Geri Chavis is a professor of English at St. Catherine University, Minnesota, USA, a Licensed Psycholgist in private practice, and a Certified Poetry Therapist and poetry therapy mentor/supervisor. She is a former Vice President of the National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT) and is an Editorial Board member of the Journal for Poetry Therapy. A few years ago, she was named honorary President of the newly-formed Irish Poetry Therapy Network.
In this video, Geri talks about her new book, Poetry and Story Therapy: The Healing Power of Creative Expression, and explains how poetry and stories can act as powerful catalysts for personal growth and greater self-esteem and self-awareness. She also provides examples of poems she has used in her own therapeutic work, and discusses how they helped her clients to find the meaning in past traumas and begin to heal.
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Poetry and Story Therapy is part of the Writing for Therapy or Personal Development series, edited by Gillie Bolton.
Copyright © Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2011.
My husband has bipolarism and asperber syndrome Due to neglect and sexual abuse in his childhood home. I had sexual abuse as a child as well but I have forgiven the person and my family was more embracing. I have started on reading on line to understand and learn how to help him and protect myself and our grown children. I read a book by a pastor with problems who was writing his experiences to help others and as I read the end he emphasized having hope. Listening to your poetry and story writing you emphasized having hope,seeing the good things in our lives by writing about our life. I already am doing a Biblical reading of 90 minutes for purification and protection and I realize I need to sing and paint and write to keep myself doing something more directly to aid in my healing and my spouses healing and my children’s.