Title: How Poetry Can Heal | Psychology Today
Headings: How Poetry Can Heal
Diana Raab Ph.D.
How Poetry Can Heal
Psychologists and writers understand the healing power of writing. Here's how.

Content: Writing poetry is a time to loosen up and allow the freedom of self-expression at a time when it is often needed the most. Writing poetry allows us to tap into our authentic voices, which can lead to self-realization. It can also be a form of meditation because it encourages a sense of mindfulness and the ability to tap into what we’re feeling, seeing, and experiencing at the moment of writing. Henry David Thoreau once said that if we sit in a clearing long enough, the animals will come out of the woods and present themselves. Figuratively speaking, this also happens when we write poetry: all sorts of surprises can come to light. For those who need to be heard, writing poetry can be an excellent outlet. An icon in the field of writing for healing is poetry therapist and lecturer John Fox. He teaches in the California Poets in the Schools Program. One of my favorite books of his is called Finding What You Didn’t Lose.