Dr. Jurate Sucylaite University of Klaipeda, Lithuania
WRITING AS A TOOL IN REHABILITATION AND EDUCATIONAL WORK
22.10 conference programme
Low Self-esteem leads to loneliness, depression, negative thinking and is tied with negative emotions. Individual tries to escape painful emotions, to run away from unsolved problems, inhibits emotions and looses energy. When people share their feelings emotional tension reduces, but often it is difficult to find sensitive listeners; often wounded person doesn’t find words to express inner feelings, his (her) language hasn’t enough vitality.
Writing is a space between trauma and freedom: is allowed to express painful feelings, to witness cruelty, to discover not wounded vital powers inside, and to notice new horizon.
It is a challenge to empower person to write. The benefit of writing was studied in different groups (schizophrenic patients, depressed patients, and elderly people, nursing students).
Often research confirmed a necessity to help participants to learn to be an observer: to pay attention to the details of Nature world (the river, the trees, the path under your feet), to sense and to share senses in written form; to be an observer what goes now (in Present moment): to face pain in own body, to face reminiscences, and to witness in written form. Writing helps to find Spirituality: connectedness with oneself, with others, with nature world, with God and leads to personal transformations.
Collective writing or poetic improvisation when facilitator uses words of every client creates feeling of safe place; encourages to participate and to try writing. Author presents a methodical system of her work and results in different groups of participants.