The field of the therapeutic use of creative writing is here explored on two levels. In part one representative practitioners provide an overview of current work in the field, including the uses of the various genres of creative writing from poetry to autobiography and literary fiction. This section also contains many practical suggestions for writing techniques which can be used for personal development, whether working with writers' groups of with the client groups in health care and social services. The second part of the book explores the theoretical background to the therapeutic uses of creative writing. Representing a wide range of different approaches, the contributors provide an introduction to thinking about the practice of creative writing in a personal development context as well as including suggestions for further reading.
Part 1 Current practice of creative writing in personal development: Writing and the self - the role of the emotion in the finding of a writing voice, Celia Hunt; The self as source - creative generated from personal reflection, Cheryl Moskowitz; Metaphor and metamorphosis - creative writing and mental health , Graham Hartill; Using creative writing with people with learning disability, Fiona Sampson; Writing or pills? therapeutic writing in primary health care, Gillie Bolton; Final fiction? creative writing and terminally ill people, Colin Archer; Creative writing and dementia sufferers, John Killicks. Part 2 Theoretical contexts for creative writing in personal development: Thinking about language as our way through the world - ideas of self and symbol in psychoanalysis and philosophy, Fiona Sampson; The empty word and the full word - a psychoanalytic discussion of the notion of 'finding a voice', Trevor Pateman; writing, the self and the social process, Mary Stuart; The creative word and the created life - the educational context for deep autobiography, Peter Abbs; Creative writing and the psychotherapeutic process, Celia Hunt; The transformative effect of reading, Janet Campbell; Towards a writing therapy? future developments in theory and practice, Fiona Sampson, Celia Hunt.
This collection of essays will surely be welcome in all kinds of contexts. The editors have collected a fascinating range of material, all complementing each other, and providing an overview of the current thinking about how creative writing is a form of therapy or at least, a tool for self-knowledge. The essays cover general formal concepts such as the wonderful Peter Abbs on autobiography to the applications of writing in workshop and therapeutic sessions. The book introduces a subject that ought to take centre stage in writing courses: creativity as a satisfying end in itself, rather than something that leads to huge advances and reading tours. In other words, the writers here are aware that we live in a society in which emotional and spiritual communication are being increasingly marginalised rather than being a focal part of our ways of living together. Gillie Bolton's work with GPs, for instance, is partly about the nature of doctors as family members, listeners and friends ... I can't recall the last time I read such a positive, life-affirming book on what is often called ""arts in society"" as if it were a concept grafted onto ""reality"" in some way. Some of the work here uses literary theory and some keeps the focus firmly on the practical and immediate; but what all the essays offer is a selection of fresh approaches to areas we all seem to be aware of in conversation, but rarely have the chance to develop or satisfy our curiosity. The lines of thought here are so thought-provoking that some of the investigations and enquiries should lead to more substantial work in the future. This is a timely statement of intent from all of us involved in proving that writing is not simply a kitchen table hobby for would-be novelists, but something deep and integral to the personality. It is a need and professionals in classrooms and in clinics are recognising this. I know that I shall be using some of the ideas here to add to my resources for teaching, particularly in courses on writing for community and writing autobiography, largely because the spirit of the book is about transformations.
