Writing Therapy: Meaning And Application

Since poets and storytellers have chronicled and portrayed the cathartic sensation of putting pen to paper throughout history, it is simple to recognize the therapeutic writing's potential. It's easy to think that effective healing and personal development are just a few minutes of writing away when reading great literature from such poets and storytellers, but that's not the case.

What is Writing Therapy?

The cost-effective, convenient, and adaptable therapeutic method is known as writing therapy. It can be carried out alone, with only the individual and his pen, or under the supervision of a mental health expert. It may be practiced in a group setting with writing-related group discussions. It could even be used in addition to another type of therapy.

Writing therapy is a technique that uses the act of writing to promote health and emotional well-being. The process of WT has been integrated into specific psychotherapies with the aim of treating specific mental disorders (in particular PTSD and depression). WT has been used as a helpful strategy to increase psychological well-being in a number of Positive Interventions (PI).

Writing therapy has demonstrated therapeutic results in the expansion of traumatic situations since James Pennebaker's initial research. Expressive and creative writing has recently been discovered to have positive impacts on both physical and psychological health. Clinicians now employ writing to develop personal identity and purpose through the use of autobiographical writing, switching from a distress-oriented approach to an instructional one.

A diary is a place where thoughts, ideas, reflections, self-evaluations, and self-assurances can be privately recorded. It can be regarded as a kind of logbook. Journaling differs from therapeutic writing in that the writer is not given precise guidelines on the topics and writing approaches to be used, as is the case with therapeutic writing.

Writing approaches are frequently included in talking treatments because they both encourage the organizing, acceptance, and integration of memories in the development of self-understanding. However, it has been discovered that expressive writing may be used well as a "stand-alone" method to treat the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Writing therapy is now more formally known as "expressive writing" or "written disclosure therapy," and studies are starting to suggest that it may benefit a number of ailments, from anxiety and depression to an improvement in blood pressure and asthma. However, writing is not a cure-all for all problems. While for some it may not be a natural or appropriate form of expression, for others it may be a means of letting go of the weight of the unwritten narrative.

Traditional Applications of Writing Techniques

The expressive writing technique developed by Pennebaker (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986), the autobiography, and the use of a diary in conventional cognitive behavioral therapy are just a few instances of writing therapy's clinical uses.

James Pennebaker − The Paradigm of Expressive Writing. The therapeutic effects of writing were first researched by James Pennebaker. He created a technique known as expressive writing, which involves putting emotions and thoughts into written words in order to deal with upsetting or traumatic occurrences.

In accordance with Pennebaker, what makes writing therapeutic is that the writer freely recognizes and embraces their emotions, enabling them to express their suppressed sentiments and create a meaningful narrative.

In expressive writing, a key part consists of feeling entirely honest and free to write whatever, in a secure and private atmosphere without necessarily discussing the material with a listener or the therapist.

The Use of the Diary in CBT − The journal is a particularly helpful tool for self-observation since Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets thought patterns, unhelpful beliefs, and dysfunctional behaviors (Butler et al., 2006). It comprises a written exercise where the client is required to record the time and place of a stressful scenario, the automatic thinking it triggers, the associated feelings, and the conduct that results.

Writing a structured journal is supposed to help clients become more conscious of the habitual ideas and beliefs that are influencing their emotions and behaviors, according to the classic CBT technique. The journal then enables cognitive restructuring processes, whereby negative, automatic ideas are examined and altered to provide a more realistic attitude toward life events and challenging circumstances.

Thus, keeping a structured journal under the supervision of the therapists as the patient progresses through the various stages of therapy is one of the writing approaches used in CBT. Although the diary in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is specially intended to address symptoms and distress, it can also result in cognitive changes, maturity, and better self-awareness at the conclusion of the clinical process.

Benefits of Writing Therapy

Spending time on therapeutic writing can initially seem a little unnecessary. However, doing so has a number of benefits, some of which are as follows −

Writing by Hand Helps You to Slow Down − One significant psychological advantage of handwriting down your ideas is that it causes you to slow down. According to research, the majority of us frequently use "technology multitasking."

But multitasking doesn't matter when you concentrate on handwriting down your ideas. When you write by hand, you have to pay attention, which requires that you be present. That alone is a win for mental and emotional well-being in the fast-paced world of today.

Writing Down Your Thoughts is a Therapeutic Exercise − We have a natural want to express ourselves as people. In fact, self-expression itself may operate as a powerful motivator for achievement and personal fulfilment. Unfortunately, it may be challenging to locate someone who can serve as our sounding board and listen while we share our worries, aspirations, hopes, and disappointments.

This is when writing for therapeutic purposes comes into play. The beauty of writing therapy is that you may express yourself whenever you choose, without immediately needing approval from someone else. Writing down your thoughts may aid in self-understanding, perspective-shifting, and even the generation of comforting problem-solving ideas.

Writing Therapy Helps You to Practice Mindfulness − We have a tendency to continuously gaze forward or backward, to worry about what the future may contain or to dwell on the past. We can become more present when we write. We get the chance to investigate our own awareness and analyze ourselves in a "judgment-free zone" while we write for therapeutic purposes. By being in the present, we can also achieve more inner peace.

Conclusion

Writing therapy is a very versatile approach that may be used as a stand-alone treatment or as a supplement to other therapies because of its many varied uses. WT may have positive effects on both symptoms and psychological health. In reality, writing has shown significant promise for fostering inner resources, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.