Writing therapy is a form of expression healing where people note down their thoughts and experiences. Most of them are based on traumatic events with writing helping them to understand and disentangle from the negative aftermath. It is one of the best ways to avoid mental health issues from a traumatic event. It will reduce stress and in the process enhance your physical health.
Writing therapy combines the benefits of talk and writing. You explore your emotions and thoughts through writing. It is a safe way to handle traumatic experiences because the writing will remain in your notebook. It also gives you a clear idea of the issues you are dealing with, especially when you monitor your thoughts and experiences over time.
How journaling therapy works
Writing therapy can take different forms. You can write your experiences alone and achieve the goals of therapy. Check myhomeworkdone.com for assignment assistance to relieve some of the pressure in school and create more time to handle pressing personal issues.
Individual therapy is where you write the experiences and thoughts in your diary without sharing them with a third party. You will review the thoughts and experiences later to see the patterns and gain clarity of thoughts. It is one of the most effective journaling techniques because you will not be forced to take any step by a counselor or third party.
Guided and interactive journaling therapy involves a counselor or third party. A parent or teacher may also use the therapy to help his subjects to overcome some of the traumatic experiences. You discuss the results of the journal or may not review them directly.
Counselors use interactive therapy to help victims to open up. Where the writer has already opened it, it will help them to track emotions, set recovery goals, and strengthen their resolve. Therapy in such a case feels like walking through the recovery path with your eyes wide open.
Forms of journaling therapy
Journaling therapy can be used in multiple aspects of a person’s life. Here are the major types of journaling therapy you may undertake.
· Gratitude Journaling
The journal is used to improve happiness by listing the things you are grateful for. While everyone is looking for something better, the journey towards the search could cause you to assume that your life is pathetic. By listing the things you are grateful for, you will appreciate the much you have come even without having achieved what you would desire. Such realization will motivate you to work harder towards your goals because you can already feel the progress. It will be easier to cope with stress and make you happier, and more generous.
· Reflective journaling
Reflective journaling happens when you need to change an aspect of your life. You can go through the session alone or with the guidance of a counselor. For instance, you may write down your performance over the last few semesters to give you a better idea of areas that require improvement. It helps you to create better meaning and purpose in your life.
· Cognitive Behavior Journaling Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Journaling therapy is mainly used by counselors. It requires you to learn the CBT methods for you to apply them in writing. If you understand Cognitive Behavior, you can use the method for personal therapy. You will be combining the benefits of journaling with Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
· Personal Journaling
The method involves journaling about your current health, life goals, social life, finances, and such aspects of life. The session acts as a reality checker where you set measurable goals, evaluate your challenges, and identify the best way forward. It gives you a sense of direction since you know what is expected and the timeframe you have set to achieve these goals.
How to improve the effectiveness of Writing and Journaling Therapy
Each person using journaling therapy will experience a varying degree of success. The rate of success will depend on several factors, most of which are connected to your approach to therapy. Here are tricks to help you to improve the effectiveness of therapy sessions.
Identify the challenge
What challenges would you like to deal with through journaling therapy? Each therapy issue will require a different approach. You can decide to take the journaling journey without the need for a counselor. Depending on the issue, you can choose to engage a counselor. It is the issue you are struggling with that will determine how you approach journaling therapy.
Prepare to be genuine in your reflections
Journaling therapy will only be effective if you are ready to open the wounds. Remain in touch with your emotions and the things that happened. Admit your mistakes and take responsibility for your failures. Without such sincerity, you will not find a lasting solution.
Write consistently
Journaling helps you to review events in your life. The reflection will be guided by the things you write in your journal. For instance, you can track your performance over several months to determine the relationship between poor grades and your emotions. In the absence of enough data, you cannot make a conclusive decision. Write each day or each week to obtain enough information that will help you to make the right decision in your life.
Share your thoughts and actions
Engage a third party in your therapy sessions. It could be a trusted friend, professional counselor, or even your partner. Such third parties act as accountability partners to help you to set goals and work towards achieving them. A professional counselor on his part will assist you to unravel the mystery you are trying to solve.
Take steps away from the problem
One of the goals of journaling therapy is to improve your life. Once you identify the challenges, you should be prepared to take a step toward changing your life. It will take hard work and a lot of resistance. However, you must commit to these changes.
Writing therapy will provide a solid foundation for your life. It helps you to make concrete decisions and changes in life. Whether you are taking the journey alone or with the help of a counselor, it remains one of the most effective tricks to improve your life.
Author bio: Dora Miller is an experienced content writer. She has a master’s degree in English philology, so her writings are always high-quality and profound. Furthermore, she is constantly bettering herself by completing on-line courses on creative writing and makes her blogs and articles even more engaging. The company, where Dora works, provides her with regular job trainings that make her skills not only stay efficient, but boost from day to day.
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