Therapeutic Journaling at Home
For most people, writing was one of their least favorite activities in school. However, writing can be very beneficial to a person’s mental health, and you don’t have to be an author to do it! Whether it’s in a leather-bound journal or on the back of a take-out menu, writing is for everyone, and using practices related to therapeutic journaling can help you express yourself and make the most of your mental health journey.
Therapeutic journaling is a type of writing practice that is conducted with the help of a licensed mental health professional. Some of the exercises and strategies that are used in therapeutic journaling can also be used in your own personal writing experience. A large part of this type of therapy relies on a person writing about either current or past events that may have been stressful, traumatic, or unpleasant, and then reflecting on what they wrote with their therapist. When that individual thinks back on that experience, they are able to better identify how it made them feel, what thoughts it evoked in them, and allows for them to better process and analyze what happened.
When an upsetting event occurs, a person may not be able to fully process what has happened, and that person is left with underlying emotions and thoughts that can sometimes become stuck in their memories. By writing down their experiences and taking a second look at what has happened, the writer is able to express their thoughts and create a more clear picture of the situation. This eventually allows them to move forward and let go of the feelings associated with the event.
It is understandable that not everyone may be comfortable with this type of writing, or may not have an event that they would deem stressful enough to discuss with a therapist about. Regardless of this, journaling for yourself can be therapeutic if you choose for the experience to be. This type of writing can also be a great way to start up a conversation with a therapist about what you are going through and have a mutual understanding of your feelings and experiences.
If you are interested in starting therapeutic journaling on your own, it is important to set a goal for your writing. Decide what you would like to get out of journaling and how you would like it to affect your well-being. Having a positive objective for your journaling can help you get more out of the writing experience and promote the healing you may wish to see in yourself.
Once you have set a goal for your writing, you can decide where and when you would like to start journaling. The easiest way to begin writing and stick with it is to create a routine for your journaling. Set aside a certain amount of time each day or each week for journaling. Also, having a specific space that is meant mainly for your writing time can allow you to give journaling your full attention. Remember that journaling is for you and no one else – this is your time to reflect and express yourself. You do not need to put on a show for anyone else when you write. You are in control of your writing and your experience. Once you embrace this, you can truly open up about whatever you wish to write about.
Although writing is not for everyone, anyone can do it.
If you are unsure of where to start, here are some prompts that may help you in your own personal writing journey:
- Start writing about where you are in your life at this moment. Where are you living? What are you doing for hobbies or work? What are your interests?
- Create a list of all of the things you are grateful for in your life at this moment.
- If there is something you are struggling with, or a past event that was stressful for you, write about it in the third person point of view (as an outsider observing). What do you see happening? Who is involved? How is this affecting the people involved?
- If you woke up tomorrow having everything you truly wanted, what would that look like?
- What are some changes happening in your life, and how do those changes make you feel? How are you handling these changes?
Ackerman, C. E., MA. (2024, July 9). Writing therapy: How to write and journal therapeutically. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/therapeutic-journaling.asp
Written by Abby McIntire,
Heart and Solutions Administrative Assistant