therapeutic writing exercise

1
therapeutic writing exercise

• a chance to experiment with therapeutic writing
• see the handout description for a typical James
  Pennebaker set of instructions
• feel free to water these down for today
  for example you could just write about
  a minor/moderate stress (current or past)
• write really digging down into your feelings
  and thoughts about what happened
• what you write will remain entirely private to
  you

2
mechanisms and effects

• stops the cumulative stress vulnerability
  produced by constant work of inhibition
• recovering/working through deeply upsetting
  memories encourages reassessment
• increases personal sense of resilience ones
  ability to tolerate intense emotions
• reduces isolation and makes sharing with others
  easier

3
mechanisms and effects

• stops cumulative stress produced by constant work
  of inhibition

• Cole, S. W., M. E. Kemeny, et al. (1996).
  "Elevated physical health risk among gay men who
  conceal their homosexual identity." Health
  Psychology 15 243 - 251.
• Larson, D. G. and R. L. Chastain (1990). "Self
  concealment conceptualization, measurement,
  and health implications." Journal of Social and
  Clinical Psychology 9(4) 439 - 455.
• Finkenauer, C. and Rimé, B. (1998). "Keeping
  emotional memories secret health and subjective
  wellbeing when emotions are not shared." J Health
  Psychology 3(1) 47 - 58.
• Hunt, M. G. (1998). "The only way out is through
  emotional processing and recovery after a
  depressing life event." Behaviour Research and
  Therapy 36(4) 361 - 384.

4
mechanisms and effects

• working through upsetting memories promotes
  reassessment

making emotional memories more
autobiographical promot-ing reassessment are
considered key cognitive therapy interventions

• Reynolds, M. C. Brewin (1999). "Intrusive
  memories in depression and posttraumatic stress
  disorder." Behav Res Ther 37(3) 201-15.
• Smyth, J., N. True, et al. (2001). "Effects of
  writing about traumatic experiences the
  necessity for narrative structuring." Journal of
  Social and Clinical Psychology 20(2) 161-172..
• Brewin, C. R. (2001). "A cognitive neuroscience
  account of posttraumatic stress disorder and its
  treatment." Behav Res Ther 39(4) 373-93.

5
mechanisms and effects

• increases personal sense of resilience ones
  ability to tolerate intense emotions

• Hunt, M. G. (1998). "The only way out is through
  emotional processing and recovery after a
  depressing life event." Behaviour Research and
  Therapy 36(4) 361-84.

reduces isolation and makes sharing with others
easier

• Pennebaker, J., J. M. Smyth, et al. (1999).
  "Disclosure and health an interview with James W
  Pennebaker plus comments by various other
  authors." Advances in Mind-Body Medicine 15(3)
  161-195.

6
information from the web
go to the good knowledge page of
www.goodmedicine.org.uk , then open past
lectures and training seminars in the lectures,
leaflets and whats new section this talk, the
writing handout, research links and other related
talks can all be found in emotional expression
therapeutic writing seminars look too in
http//homepage. psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/
Pennebaker/Home2000/JWPhome.htm