Katrin Den Elzen – författare

Writing can support our wellbeing even under the most difficult life circumstances, helping us to adapt to significant change, make sense of loss, improve our physical and emotional resilience, and foster personal growth. Numerous studies of Expressive Writing have confirmed this, and there are other established methodologies for practice. However, to date, few accounts have offered detailed descriptions showing how and why putting pen to paper can be so beneficial. This book delves deeply into the landscape of Writing-for-wellbeing and demonstrates the transformative power of writing in a wide range of contexts. Topics include personal trauma narratives within the Humanities; a participatory Writing-for-wellbeing study that demonstrates the effectiveness of writing in the context of grief and loss; surprise as the hidden mainspring of poetry''s therapeutic potency; the empowerment and healing potential offered by Black women’s blogs; playwriting positioning LGBTQIA+ identities as positive through stories of belonging; how writing workshops have helped newly literate Indigenous adults and other participants in the Australian outback; and how the smuggled writings of Behrouz Boochani have enabled global witnessing of the stories of refugees held in offshore detention. This resource sets out the theory and research at the foundation of Writing-for-wellbeing in close relation to full and engaging accounts of practice. It aims to make the topic accessible and affirms its place as an effective reconstructive practice alongside other expressive arts therapies, providing a holistic and inspiring resource for anyone wishing to practice, teach, or research Writing-for-wellbeing.

Writing can support our wellbeing even under the most difficult life circumstances, helping us to adapt to significant change, make sense of loss, improve our physical and emotional resilience, and foster personal growth. Numerous studies of Expressive Writing have confirmed this, and there are other established methodologies for practice. However, to date, few accounts have offered detailed descriptions showing how and why putting pen to paper can be so beneficial. This book delves deeply into the landscape of Writing-for-wellbeing and demonstrates the transformative power of writing in a wide range of contexts. Topics include personal trauma narratives within the Humanities; a participatory Writing-for-wellbeing study that demonstrates the effectiveness of writing in the context of grief and loss; surprise as the hidden mainspring of poetry''s therapeutic potency; the empowerment and healing potential offered by Black women’s blogs; playwriting positioning LGBTQIA+ identities as positive through stories of belonging; how writing workshops have helped newly literate Indigenous adults and other participants in the Australian outback; and how the smuggled writings of Behrouz Boochani have enabled global witnessing of the stories of refugees held in offshore detention. This resource sets out the theory and research at the foundation of Writing-for-wellbeing in close relation to full and engaging accounts of practice. It aims to make the topic accessible and affirms its place as an effective reconstructive practice alongside other expressive arts therapies, providing a holistic and inspiring resource for anyone wishing to practice, teach, or research Writing-for-wellbeing.

Living with loss: From grief to wellbeing offers the latest research on adapting to and making sense of bereavement and non-death losses. It evaluates the effectiveness of a range of therapeutic approaches, including various therapeutic writing methods, that facilitate the integration of loss.

Living with loss, whether through death or other causes, is one of the most challenging experiences we face. The COVID-19 pandemic had intensified the impact of these losses and increased the need for professional support and constructive therapeutic approaches. This book offers perspectives on resilience, the need for presence in bereavement, and the assessment of functional impairment following COVID-19 losses. It examines the realities of bereaved students in higher education, presents and explains compassion-focused grief therapy and meaning-focused narrative construction, and evaluates the therapeutic process of grief recovery. This volume also includes a participatory research study into the effectiveness of writing through loss and is aimed at clinicians, grief counselors, multi-disciplinary researchers, lecturers and practitioners of Writing-for-wellbeing, and will also be of value for those grieving a loved one or facing a non-death loss.

The chapters in this book were originally published as two special issues in British Journal of Guidance and Counselling.

Living with loss: From grief to wellbeing offers the latest research on adapting to and making sense of bereavement and non-death losses. It evaluates the effectiveness of a range of therapeutic approaches, including various therapeutic writing methods, that facilitate the integration of loss.

Living with loss, whether through death or other causes, is one of the most challenging experiences we face. The COVID-19 pandemic had intensified the impact of these losses and increased the need for professional support and constructive therapeutic approaches. This book offers perspectives on resilience, the need for presence in bereavement, and the assessment of functional impairment following COVID-19 losses. It examines the realities of bereaved students in higher education, presents and explains compassion-focused grief therapy and meaning-focused narrative construction, and evaluates the therapeutic process of grief recovery. This volume also includes a participatory research study into the effectiveness of writing through loss and is aimed at clinicians, grief counselors, multi-disciplinary researchers, lecturers and practitioners of Writing-for-wellbeing, and will also be of value for those grieving a loved one or facing a non-death loss.

The chapters in this book were originally published as two special issues in British Journal of Guidance and Counselling.