriousness to her office. A published author, and enjoys helping others tell their story in effective, creative ways.

Location

Session Four Breakouts (Sloane)

Strand #1

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Expressive Writing is an effective means used to promote the mental health of all children and youth. It is utilized, supported, and validated by multiple counseling approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Positive Psychology, and Narrative Therapy. Having used the techniques of expressive writing for the entirety of my practice with children, youth, and adults, I am confident in the applicability and relevance.

Brief Program Description

We all have a story to tell. To share. To teach. An exploration and exercise in expressive writing, this workshop is designed to be creative, interesting, and applicable. Participants will explore a story from their life while gaining insight and resources to help others. The unique perspective gained from A Mile in My Shoes will be relevant to working with youth. All materials will be provided.

Summary

The young people we engage and work with have valuable stories to tell. Valuable stories to share. Valuable stories to teach. Coming alongside them, we have an opportunity to invite the conversations and welcome the lessons. Most importantly, we have a front row seat to the moments of healing, hope, courage, and change than can take place when we foster communication, particularly storytelling, in the counseling or helping process. Maya Angelou says it this way, “When the storyteller tells the truth, she reminds us that human beings are more alike than unalike... A story is what it's like to be a human being-to be knocked down and to miraculously arise. Each one of us has arisen, awakened. We do rise.” Storytelling is both an old heritage and an evolving tradition. In simple form, it is the standard way we share our lives. Feelings, thoughts, experiences, memories, imagination, and dreams can go into a story along with listening, sharing, connecting, hope, and healing. And to borrow from Angelou, storytelling lends itself to both truth telling and resilience. It can be a vehicle for growth. These concepts work together to make up the complex nature of storytelling and form the unique beauty and benefits of expressive writing. Further, these concepts – listening, sharing, hope, healing, resilience etc. -- serve a vital role in the overall counseling process. As helpers, we guide the process of telling the story and utilize various forms of expressive writing to assist clients. We can give the youth in our care the tools to tell, teach, and rise. The value of therapeutic writing is supported by multiple counseling approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Positive Psychology, and Narrative Therapy. The workshop, A Mile in My shoes: An Exploration and Exercise in Expressive Writing is an interactive workshop. It will focus on fostering both storytelling and story perspective which in turn increases insight and understanding. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in personal, hands-on writing activities while learning about the benefits of expressive writing and how to apply the techniques to help youth. Imagine all that can be learned from a mile in our shoes. All materials will be provided.

Evidence

Expressive Writing is supported by and utilized as an effective counseling method in multiple therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Positive Psychology, and Narrative Therapy.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to identify and discuss the therapeutic benefits of storytelling/expressive writing.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to build upon and enhance their story processing skills as they relate to counseling and/or helping youth.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to engage in activities that promote understanding and foster insight into the positive effects of expressive writing and be able to apply this knowledge in their field.

Keyword Descriptors

Expressive Writing, Storytelling, Narrative Therapy, Mental Health, Counseling, Youth, Therapeutic Writing

Presentation Year

2023

Start Date

3-7-2023 8:30 AM

End Date

3-7-2023 9:45 AM

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Mar 7th, 8:30 AM Mar 7th, 9:45 AM

A Mile in My Shoes: An Exploration and Exercise in Expressive Writing

Session Four Breakouts (Sloane)

We all have a story to tell. To share. To teach. An exploration and exercise in expressive writing, this workshop is designed to be creative, interesting, and applicable. Participants will explore a story from their life while gaining insight and resources to help others. The unique perspective gained from A Mile in My Shoes will be relevant to working with youth. All materials will be provided.