Write to Create Hope, Health & Happiness
“Writers write” and that’s what we’ll do. All are welcome.
You will be given space and tools. Maybe you’ll share your words. Maybe not. Your choice. Your words and experiences belong to you. But they will always be treated as they gift they are. So will you.
The power of the pen is available to everyone. Just as you don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from exercise, you don’t need to publish to benefit from the process of writing.
The practice itself is good for most everyone.
The focus is on free-writing exercises, getting words on the page and if you choose, sharing and listening. Free-writing together creates community and fuels creatively.
We gather to connect more deeply with ourselves, each other and the sacred creative.
Location: 8 Union St., Weymouth, MA 02189
Email [email protected]
“I slept crazy good after.” – Tricia from Free-Write Friday Night
Free-Write by Daylight… oh yeah!
Where do I sign up?
Su,
I’m finalizing my schedule this week and will then publish the calendar. It’s going to be weekly on Tues., Fri. and Sun. mornings. I’ll see how that goes and then have some workshops as well. It will be great to see and hear you!
Cis
Do you/Have you ever done any online workshops? Or have a list/book of prompts, exercises, & such that we could access to help us focus better on our trauma — as I know even thinking about it [the trauma], let alone writing about it & possibly sharing it with others — which we could use perhaps, per se, through our healing journey with our therapists. I know, quite often for me, when the subject [anything regarding my traumas] is even just is hardly mentioned, I freeze & immediately switch the subject from X to Y to Z & all around/back+forth — not purposely — without even realizing it then/in the moment unless it’s either poibted out to me/brought to my attention and/or sometimes after the appt, for example, while trying to remember & process even moreso what occurred/was said/how I was while I was in session. Please let me know if you do — [email protected] — and if not, maybe this may spark a creative blazing flame to write up such a “workbook”-type book, which then would be available from you to others anywhere across the globe?…
Dear PenPen:
I’ve not done online workshops. Yet.
But there are a few great resources.
1)Nancy Slonim Aronie teaches writing from the heart at Chilmark Writing workshop and also at Omega, Kripalu and other places. She’s great. I love her.
2)Laura Davis has a FREE group online, with prompts each week. She responds to all who write and the community, which I drop in and out of is very supportive. All writing levels. It’s not specifically writing about trauma but I have found it to be trauma sensitive though focused on writing.
3)If you are looking specifically TO WRITE ABOUT TRAUMA, Say It, Survivor is having a workshop in Weymouth, MA in June. I don’t think they do online classes but they are fabulous cousins.
All that shared and said, I personally allow myself to write about anything and let traumatic stuff emerge, or not, organically. I allow myself not to censor but also don’t force a topic. For me, that has the best results.
James Pennebaker also has excellent work, Opening Up and a new book out soon, about writing specifically to heal traumatic stress symptoms over a four-day period of consistently writing.
There’s a rule, I agree with, that sharing, unless it’s SUPER SAFE and ONLY YOU DECIDE THAT does more harm than good. TRUST YOURSELF. TRUST YOUR GUIDANCE. Go wherever you want and also don’t go where you don’t want to go.
I hope that helps.
Cissy
I am in my 60s and I recently talked with a local Neurofeedback Center. When I told the owner that I was dealing with Developmental Trauma he said it might take me 5 years of neurofeedback, due to how longstanding the probable brain imbalance has been. At that rate this would cost me well over $10,000. I was wondering if this has been your experience, that with seniors, it is doubtful to get improvement unless they have plenty of resources in both time and money..
thank you.
HI Carol:
I have heard the cost to be at least $5,000 and I too have been unable to afford it despite thinking it’s probably amazing! I know some places have studies and you can get covered that way. I’ve not found any. I’ve called countless therapists who do not cover this as part of regular therapy. I wish I had a more hopeful response. What you have found is what I have found. I have found this is true, as well, for people of many ages. However, I still think yoga, guided imagery and other remedies can help create safety and promote healing but I think the remedies are not as quick. But they are much more affordable and do offer relief. That I know as does expressive writing. Best wishes.
Cissy
Cissy
Hello Cissy and Carol,
Sorry to be late to the discussion. I have done a sequence of neurofeedback with a reduced cost by trading services with the provider. It would have been better to do more however I was able to greatly improve sleep and other issues. As part of the program I used a device at home that modulated brain waves called David Delight(stupid name but great device). The company is in Canada & also available now in U.S. It remains very helpful to change brain wave states for example to alert, relaxed, meditative, sleep…etc. I have told others who have acquired the device and have also gotten good results. For the first time in years I slept all night and fell asleep before the 20 minute program was completed. The device costs around $275. Hope this helps.
Vicki Murphy
Vicki:
Thanks for sharing your experience and about that David Delight device thing. Is it similar to that Heart Math program? $275 isn’t cheap, but to have a device, for keeps that improves sleep, seems a worthy investment. Cissy