EXPRESSIVE WRITING & JOURNALING
Experience the Transformative Powers of Your Brain on Ink!
at the Seventh Annual
Register for Any 1 or More Days
Join over 900 colleagues from around the world to learn leading-edge skills for your practice, network with like-minded professionals, and create from within.
ATTEND ANY ONE OR COMBINATION OF DAYS!
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN AT
Thursday, Nov 10, 2016, 09:30 AM
63 5th Ave, NY, United States
Over 24 CE Credits Available
We're saving a seat for you!
_______________________________
An Expressive Writing Immersive for Therapists, Counselors, and Others
THURSDAY — 10:00 am - 5:15 pm
The New School, 63 Fifth Avenue
Creative Arts and Health Program, Co-Host
Writing for Neuroplasticity: Ink It to Link It
Kathleen (Kay) Adams, LPC
Deborah Ross, CJT, LPC
Self-directed neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain to change through the intention, attention, and action of the individual. Mindfulness meditation has been associated with positive brain change. Writing in a purposeful and intentional way can also have profound impact on an individual’s capacity to ink themselves to greater vitality, resilience, problem-solving, and wellness. In this workshop, two experts in the therapeutic writing movement, – one in the use of writing in therapy and the other in self-directed neuroplasticity through writing – offer techniques and strategies that can be immediately practiced and used with clients to produce positive neurological change. The focus will be on installation, the process by which a positive state can become a positive trait, and the ways that writing increases the efficiency of this state-to-trait process. The workshop concludes with an activity designed specifically to strengthen each of the four qualities of well-being – resilience, outlook, attention, and generosity.
FRIDAY — 10:00 am - 5:15 pm
The New School, 66 5th Avenue/2 West 13th Street
Creative Arts and Health Program, Co-Host
Re-Storying the Many Dimensions of Psyche: An Ecology of Being
Kate Thompson, MA, CJT
Mary Reynolds Thompson, CPCC, CAPF, CJF
What happens when two distinct models of self and psyche—the existential and the ecological—converge How does this confluence affect our understanding and clinical application of the psychology of self? Using expressive writing techniques, participants will link these separate approaches and create a powerful spiral model to restory and restore lost aspects of the self. The confluence of these approaches offers an extraordinary look into the humannature relationship as well as offering a profound opportunity to explore the deeper meaning of these stories. During the day participants will write their way through the spiral model and learn ways to immediately apply their newfound knowledge and tools with their clients.
SATURDAY
Executive Conference Center
1601 Broadway (enter on 48th Street)
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Getting Unstuck: Fearless Writing, Action & Collage
Nancy S. Scherlong, MS, PTR, LCSW
Buddhist philosophies, such as those in Pema Chodron’s book Taking the Leap, provide opportunities to increase mindfulness and presence while learning to create space to improve and to maintain nervous system health. Somatic and positive psychologies assist in identifying old patterns and “change targets,” pointing to new pathways for change. Through selected quotations, poems, journal prompts, and images, as well as action warm-up methods, participants will identify how and where we “get hooked” by self-blame, negativity, and/or fear and how to cultivate open-heartedness, acceptance, and the courage to “stay” with our experiences. No prior knowledge of Buddhism, therapeutic writing, the Journal Ladder, somatics, or psychodrama are required.
10:50 am - 12:20 pm
Writing from Cultural Memory: The Calling of La Ciguapa
Marianela Medrano, PhD, CPT, LPC
When writing stems from cultural memory, it has the potential to promote unity and healing for both the writer and the reader. For practitioners, especially those working in cross-cultural clinical settings, exploring our cultural narratives through journaling and providing spaces for clients to do the same can enhance therapeutic rapport and build trust. In this 90-minute presentation, we will use the metaphor of iconic Taíno trickster La Ciguapa – a woman with her feet pointing backwards to cover her tracks so that she is not followed – to examine the subversive ways we protect ourselves and to explore iconic figures in participants’ respective cultures. Participants can use these strategies for both self-reflection and for work with clients.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
What's A Meta-For? Group Journaling, Poetry & Collage in Action
Nancy S. Scherlong, MS, PTR, LCSW
Metaphors are as old as language itself and can go deep to the heart our personhood. Discover your personal metaphors and learn new ways to use multimodal metaphor in your clinical practice. Through use of poetry, journal and art-making techniques, integrated with the warm-up action methods of psychodrama, we will explore creative ways to express our likes and fears, questions and curiosities. You need not be a writer (or even like writing) to benefit from the approaches featured in this 3-hour workshop. Together, we will establish a safe environment in which it's not necessary to read aloud what you have created; you will have many options about how and whether to share.
SUNDAY
Executive Conference Center
1601 Broadway (enter on 48th Street)
9:30 am -5:00 pm
Expressive Writing: Essential Tools & Techniques
Journals Quick & Easy
Kathleen (Kay) Adams, LPC
This 3-hour workshop is designed to give therapists and facilitators consistent and standards-based ways to use journal writing as a therapeuetic tool. You’ll learn tips, tools, theories, and techniques from a pioneer in the therapeutic writing movement, along with insights drawn from the current research in the field. Participants will be guided through a set of writing processes that represent each level of the Journal Ladder (a method for assessing which journal intervention might be most useful for a particular audience or individual), allowing comparison and contrast of the differing intentions and outcomes (concrete/informational, insightful, intuitive/abstract) of each level. The “reflection write,” another signature piece of the presenter’s body of theory, will be practiced after each one. Particular attention will be paid to writing techniques that fit well as part of a therapeutic hour.
Play-Based Journal Therapy for All Ages: The WOWSA Method
Cherie Spehar, CTC-S, RPT-S, LCSW
This 3-hour workshop will introduce participants to the healing power of journal therapy when integrated with play therapy. Excite the brain and accelerate movement toward therapeutic goals with the presenter's signature WOWSA method—an acronym for an innovative approach crafted from the principles of expressive writing and play therapy. This new approach to therapeutic writing is bound to leave you saying WOWSA—and features a variety of techniques for use with clients and groups of all ages and abilities.