Terhi K. Cherry
poetry for personal growth
Poetry facilitation, geared towards wellbeing and personal growth, involves receptive and expressive interactions with poetry and other literature. This means reading existing poetry and discussing the emotional reactions that arise in response, and writing poems to express ourselves. Poetic devices, such as metaphor and imagery, help to explore what we hold in our subconscious minds.
Sometimes it is difficult to simply talk about feelings. Poetry can help to identify and reframe the meaning assigned to personal life events, including the many forms of heartbreak: relationship endings, grief and loss, broken dreams, trauma or illness, and major life transitions. Poetry can unravel the beliefs we hold subconsciously, and when we honor and give form to what arises, we can transform the way we think and feel.
Research suggests something special happens in the brain in response to poetry that has the potential to contribute to psychological wellbeing.
I contributed a piece on poetry and the subconscious to Eric Maisel's blog on Psychology Today:
Bridging Poetry and the Subconscious With Visual Images (April 28, 2021)
Further reading
Poetry on the Mind and in the Brain (April 1, 2019)
Why Poetry is One of the Most Powerful Forms of Therapy
Journaling with Poetry: Embracing Change Through Poetic Process. Cynthia Holloway Kelvin's chapter in a book, "Transformational Journaling for Coaches, Therapists,
and Clients", 2021.