Poetry therapy
Poetry therapy is a therapeutic approach that employs poetry to enhance mental health and encourage healing. This method supports individuals in processing their emotions and improving their ability to communicate those feelings. The practice of poetry therapy can be traced back to ancient times, with early examples found in the writings of the Ancient Egyptians, but it became more formally recognized in medical settings in the 18th century. Key historical figures, such as Dr. Benjamin Rush, incorporated poetry in treatment, and the establishment of the Association for Poetry Therapy in 1969 helped formalize the practice further.
Poetry therapy typically involves three phases: expressive, receptive, and symbolic. In the receptive phase, patients engage with poems that evoke strong emotions, while the expressive phase encourages personal interaction with poetry through writing or analysis. The symbolic phase introduces metaphors and rituals to aid in emotional expression and facilitate personal growth. This multifaceted approach aims not only to aid patients in understanding their feelings and subconscious memories but also to foster group cohesiveness and improve communication between patients and therapists. Poetry therapy is practiced globally and is recognized for its potential to validate emotional experiences and promote self-reflection.
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Poetry therapy
Poetry therapy uses poetry to improve mental health and promote healing. It improves the mental health of patients by allowing them to better process emotional experiences, then teaching them to better communicate their emotions. Most poetry therapy is comprised of expressive, receptive, and symbolic phases.
Poetry therapy is practiced throughout the world and can be traced back through to ancient times. However, it was not used in an organized medical setting until the eighteenth century.
Overview
Poetry therapy refers to the use of poetic or literary works to improve the mental health of patients. The belief that the written word can be utilized to improve mental health can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians. Scholars believe that in the 1700s, doctors at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia employed methods similar to modern poetry therapy. In the nineteenth century, Dr. Benjamin Rush, known as the father of American psychiatry, utilized poetry in addition to other treatments to help improve the mental health of his patients. In the early twentieth century, the pharmacist Eli Greifer founded several poem-therapy groups at hospitals with the support of resident psychiatrists. Jack J. Leedy, a psychiatrist associated with Greifer's poem-therapy groups, helped found the Association for Poetry Therapy (APT) in 1969. The APT would later reform itself into the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT).
After the foundation of the APT, the use of poetry therapy spread. Arlene Hynes, a librarian and pioneer of poetry therapy, was one of the first to open a formal training program for conducting poetry therapy. Hynes coauthored the influential publication Bibliotherapy – The Interactive Process: A Handbook, published in 1986.
Poetry therapy is thought to aid therapy patients in understanding their feelings and subconscious memories, which leads to a better understanding about how patients' feelings relate to their daily life. Poetry is believed to promote self-reflection, broaden perceptions, improve group cohesiveness by promoting shared emotional experiences, validating emotional experience, and providing a new means of expressing emotions. It may also help therapists or psychiatrists better understand their patients by giving them a new medium for communication.
Poetry therapy often begins with reading poetry. Poems selected by poetry therapists should deal with a universal emotion, utilize plain language, and convey a sense of hope. Individuals attending poetry therapy may also bring self-discovered poems to discuss with their poetry therapist.
The most popular model of poetry therapy consists of three phases: expressive or creative, receptive or prescriptive, and symbolic or ceremonial. In the receptive phase, the poetry therapist introduces the patient to poetry designed to evoke powerful feelings. He or she often reads these works to the patient, ensuring that the poem is delivered in an impactful manner. In the expressive phase, the patient is encouraged to interact with poetry on a more personal level. This may involve writing his or her own poetry, which is then analyzed by the poetry therapist, or dissecting existing poems. If the patient struggles with writing poetry, letter-writing may be used as a substitute. In the symbolic phase, the creative use of metaphors and rituals is introduced. These allow individuals to better communicate their feelings, confront negativity, and promote change.
Bibliography
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