Therapy On Paper

Therapeutic Journaling Process

Therapeutic journaling can help us cope with emotional pain, distress and trauma. This four-day writing exercise from Penebaker is designed to enhance both mental and physical health. Choose a meaningful and distraction-free place for your writing sessions.

Here's the process:

Topic

• Focus on an emotionally challenging event that is troubling you.

• If you’ve experienced a significant trauma recently, wait a few weeks before journaling about it to avoid overwhelming emotions.

• Allow your writing to flow naturally from your stream of consciousness; you might start on one subject and find yourself exploring another, thats ok.

Writing

1. Duration and Consistency

   • Write for 20 minutes each day over four consecutive days. This approach is more beneficial than spreading the writing days over several weeks.

2. Continuous Writing

   • Once you start, don’t stop, without worrying about grammar or spelling. If you run out of things to write, repeat what you’ve already written until the time is up.

3. Privacy

   • This exercise is for your personal reflection only. Feel free to destroy or hide your writings afterward. The primary goal is to express your deepest thoughts and emotions safely.

4. Sensitive Topics

   • If a particular event feels too overwhelming to write about, choose another topic that you can handle at this moment.

5. Reactions

   • It’s normal to feel a bit sad or down after writing, especially on the first few days. These feelings usually subside within a few minutes to hours. Have some time for self-reflection and emotional support after each session.

Considerations

• Avoid Over-Repetition: Writing about the same event repeatedly without progress can be counterproductive. If this happens, consider pausing the exercise and getting support.

• Intense Emotions: If the exercise brings up intense emotions that you find difficult to manage, stop immediately and engage in calming activities such as deep breathing, talking to a friend, or taking a walk.

• Seek Professional Help: Persistent negative feelings after journaling might mean you need more support. Reach out or find another professional to support you if this happens.

The purpose of this journaling exercise is to help you process and understand your emotions. Take care of yourself and seek professional help if you need to.

1. Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. New York: Guilford Press.

2. Pennebaker, J. W., & Smyth, J. M. (2016). Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain. New York: Guilford Press.