Social employees can use the printed phrase, books, and poetry to empower shoppers, promote social justice, and supply hope
By Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP
The printed phrase can be utilized to empower shoppers and supply hope in troubled occasions.
Folks have lengthy understood the therapeutic energy of phrases. In historical Egypt, intentional phrases of therapeutic had been written on papyrus, then dissolved into an answer in order that it could possibly be bodily ingested, like medication. At the moment, a rising physique of analysis confirms that studying and writing might be therapeutic, even decreasing signs of hysteria and despair. Studying fiction specifically builds emotional literacy and empathy, analysis exhibits.
The Worldwide Federation for Biblio/Poetry Remedy (IFBPT) champions this method, providing certification for social employees and different professionals fascinated by specializing on this inventive modality. Proprietor of Change Your Narrative consulting and coaching observe, Nancy S. Scherlong, LCSW-R, CHHC, SEP, PTR/CJT-CM is a licensed scientific social employee and the present president of the IFBPT.
Scherlong found a ardour for doing therapeutic work with phrases when she was an MFA scholar with a background in inventive writing and psychology. “I used to be going to do that work as a visiting artist,” Scherlong defined, “and all my associates on the time had been therapists and instructed that I get a social work diploma. I discovered that doing this work via the remedy door, for me, is a extra intuitive approach.”
Scherlong explains biblio/poetry remedy as using studying supplies, like a ebook well-matched to a shopper’s circumstance, might be therapeutic with dialogue or reflective writing. Relating to poetry, Scherlong focuses on using metaphor. “Metaphor is one other language particularly for trauma,” she mentioned. “Generally folks don’t have phrases for unspeakable issues which have occurred to them, and with metaphor they’ve privateness and a secret language to say, or not say, what they’re attempting to convey. I feel story is a phrase I take advantage of rather a lot, as a result of it’s acquainted.”
Nicholas Mazza Ph.D., licensed scientific social employee and Professor and Dean Emeritus on the Florida State College School of Social Work, has been concerned within the observe, analysis, and educating of poetry remedy for over 50 years. He’s the writer of Poetry Remedy; Concept and Observe, 3rd Version (Routledge; 2022), and president of the Nationwide Affiliation for Poetry Remedy (NAPT).
“Poetry remedy has emerged as an unbiased subject that’s inclusive of bibliotherapy, narrative remedy, expressive writing, and journal remedy, all of which preserve their very own unbiased subject of examine and observe,” Dr. Mazza defined. “Poetry and narrative might be highly effective instruments in selling social justice. Poetic approaches have been and proceed for use to advertise consciousness of such essential issues as home violence, poverty, racism, sexism, and a lot extra. Poetry lends voice to the oppressed and might be empowering. Take into account the invasion of Ukraine, gun violence, oppression, and girls’s rights as just some examples. The writing and sharing of poetry supply hope throughout troubled occasions.”
Whether or not social employees use books, poetry, and writing workout routines with particular person shoppers in particular person remedy, with teams of nursing house residents, or sufferers in a hospital setting, the probabilities are countless. Sherry Reiter, PhD, LCSW, PTR-CM of The Artistic “Righting” Middle, has labored in personal observe for over 30 years. “Bibliotherapy will get the utmost mileage out of phrases, powered by our personal voices, fueled by our must be seen and heard in a significant approach,” she mentioned. “One of many many extraordinary moments was when my 87-year-old shopper held a broadcast chapbook with all of the poems she had written in remedy. It was known as ‘This Is My Life’ by It’s-By no means-2-Late-Productions. The writer couldn’t cease smiling and a sense of delight and triumph overcame her emotions of helplessness and despair.”
Scherlong used this method with kids in foster care who had endured what she described as “horrific losses.” The outcomes had been highly effective. “They might write letters to folks not right here, learn them out loud, and write imaginary responses,” she mentioned. “That dialogue ended up being therapeutic.” Social employees can take into account inventive methods to tailor studying and writing prompts to a shopper’s distinctive scenario, providing a non-threatening alternative for expression.
In at this time’s post-pandemic world, the prospect to heal via storytelling is one thing many individuals are discovering on their very own. “As arduous because the pandemic was, folks have actually began writing their very own tales, and memoir is at an all-time excessive, and self-publishing is at an all-time excessive,” Scherlong mentioned. “Individuals are discovering on their very own the therapeutic energy of phrases, and writing their tales.”
Social employees in search of extra data on methods to include books, poetry, and journaling into their work with shoppers can pursue persevering with schooling programs in biblio/poetry remedy, search one-on-one session, or pursue certification via the IFBPT. The certification course of is a mentorship program, and in response to Scherlong greater than half of present mentors are social employees. “I feel social work pairs properly with expressive remedy modalities as a result of it’s already strengths-based, holistic, and affirms what’s proper,” she mentioned.
Greater than something, viewing our work with folks via the lens of storytelling is usually a humbling, inspiring expertise as a social employee. “I see their story earlier than I see their drawback,” Scherlong shared. “Tales can at all times be modified, by writing a brand new ending, or revising the center, or shifting an arc of a story. It’s an affirmative course of for folks.”
Study extra by visiting the IFBPT web site at https://ifbpt.org/ and the NAPT web site at https://poetrytherapy.org/
