This morning, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, I was a guest on KUOW’s Weekday program with Steve Scher talking about writing and healing. For those of you who didn’t get to hear the show, you can go to the website and hear the podcast.
I will reiterate my basic messages here.
1) When children are sick, the whole family is affected.
2) Parents go through many stages of grief and loss, similar to stages of death and dying, on their journey with an ill child.
3) Using the arts, in this case writing, as a form of healing allows us to both feel our experience and learn to think without denying those feelings. The act of creation is both a way to re-energize our “wellsprings” and an opportunity to make sense and/or meaning out of our experiences.
Also, I didn’t get a chance to completely make a pitch for my writing workshop at Seattle Children’s Hospital, called Writing as a Righting Journey, so I want to do that here. This workshop is open to any parent with a child living with ongoing health issues. You do not have to be a writer, no experience needed. It is free. Please contact me for more information.
And if you want to read more of the poems that have come from my interviews/conversations with parents, please go to the online store here, to purchase a copy of What Cannot Be Swallowed. Tune in on Wednesday, Jan. 30th to KUOW between 2-3 pm to hear 2 of these poems..
I have a child who has a personality disorder (BPD) and it affects our whole family. I’m interested in the writing workshop you offer but live in Bellingham and am unable to go to classes in Seattle. Is there any information you could share online or in book form about some of the processes you use to journal?
Thank you –
Hello Heidi,
I am sorry to hear about your child and I understand how difficult it can be. You’ve asked a great question as it’s something I’ve been thinking about for those who can’t get to the workshop. I may end up writing a book but for now I’d recommend one called Writing for Emotional Balance by Beth Jacobs. PH.D. Here is a link to her web page. I sometimes use an exercise out of here and I think her basic ideas are similar to mine about connecting emotions and thinking.
If you want more or some other approaches, let me know and we can talk further.
Suzanne